Chris Brignell

Growth and decline: the differing fortunes of maths courses and maths students

The Observatory for Mathematical Education was founded in 2023 with the aim of analysing the mathematical education system, from primary schools through to postgraduate degrees. By understanding how the system works (or doesn’t work) we can inform decision-making at national, institutional and classroom levels.  We achieve this through analysis of national government datasets and the largest longitudinal cohort study of mathematical education. One particular challenge is understanding the HE mathematics landscape. With many institutions having degree-awarding powers, every undergraduate mathematics degree differs in assessment strategy, curriculum and teaching practice. Similarly, no two students are alike and each will have their own experience of studying HE mathematics.Our analysis shows the main dimensions of variability between courses are entry requirements and module choice; the breadth of mathematics; and beliefs about the nature of mathematics. While institutions are often classified according to mission group (e.g. Russell Group), the analysis develops a typology which classifies programmes according to student relevant measures. For students, our analysis shows the transition from school to university is a struggle for many students and this results in a drop in mathematical confidence during the first semester of university. Their transition experiences are patterned by gender, socio-economic status, prior attainment and institution. Who is likely to succeed and who will flounder and what, if anything, should we do in response?