From Lessons to Lectures

NCEA results and first year mathematics performance

Alex James, Clemency Montelleand Phillipa Williams

What we did…

329 students in 2005. 387 students in 2006. Matched first year MATH108S1

results with NCEA maths and calc results.

UC studentsNo. of students (%)

National averages(%)

2004 2005 2004 2005

Not Achieved 48 (--) 38 (--) -- --

Achieved 220 (58.4%) 242 (60.8%) 61.8% 65.5%

Merit 144 (38.2%) 122 (30.7%) 33.0% 27.7%

Excellence 13 (3.4%) 34 (8.5%) 5.1% 6.6%

Total 425 436

90635 Differentiation

90636 Integration

UC studentsNo. of students (%)

National averages(%)

2004 2005 2004 2005

Not Achieved 96 (--) 86 (--) -- --

Achieved 244 (74.4%) 242 (67.8%) 71.3% 72.4%

Merit 83 (25.3%) 85 (23.9%) 28.1% 20.7%

Excellence 1 (0.3%) 30 (8.4%) 0.6% 6.9%

Total 424 443

90637 - Trigonometry

UC studentsNo. of students (%)

National averages(%)

2004 2005 2004 2005

Not Achieved 0 (--) 0 (--) -- --

Achieved 209 (50.7%) 214 (51.1%) 59.0% 61.3%

Merit 132 (32.0%) 155 (36.9%) 25.4% 24.8%

Excellence 71 (17.2%) 51 (12.1%) 15.6% 13.8%

Total 412 420

90638 – Algebra and Complex

UC studentsNo. of students (%)

National averages(%)

2004 2005 2004 2005

Not Achieved 91 (--) 93 (--) -- --

Achieved 229 (54.9%) 216 (48.9%) 67.0% 61.5%

Merit 86 (20.6%) 116 (26.2%) 26.6% 33.0%

Excellence 11 (2.6%) 17 (3.8%) 6.3% 5.6%

Total 417 442

90639 Conics

UC studentsNo. of students (%)

National averages(%)

2004 2005 2004 2005

Not Achieved 100 (--) 87 (--) -- --

Achieved 250 (81.1%) 207 (62.3%) 77.8% 65.7%

Merit 56 (18.1%) 96 (28.9%) 21.2% 26.6%

Excellence 2 (0.6%) 29 (8.7%) 1.1% 7.6%

Total 408 419

How they did…

Total Calculus Credits vs MATH105 Grade 2005

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

F C B A F C B A F C B A F C B A

less than 14 14-17 18-21 24

Total Level 3 Calculus credits

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Fre

qu

en

cy

Total Calculus Credits with MATH108S1 Grade

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

F C B A F C B A F C B A F C B A

less than 14 14-17 18-21 24

Total Level 3 Calculus credits

Per

cent

age

Freq

uenc

y

How they did (2)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Calculus credits

Fir

st

ye

ar

ma

rk

Are all credits equal?

Does not achieving a particular standard lead to poor

performance?OR

Does not achieving a particular standard lead to a lower number of

credits which leads to poor performance?

The consequences of not achieving

Standard First year (%)

Differentiation Achieved 63.92

N-A 44.62

Integration Achieved 65.91

N-A 44.97

Trigonometry Achieved 62.35

N-A 66.44

Complex numbers Achieved 65.92

N-A 47.67

Conic sections Achieved 65.8

N-A 51.12

The consequences of fewer credits…

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Calculus credits

Fir

st

ye

ar

ma

rk

Higher Achievers

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Merit/Excellence credits

Fir

st y

ear

mar

k

Calculus or Statistics?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Calculus credits

Fir

st y

ear

mar

k

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Statistics Credits

Fir

st

ye

ar

ma

rk

Calculus or Statistics (2)?

First-year grade 24 credits Statistics only 24 credits Calculus only

F 16% 12%

C 14% 12%

B 28% 31%

A 42% 44%

University Entrance

Calculus Credits Grade 2005 Frequency (%) 2006 Frequency (%)

15-17 F 14 (45.2%) 10 (47.6%)

C 9 (29.0%) 4 (19.1%)

B 6 (19.4%) 7 (33.3%)

A 2 (6.5%) 0 (0.0%)

108S1 Entry Recommendations

Old criteria 15 credits in

maths and calculus, including both diff and int.

OR 18 credits in maths and stats

New criteria 18 credits in maths

and calc OR one standard at

merit level or higher

OR 24 credits in maths and stats

MET Criteria Not met criteria

Failed 108 16% 67%

A grade in 108 36% 2%