Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions

Wendy Lyn Baumgartner; Erica Dorethea Spangenberg; Geoffrey Vaughan Lautenbach

doi:10.29333/ejmste/11245

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Wendy Lyn Baumgartner ¹ ^* , Erica Dorethea Spangenberg ¹ , Geoffrey Vaughan Lautenbach ¹

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¹ University of Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

South African Mathematical Literacy (ML) learners are unlikely to have mastered the mathematical skills essential for undergraduate degree studies in Business Science and are most likely to commence tertiary studies in a foundation programme (FP). One such FP at one private higher education institution included an algebra course and provided an opportunity for such students to articulate to undergraduate degree studies in Business Science. Essentials, an algebra reteaching strategy, supported underprepared students. The perceptions of 11 students from ML were probed in semi-structured interviews on aspects influencing the development of algebraic knowledge. Four themes: introducing the ML student, beneficial aspects, aspects to address for improvement, and personal aspects emerged from deductive coding. Perceptions identified may sensitise future ML students entering higher education studies through similar pathways about previous students’ experiences of FP algebra courses, and inform FP algebra course teachers about ML learners’ needs during their development of academic knowledge.

Keywords

algebraic knowledge
foundation programme
mathematical literacy
students

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2021, Volume 17, Issue 11, Article No: em2026

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

Publication date: 05 Oct 2021

Article Views: 1618

Article Downloads: 740

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Declaration of Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest is declared by author(s).

Data sharing statement: Data supporting the findings and conclusions are available upon request from the corresponding author(s).

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How to cite this article

APA

Baumgartner, W. L., Spangenberg, E. D., & Lautenbach, G. V. (2021). Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(11), em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

Vancouver

Baumgartner WL, Spangenberg ED, Lautenbach GV. Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(11):em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

AMA

Baumgartner WL, Spangenberg ED, Lautenbach GV. Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(11), em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

Chicago

Baumgartner, Wendy Lyn, Erica Dorethea Spangenberg, and Geoffrey Vaughan Lautenbach. "Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2021 17 no. 11 (2021): em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

Harvard

Baumgartner, W. L., Spangenberg, E. D., and Lautenbach, G. V. (2021). Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(11), em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245

MLA

Baumgartner, Wendy Lyn et al. "Developing Algebraic Knowledge: Foundation Programme ex-Mathematical Literacy Students’ Perceptions". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 17, no. 11, 2021, em2026. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11245