Reviewing self-efficacy interventions and exploring experiences of resitting GCSE Mathematics

Abstract

Research has increasingly focused on understanding and improving students' academic performance. Academic success rests not only on academic factors but influences such as motivation and self-efficacy. Educators and policymakers alike are interested in improving students' mathematics performance. Students experience pressure to perform, especially in high-stakes exams. This study explored the issues facing students learning mathematics with two papers; a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating whether self-efficacy and mathematics self-efficacy interventions improve mathematics performance, and a qualitative study to explore students' experiences resitting the high-stakes General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) mathematics exams.
The first paper conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for self-efficacy or mathematics self-efficacy that aimed to positively change the mathematics performance in students aged 11-25 years. Twenty-two papers were included in the meta-analysis. The analysis on the mathematics performance outcome produced an average random effect of g = 0.21, 95% CI[0.02, 0.41]. The results indicated that the included interventions had a small but significant effect on mathematics performance. Issues with the instruments used in the included studies and with the studies' designs were highlighted. The heterogeneity across the studies and the small number of studies available were considered in interpreting the results.
In the second paper, eleven Further Education college students aged 16-19 years were interviewed about their experiences of resitting the GCSE mathematics exams. The data were coded using inductive framework analysis. Thematic analysis was used to develop four themes; 1) Struggling with Mathematics, 2) Learning That Works, 3) Relying on Others, 4) Being Left Behind. The findings show a complex picture of students who had previous negative education experiences but re-engaged with learning. Student-teacher relationships were found to be key for students to re-engage in learning and be confident in mathematics. The implications of the findings from the papers for practitioners, researchers and policymakers are discussed.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Chronoula (Charis) Voutsina: orcid.org/0000-0003-2196-5816

ORCID for Philip Higham: orcid.org/0000-0001-6087-7224

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