Department of Mathematics
Title : Transition from School to University Education in Mathematics: New Zealand and Australia Perspectives
| Speaker: Merrilyn Goos, Mike Thomas & Sergiy Klymchuk Affiliation: The University of Queensland, UoA & AUT Time: 3pm Tuesday, 15 November, 2011 Location: 1-11 Short St, Building 810, Room 340 |
Abstract
| In recent years there has been a growing interest in the transition from school to university, which can prove difficult for many students. Reports identify problems in transition as a significant factor in learning mathematics, with international concerns about decreasing numbers of students opting to study mathematics at university and their decreasing levels of competence. Even students with good marks in school mathematics experience difficulties at university and sometimes fail the first year university mathematics courses. A widening gap between school and university mathematics appears to be a worldwide phenomenon and in many countries there is concern that differences in emphasis between school and tertiary mathematics may be increasing. In this talk we will report on some findings from recent projects on the transition from secondary to university education in mathematics in New Zealand and Australia. We also discuss practical recommendations arising from the projects, in particular student perspectives on transition, the effect of changes in mathematical emphasis and possible ways to improve communication and dialogue between members of the two sectors: school teachers and university lecturers. The seminar will of interest to lecturers who teach first year mathematics courses and also for those working in mathematics education. Merrilyn Goos is Professor of Mathematics Education and Director of the Teaching and Educational Development Institute at The University of Queensland and is President of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Mike Thomas is Professor of Mathematics Education in the Mathematics Department at The University of Auckland and is Chair of the 2012 International Congress on Mathematics Education Survey Team on Key Mathematical Concepts in the Transition from Secondary to University. Sergiy Klymchuk is Associate Professor of Mathematics in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the Auckland University of Technology. |
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Programmes and Centres
- New Zealand Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (NZIMA)
- Community for Understanding and Learning in the Mathematical Sciences (CULMS)
- Centre for Mathematical Social Science (CMSS)
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Engineering Science
- Department of Physics
- Department of Statistics
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute
