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  • community perspectives of Mathematics and Statistics support in higher education the role of the staff member
    Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 2019
    Co-Authors: Michael Grove, Tony Croft, Duncan Lawson, Moira Petrie
    Abstract:

    Mathematics support now forms a widely accepted and important part of the provision of higher education institutions within the UK and Ireland to assist students within their learning of Mathematics and Statistics, particularly as they make the transition to university study. Over the last 15 years it has seen growth as an area of scholarship, and behind this has been the role of those staff members who oversee, develop, deliver and research Mathematics support within their institutions. To date, however, there has been little work that explores the roles, opportunities and recognition afforded to such individuals, but this is important if visibility for Mathematics support as part of the provision and practice of higher education institutions is to continue to grow and a sustainable community of practitioners is to be established. Here we report on a survey of 51 individuals with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Mathematics and Statistics support provision within their institutions. Findings show that the majority of staff with such responsibility for the delivery of Mathematics support within institutions are in permanent roles and that in many instances this forms the sole focus of their employment; there also exists an important and visible role for postgraduates in the delivery of Mathematics support. Finally, there is evidence that most staff working in this area feel recognised and well supported with opportunities to develop their roles, engage with professional development, and to contribute to a national community of practice.

  • Community perspectives of Mathematics and Statistics support in higher education: building the infrastructure
    Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 2017
    Co-Authors: Michael Grove, Tony Croft, Duncan Lawson, Moira Petrie
    Abstract:

    Over the last two decades, Mathematics support has, increasingly, been seen by higher education institutions as a vital mechanism for helping students enhance their mathematical and statistical skills, particularly as they make the transition to university study. Several studies have shown the growth of Mathematics support across the higher education sector within the UK, Ireland and beyond. Others have demonstrated its impact upon learners. However, few have explored the extent to which Mathematics support is embedded within institutions or the extent to which it is likely to be sustainable. Such analyses are important for both the institutions themselves and the many colleagues who are working to develop Mathematics support into an area of study in its own right. Here, we report on a survey of 47 institutions offering Mathematics and Statistics support within the UK. Findings show that, within many institutions, Mathematics support is now embedded as part of student-focused institutional support provision. Further, its impacts are increasingly extending beyond those students who access the support: there is evidence that mechanisms are in place for feeding findings from Mathematics and Statistics support into mainstream teaching and learning and curriculum development. Significantly, the analysis shows that Mathematics support offers good potential for sustainability such that the legacy of national endeavours to establish it more widely will continue to exist into the future.

  • Senior management perspectives of Mathematics and Statistics support in higher education: moving to an ‘ecological’ approach
    Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 2016
    Co-Authors: Helen Mackenzie, Harry Tolley, Tony Croft, Michael Grove, Duncan Lawson
    Abstract:

    ABSTRACTThis article explores the perspectives of three senior managers in higher education institutions in England regarding their Mathematics and Statistics support provision. It does so by means of a qualitative case study that draws upon the writing of Ronald Barnett about the identity of an ‘ecological’ university, along with metaphors associated with the notion of organisations as living ‘organisms’, suggested by Gareth Morgan. Using these ideas as a heuristic sheds light upon the view that whilst outwardly universities appear to represent a uniform landscape, Mathematics and Statistics support alternatively, can be seen as different ‘species’ within the higher education system. The study illustrates how three universities occupying contrasting ecological ‘niches’ are responding to the challenges they face by providing and planning different forms of learning support for Mathematics and Statistics. In conclusion, it is recommended that senior managers reflect upon the possibilities offered by the id...

  • Mathematics and Statistics support centres resources for training postgraduates and others who work in them
    MSOR connections, 2016
    Co-Authors: Tony Croft, Michael Grove
    Abstract:

    This article provides a rationale for the focused training of postgraduates (and others) who work in Mathematics and Statistics support centres. It outlines a format for training that has been found to work well through workshop-style events run at universities around the country over the last five years. Within any form of training there are important topics for discussion and a wealth of resources freely available for those centre managers who wish to develop training for their own tutors. Tutors are in the front line of tackling the lack of confidence and skill deficits of students who arrive at support centres looking for help; tutors who are well-briefed in terms of the challenges they are likely to face and how they can best respond to students who are finding university Mathematics and Statistics particularly difficult will help to ensure that the services offered genuinely contribute to enhancing the student experience. While training for new Mathematics support tutors is important, of equal, if not greater importance is identifying tutors with the right skills and abilities to work in Mathematics and Statistics support. We conclude by considering the recruitment of postgraduate tutors and by undertaking a brief discussion about the value of training to the tutors themselves including contribution to professional recognition that is gaining increased importance. Further sources of information can be found within Croft and Grove (2011) which forms a training resource pack, Croft, et al. (2013) and in the resources section of the sigma network website (2016) which includes PowerPoint slides and training activities that can be used in, or adapted for, workshops.

  • Understanding evaluation of learning support in Mathematics and Statistics
    International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 2011
    Co-Authors: Helen Macgillivray, Tony Croft
    Abstract:

    With rapid and continuing growth of learning support initiatives in Mathematics and Statistics found in many parts of the world, and with the likelihood that this trend will continue, there is a need to ensure that robust and coherent measures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives. The nature of learning support brings challenges for measurement and analysis of its effects. After briefly reviewing the purpose, rationale for, and extent of current provision, this article provides a framework for those working in learning support to think about how their efforts can be evaluated. It provides references and specific examples of how workers in this field are collecting, analysing and reporting their findings. The framework is used to structure evaluation in terms of usage of facilities, resources and services provided, and also in terms of improvements in performance of the students and staff who engage with them. Very recent developments have started to address the effects of learning support on the development of deeper approaches to learning, the affective domain and the development of communities of practice of both learners and teachers. This article intends to be a stimulus to those who work in Mathematics and Statistics support to gather even richer, more valuable, forms of data. It provides a 'toolkit' for those interested in evaluation of learning support and closes by referring to an on-line resource being developed to archive the growing body of evidence.