Self-efficacy and self-belief in mathematics and access student progression

This study examined the relationship between Access students’ general self-efficacy, their beliefs about their mathematics abilities, the level of mathematics module they choose and their progression to higher education. An explanatory, sequential mixed methods approach was adopted for the study, which took place over three academic years, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20. During the study, questionnaires were completed by 184 students in the Access programme at Technological University Dublin and 24 students participated in interviews. All Access students must complete a module in advanced, intermediate or fundamental mathematics. Results revealed that students with higher belief in their mathematics ability were more likely to study advanced mathematics and more likely to pass mathematics modules. Students studying intermediate mathematics were most likely to progress to higher education, and non-Irish nationals, who had higher belief in their mathematics abilities than Irish nationals, were less likely to progress in advanced mathematics than their peers. Recommendations for improving students’ belief in their mathematics ability and progression are provided.