SURVEYING POST-LEAVING CERTIFICATE STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE THEIR LEVEL OF MATHEMATICAL PREPAREDNESS FOR PROGRESSION TO HIGHER EDUCATION STEM COURSES: A PILOT PROCESS

A student's level of mathematics as they begin degree courses in STEM disciplines has been recognised as a key indicator of their success. While much research has taken place into secondary school mathematics teaching, a comparatively under-researched area has been that of Further Education, which supplies a smaller proportion of degree courses' student intake. The vast majority of Further Education students seeking progression opportunities to such courses study one of three mathematics modules: 'Mathematics 5N1833', 'Maths for IT 5N18396', or 'Maths for STEM 5N0556'. As part of the author's PhD research project on the mathematical preparedness of students at FE level hoping to progress to a STEM degree course, it is envisaged that a survey of FE students be collected at the end of the 2023/24 academic year as one part of a broader, mixed-methods approach. In the interim, a pilot survey using a convenience sampling method was distributed and collected in April 2023 and is the focus of this paper. 57 responses were collected as part of this pilot process, indicating significant differences between the three module groups.