Changing attitudes and images of mathematics in post-16 vocational education

Presented by Dr Diane Dalby, The University of Nottingham

Recent policy changes continue to raise the profile of mathematics in post-16 education but the integration of this seemingly academic subject within the context of vocational education remains challenging. In this seminar, I aim to provide a better understanding of how the vocational environment affects students’ learning experiences of mathematics, using findings from my doctoral study of the experiences of 16-19 year old vocational students learning functional mathematics. The main influences are explored in this research through a multi-method grounded theory approach, leading to case studies of seventeen student groups across three Further Education colleges.

The research findings show how students with legacies of disaffection and low attainment in mathematics are sometimes transformed within the college environment. The study suggests that reversing trends of disaffection and failure with mathematics amongst students can be achieved in post-16 education but this is dependent on changes within the curriculum and learning situation. In the light of recent policy changes that make mathematics a compulsory subject for low-attaining post-16 students and the prioritisation of GCSE mathematics over alternative curricula, this study provides some insight into aspects of policy and curriculum that may have a more positive impact on vocational students’ learning of mathematics.