There are fewer NCEA students attempting a key algebra exam that sets them up for science-related careers, and the impact is unevenly felt by those in lower decile schools.
Research from Victoria University’s Sarah Howell found the number of secondary students studying algebra and calculus at NCEA Level 1 and 2 declined between 2013 and 2019.
“Algebra acts as a gatekeeper for progression in maths and without this knowledge, students won’t be able to begin tertiary degrees that rely on strong mathematics skills,” she said.
That exam is important because it sets students up to take further algebra and calculus study, Howell said.
“With fewer students participating in and completing both [NCEA] Level 1 and Level 2 algebra, the future prospects for Aotearoa’s students in science-related careers may be limited.”
That drop was particularly pronounced for students in decile 10 schools. In 2015, 83 per cent of Year 11 students at these schools were attempting a key algebra standard called AS1.2. By 2019, that figure was just under 50 per cent.
Despite that, a 10 percentage point difference persisted between the proportion of students who took the algebra standard in decile 1 and 10 schools.
Grades also varied by school decile — higher decile schools had pass rates about 30 percentage points above lower deciles. Students in higher decile schools also tended to get more merit and excellence grades.
Dr Bronwyn Wood, a senior education lecturer at the university, said those inequities would carry through into higher education.
“Students who pursue science and engineering courses, as well as our future maths teachers, are more likely to be those from middle-class, comfortable backgrounds, thus reducing the diversity of the workforce in these areas,” she said.
Wood also believed the decline was because NCEA was designed to be flexible and allowed students and schools to select what they wanted to be tested on.
“For topics viewed as more difficult, such as algebra, schools can decide not to offer them, leave them up to students to select, or offer alternative — arguably easier — standards.”
Howell and Wood both hoped the ongoing review of the NCEA system would address the issues raised in the research.
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