TY - JOUR
T1 - Mind the gap
T2 - An initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculum reformto higher education
AU - Prendergast, Mark
AU - Faulkner, Fiona
AU - Breen, Cormac
AU - Carr, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - This article details an initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculumreform to higher education in Ireland. The reform entitled 'Project Maths' involved changes to what second level students learn in mathematics, how they learn it, and how they are assessed. Changes were rolled out nationally on a phased basis in September 2010. Students who were taught and assessed through the new curriculum first entered third level education in September 2012. It is important that third level mathematics lecturers are aware of the changes to the curriculum since certain topics such as vectors and matrices are no longer taught at second level.Hence, third level coursesmay need to be adapted accordingly. This study investigates mathematics lecturers' awareness of Project Maths and whether they have made any adaptions to their course content, teaching and assessment approaches as a result of the new curriculum being introduced. The findings, from a return rate of 23% of eligible respondents, show that although many lecturers are mindful of the concept of ProjectMaths, they are not aware of the changes in full and how it affects their own course content, teaching and assessment strategies. Accordingly, the gap between second and third level education remains.This study highlights that more needs to be done to ensure there is coherent and uniform approaches to the teaching, learning and assessment ofmathematics in the transition from second to third level education.
AB - This article details an initial analysis of the transition of a second level curriculumreform to higher education in Ireland. The reform entitled 'Project Maths' involved changes to what second level students learn in mathematics, how they learn it, and how they are assessed. Changes were rolled out nationally on a phased basis in September 2010. Students who were taught and assessed through the new curriculum first entered third level education in September 2012. It is important that third level mathematics lecturers are aware of the changes to the curriculum since certain topics such as vectors and matrices are no longer taught at second level.Hence, third level coursesmay need to be adapted accordingly. This study investigates mathematics lecturers' awareness of Project Maths and whether they have made any adaptions to their course content, teaching and assessment approaches as a result of the new curriculum being introduced. The findings, from a return rate of 23% of eligible respondents, show that although many lecturers are mindful of the concept of ProjectMaths, they are not aware of the changes in full and how it affects their own course content, teaching and assessment strategies. Accordingly, the gap between second and third level education remains.This study highlights that more needs to be done to ensure there is coherent and uniform approaches to the teaching, learning and assessment ofmathematics in the transition from second to third level education.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034747300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/teamat/hrw024
DO - 10.1093/teamat/hrw024
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85034747300
SN - 0268-3679
VL - 36
SP - 217
EP - 231
JO - Teaching Mathematics and its Applications
JF - Teaching Mathematics and its Applications
IS - 4
ER -