Changes in student entry competencies 2001 - 2017

Mark Hodds; Jia Shao; Duncan Lawson

doi:10.1080/0020739X.2020.1849836

Changes in student entry competencies 2001 - 2017

Mark Hodds, Jia Shao, Duncan Lawson

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Abstract

Diagnostic testing on entry to university provides an opportunity for students to ascertain individual strengths and weaknesses and allows course teams to gain insight into the competencies of the whole cohort. Coventry University has been using the same diagnostic test since 1991 and a previous analysis showed students coming to Coventry University in 2001 were performing considerably worse than their counterparts in 1991. Given the changes to A level Mathematics that have taken place since 2001 and the recently implemented reforms to A level Mathematics in the UK, it is timely to review performance in the diagnostic test and to create a benchmark before students enter higher education with the new (linear) A levels. This paper therefore reports on the changing entry competencies of students at Coventry University from 2001 to 2017 and shows that there has been a general improvement in performance across all entry grades. However, students are still not performing at the same level as they were in 1991 and the gap between students with higher entry grades (A level A*–C) and lower entry grades (A level D–E) is getting wider.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1859-1874
Number of pages	16
Journal	International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
Volume	53
Issue number	7
Early online date	10 Dec 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2020.1849836
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, on 10/12/2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0020739X.2020.1849836

Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Keywords

Diagnostic testing
mathematics education
transition to University

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Mathematics (miscellaneous)
Education
Applied Mathematics

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10.1080/0020739X.2020.1849836

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Cite this

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abstract = "Diagnostic testing on entry to university provides an opportunity for students to ascertain individual strengths and weaknesses and allows course teams to gain insight into the competencies of the whole cohort. Coventry University has been using the same diagnostic test since 1991 and a previous analysis showed students coming to Coventry University in 2001 were performing considerably worse than their counterparts in 1991. Given the changes to A level Mathematics that have taken place since 2001 and the recently implemented reforms to A level Mathematics in the UK, it is timely to review performance in the diagnostic test and to create a benchmark before students enter higher education with the new (linear) A levels. This paper therefore reports on the changing entry competencies of students at Coventry University from 2001 to 2017 and shows that there has been a general improvement in performance across all entry grades. However, students are still not performing at the same level as they were in 1991 and the gap between students with higher entry grades (A level A*–C) and lower entry grades (A level D–E) is getting wider.",

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Changes in student entry competencies 2001 - 2017

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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