professor duncan lawson, university of coventry: mathematics support centres: who uses them, and who...
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Mathematics Support Centres: Who uses them & who doesn’t?
Why and why not?
Duncan Lawson, Carol Robinson & Ria Symonds
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Overview
Background - story Some quantitative data Some qualitative data from non-
users Some qualitative data from users Summary
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Background
Maths support centres started from a desire to help failing students
The theory was that if you offer them extra support they will take it and get better
Then pass, retention and progression rates will all improve.
Quantitative Data
From Loughborough Maths Learning Support Centre
Academic Year 2006/7 STEM first year students 744 in total
Who came?
Fail(<40%)
Pass (40-69%)
Excellent Pass (>69%)
0 visits 67 338 122
1 visit 6 52 23
>1 visit 5 83 48
Who came more than once?
1 in 4 students who achieved a 1st class mark (>69%)
1 in 8 students who achieved a standard pass (40-69%)
1 in 16 students who failed (<40%)
Chicken and Egg?
Do students fail because they don’t come?
OR
Do failing students not come?
Qualitative Data
Focus groups / in –depth interviews with non-users
On the spot – quick interviews with non-users around campus
77 non-users in total
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Reasons for non-use
Reason Failed (17)
Passed (60)
Total
Lack of awareness of location 6 21 27
Lack of awareness of facilities 4 17 21
Lack of awareness of need of support 8 10 18
Too many problems 2 0 2
Fear of embarrassment 10 10 20
Reason 1
“I’ve not really known where it was … I knew it was in the Schofield building somewhere but wasn’t sure.”
Lack of awareness of the location of the support centre
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If you had a broken arm would you find the hospital?
Lack of awareness of the facilities of the centre
Reason 2
“I completely forgot about it after the first time I’d heard about it.”
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But there are posters everywhere
Lack of awareness of the need of the mathematics support
Reason 3
“I would say I didn’t really go to the centre because I didn’t really do the problem sheets, so I didn’t know I had problems.”
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A bit of honesty
Too many problems that need addressing
Reason 4
“I think it was more just I’d come and have so many questions because it was more than one thing I had a problem with. So I didn’t really fancy camping out in the centre.”
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Only 2 students
Fear of embarrassment or intimidation
Reason 5
“I think probably just the embarrassment, because I feel like I’m that bad at maths.”
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But you are just who the centre was originally for!
Qualitative Data from users
From interviews with regular users of the support centre
29 students interviewed What did these students think
about themselves?
Self-concept
Do you view yourself as a MATHEMATICICAN?
YES
25% 29% 46%
NO Same/Middle
25% 64% 11%
89% 4% 7%
36% 0% 64%
50% 11% 39%
Do you feel you are BETTER at maths than your friends?
Do you feel ABLE in maths?
Do you feel TALENTED in maths?
Have you ever felt unprepared for maths at university?
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Why did they come?
Motivation to make the initial visit
Previously aware of
difficulties
Encountered a problem in
first week
Cwk/Exam problem (no prior
problems )
HELM workbook
CuriositySomewhere to work
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Results - why?
Motivation to make the initial visit
Previously aware of
difficulties
Encountered a problem in
first week
Cwk/Exam problem (no prior
problems )
HELM workbook
CuriositySomewhere to work
Engaged with maths from the outset
Why be a regular user?
“This year I’ve really been trying by coming here…I got my semester 1 results and they weren’t as high as I thought they would be so that kind of knocked the wind out of my sails.”
→ motivated by failure
Becoming a regular user Satisfied with the help received
→ motivated to come with further problems
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Why be a regular user?
“I want to get a good grade so I really needed to go [to the MLSC]…So I’ll come here [the MLSC] and get it all cleared up really.”
→ motivated by failure
Becoming a regular user Satisfied with the help received
→ motivated to come with further problems
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→ motivated to succeed
How do you use the centre?
How do students engage with the support?
“I use it as a working environment. It’s quiet and quite closed off. And in the library sometimes you just get people come to socialise half the time.”
“It’s a great place to work. It’s helped me make time and space in my day to get work done.”
25 students indicated they regularly used the MLSC as a place to work
Learning Space → conducive working environment → motivation
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How do students engage with the support?
“It’s kind of helped me keep on top of things. Just get everything done, like if you’re struggling or something I’ll get it sorted rather than leave it until I really have to, like just before a test.”
“I go away from here knowing more from my lectures to be honest. Maybe because they can take the time to explain it, and if I get stuck I can ask them to stop at any point. Because it’s more personal isn’t it.”
Monitor and direct their own learning
Emotional security
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How do you use the centre?
“Most of the time I come away realising I knew how to do it, it’s just made me feel a bit more sure about what I’m doing, so that I know what I’m doing is right. It leaves me feeling more confident to go away and tackle other problems.”
How do students engage with the support?
Monitor and direct their own learning
Emotional security
Confidence
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How do you use the centre?
How do students engage with the support?
“I think in most things you’re able to use it [the help] in another context. You gain more of an understanding of it when you ask. You understand it more than just
guessing yourself.”
“I go for a general understanding really. Just trying to get that sorted out and then you can apply that to all the other questions because no two questions are really the same.”
Deep learners - intention to understand
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How do you use the centre?
How do students engage with the support?
“It’s [the MLSC] helped with motivation. If you understand something then it propels you to keep working, especially maths...it makes you work and makes you want to keep doing it. Then you’ll practice that because you get the satisfaction of
being able to do the problem then.”
Positive attitude to mathematics ⇔ Enhances motivation
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How do you use the centre?
Regular User
Engaged → with maths→ with their course
Motivated → generally motivated individuals→ to succeed/ avoid failure
Seeking excellence orAvoiding Failure
Obtain Support
Learning Space ‘working environment’
Active participant in own learning
Builds Confidence
Engage further
Able → Generally feel they can ‘do’ maths
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More able students using support seeking excellence
Use support to reinforce belief in ability, as a motivator and an aid to success
Are weaker students alienated by ‘working environment’?
Summary
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