Supporting nursing students’ mathematical understanding

Hodds, Mark

doi:10.21100/msor.v18i3.1079

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…It may have been expected that students' ability in the different sections of the test would have differed by grade, as has been shown in previous studies (e.g. Lawson, 2003;Hodds et al, 2020), however the results for 2020 students are consistent across all grades. This therefore suggests that students in 2020 coming to Coventry University had similar strengths and weaknesses regardless of the A level grade achieved.…”

Section: Grade and Sectionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…Indeed, recent studies have shown the effectiveness of diagnostic testing, particularly for non-mathematicians, when they are accompanied with other measures that support both staff and students (e.g. Hodds, 2020). This paper reports data from a single UK university that compares the entry competencies of a sample of those students who entered with A level mathematics in September 2020 against students with A level mathematics in the two years prior (2019 and 2018 entry).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mathematical competencies on entry into a UK university

Hodds

2021

Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA

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Students from England and Wales had their A-level results in 2020 decided by a ‘triple lock’ system as traditional examinations were cancelled due to the pandemic. Therefore, there was a fear that students were either being unfairly judged ( Arden University 2020) or would enter university with a reduced understanding of concepts leading to an increase in drop-out rates ( Staton, 2020). To measure mathematical ability, diagnostic testing is used at universities. This is now a well-established practice that supports students and their lecturers in discovering areas of mathematical strength and weakness upon entry to a course ( Lawson, 2003; Hodds, Shao, and Lawson, 2020). This article compares the entry competencies of students arriving at one UK university in October 2020 with those who entered in previous years, using the same diagnostic test taken by all students as the method for comparison. Students who received their A levels in the year of entry are also compared to those who entered with A levels from years prior, allowing for a fair comparison of students in 2020 in particular. Furthermore, the abilities of students at different A-level grades are also compared. The results showed that students in 2020 appear not to be disadvantaged by the issues caused by the pandemic. On the contrary, many students outperformed colleagues who had summative assessment prior to 2020.

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Section: Grade and Sectionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mathematical competencies on entry into a UK university

Hodds

2021

Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA

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“…The test is usually tailored to suit the level of mathematics required by the course. Diagnostic tests have been shown to be effective at providing both staff and students with vital information regarding areas of strength and weakness (e.g., Hodds, Shao, and Lawson, 2020) as well as increasing pass rates in Engineering (Patel and Little, 2006) and Nursing (Hodds, 2020) when combined with tailored support packages. Due to the disruption to education caused by the pandemic, diagnostic tests are perhaps more vital than ever in helping staff to determine the true competency of students whilst also providing support in the best possible way on arrival at university.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of COVID-19 on mathematical entry competencies: 1 year on

Hodds

2023

Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way we learn, teach and support students in many different ways. In particular, the impact of the pandemic on the mathematical capabilities of students arriving at university is now starting to be seen and reported. Students arriving at UK universities in 2021, and having completed their A levels in 2021, had received disruption to almost all of their A level learning and it seemed likely that this might cause them to find the transition into higher education more difficult. Despite the disruption, the number of students achieving the top A level grade has more than doubled since 2019. In this paper, the data from a diagnostic test that has remained the same for the past 30 years are considered to measure the mathematical preparedness of students starting their courses at one UK university in September 2021, updating the work of Hodds (2021). Furthermore, an ordinal logistic regression model predicting A level grade based on test performance and other factors is developed to help determine if grades were perhaps inflated as suggested. The results show that students entering in 2021 are significantly less prepared for the mathematics on their courses than their colleagues who entered in 2020 and pre-pandemic. The regression model predicts a higher probability of being awarded an A*/A for students with A levels awarded in the pandemic, despite far lower scores on the diagnostic test, and in particular in 2021 when A levels were awarded through teacher assessment of the topics covered and not necessarily the whole A level syllabus.

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