Abstract
In this article the concept of Feedback and Self-Regulated Learning has been used to investigate student ‘transition’ from upper secondary to university mathematics education. The findings are anchored in data from the TransMaths project (at the University of Manchester), more particularly the case of an ethnic minority student’s journey from his school to a university mathematics course taught at a large inner-city university in the UK. The results provide insights into (1) the different contexts students experience when transiting from school to university mathematics education; (2) the kinds of feedback students are likely to receive and which sources of feedback are beneficial for them in terms of independent learning; (3) ‘transformations’ which students experience and which they may need to go through in order to ‘survive’ in higher education mathematics courses. This has implications for policy makers who want to keep more students in mathematically demanding university programmes.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Akkerman, S., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132–69.
Alexander, P. A., Schallert, D. L., & Hare, V. C. (1991). Coming to terms: how researchers in learning and literacy talk about knowledge. Review of Educational Research, 61, 315–43.
Boaler, J., & Greeno, J. G. (2000). Identity, agency, and knowing in mathematics worlds. In Jo Boaler (ed) Multiple Perspectives on mathematics teaching and learning. London: Ablex Publishing.
Butler, D. L., & Winne, P. H. (1995). Feedback and self-regulated learning: a theoretical synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 65(3), 245–281.
Boekaerts, M. (1999). Motivated learning: the study of student x situation transactional units. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 14(4), 41–55.
Bosch, M., Fonseca, C., & Gascon, J. (2004). Incompletud de lasorganizacionesmatematicas locales en lasinstitucionesescolares (Incompleteness of the mathematical organisations in the educational institutions). Recherches en Didactiques des Mathematiques, 24(2–3), 205–250.
Brown, M., Brown, P., & Bibby, T. (2007). ‘I would rather die’: attitudes of 16-year olds towards their future participation in mathematics. In D. Küchemann (ed) Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, 27 (1).
Cobb, P., Gresalfi, M., & Hodge, L. L. (2009). A design research perspective on the identities that students are developing in mathematics classrooms. In B. Schwarz, T. Dreyfus, & R. Hershkowitz (eds), Transformation of knowledge through classroom interaction. London: Routledge.
Corno, L. (2009). Work habits and self-regulated learning. In D. H. Schunk & B. Zimmerman (eds.) Motivation and self-regulated learning (pp. 197–222). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Ass.
Croft, A. C., Harrison, M. C., & Robinson, C. L. (2009). Recruitment and retention of students—an integrated and holistic vision of mathematics support.International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 40(1), 109–125.
De Corte, E., Verschaffel, L., & Op’tEynde (2000). Self-regulation: A characteristic and a goal of mathematics education. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (eds) Handbook of self-regulation. San Diego: Academic Press.
De Guzman, M., Hodgson, B. R., Robert, A., & Villani, V. (1998). Difficulties in the passage from secondary to tertiary education, DocumentaMathematica, Extra volume ICM III, 747–762.
Fallow, S., & Steven, C. (eds.). (2000). Integrating key skills in higher education. London: Kogan Page.
Gueudet, G. (2008). Investigating the secondary–tertiary transition. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 67(3), 237–54.
Hager, P., & Hodkinson, P. (2009). Moving beyond the metaphor of transfer of learning. British Educational Research Journal, 35(4), 619–638.
Hattie, J., & Jaeger, R. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning: a deductive approach. Assessment in Education, 5(1), 111–122.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
Hoyles, C., Newman, K., & Noss, R. (2001). Changing patterns of transition from school to university mathematics. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 32(6), 829–846.
Lithner, J. (2000). Mathematical reasoning in task solving. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 41, 165–190.
Nardi, E. (1996). The Novice Mathematician’s Encounter With Mathematical Abstraction: Tensions in Concept-Image Construction and Formalisation. Oxford: University of Oxford.
Nardi, E. (2009). Students’ perceptions of institutional practices: the case of limits of functions in college level Calculus courses. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 72, 341–358.
Ozga, J., & Sukhnanden, L. (1998). Undergraduate non-completion: developing an exemplary model. Higher Education Quarterly, 52(3), 316–333.
Pape, S. J., Bell, C., & Yetkin, I. E. (2003). developing mathematical thinking and self-regulated learning:teaching experiment in a seventh grade mathematics classroom. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 53, 179- 202.
Pepin, B. (2009). ‘The role of textbooks in the ‘figured world’ of English, French and German classrooms- a comparative perspective’. In L. Black, H. Mendick, & Y. Solomon (Eds.) Mathematical Relationships: identities and participation. London: Routledge.
Pintrich, P. R. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self regulated learning. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (eds) Handbook of self-regulation. San Diego: Academic Press.
Schoenfeld, A. (1992). Learning to think mathematically: problem solving, meta cognition, and sense making in mathematics. In D. A. Grouws (ed), Handbook of Research on Mathematics Teaching and learning (pp. 334–368). New York: Macmillan Publ. Comp.
Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498–504.
Sierpinska, A. (2000). On some aspects of students’ thinking in linear algebra. In J.-L. Dorier (ed.), On the teaching of linear algebra (pp. 209–246). Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Smith, A. (2004). Making mathematics count. London: The Stationary Office.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Tall, D. (1991). Advanced Mathematical Thinking. Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Thomas, L. (2002). Student retention in higher education: the role of institutional habitus. Journal of Educational Policy, 17(4), 423–442.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wingate, U. (2007). A framework for transition: supporting ‘learning to learn’ in higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 61(3), 391–405.
Winne, P. H. (1995). Inherent details in self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 30(4), 173–187.
Woods, P. (1986). Inside schools: Ethnography in educational research. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Zimmermann, B. J. (2005). Attaining self regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (eds.), Handbook of self-regulation. San Diego: Academic Press.
Acknowledgement
As the author of this chapter, I recognise the contribution made by the TransMaths team in collection of data, design of instruments and project, and discussions involving analyses and interpretations of the results: we would also like to acknowledge the support of the ESRC-TLRP award RES-139–25-0241, and continuing support from ESRC-TransMaths award(s) RES-139-25-0241 and RES-000-22-2890.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pepin, B. (2014). Student Transition to University Mathematics Education: Transformations of People, Tools and Practices. In: Rezat, S., Hattermann, M., Peter-Koop, A. (eds) Transformation - A Fundamental Idea of Mathematics Education. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3489-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3489-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-3488-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-3489-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)