Adults studying GCSE mathematics in Further Education: Self-efficacy, anxiety, and examination grades

This research sought to establish whether there is a link between self-efficacy or anxiety and final examination grades for adults taking GCSE mathematics. In England in 2020, 30,650 adults (19+) were registered to take this Level 2 examination, traditionally for 16-year-olds in schools. Twenty-one adults on non-traditional pathways in education participated in this mixed methods study. The study used a questionnaire with comments sections, distributed to participants on two occasions, and a semi-focussed interview. Statements on the questionnaire were divided into three sections: course content, classroom dynamics and assessment. Main insights on perception: Timed testing emerged as the most significant challenge for participants. Whilst some participants expressed anxiety and low self-efficacy with all tests and examinations, for others it was specifically mathematics examinations that prompted negative responses. Main insights for outcomes: The principal insight of the research is that whilst most learners with high self-efficacy and low anxiety reached the required grade, most of those with lower self-efficacy, higher anxiety, or both generally did not perform as well. Self-efficacy for these participants was a better marker for success than anxiety. Findings were evaluated by gender, age, and ethnicity. Stereotypical assumptions about adult learners drawn from previous research were challenged by this study, as males had similar outcomes to females, older participants were less anxious than younger ones, and those whose first language was not English were just as likely to perform well as English speakers. Original findings emerged from individual statement responses, such as participants who were unable or unlikely to ask a question in class, and that word problems matched algebra as a significant topic in terms of course content. Additionally, one participant out of the ten who responded twice became more anxious and had lower self-efficacy as the examinations approached, with a potentially detrimental effect on their grade. The findings of this research are exploratory and indicative due to the sample size, but they have implications for research and practice, as they have highlighted differences between FE adult populations of mathematics learners and other FE and adult students. In addition, they have indicated a need for practitioners to gather information from adults to enable them to better support their learners in fulfilling their aspirations of a GCSE in mathematics.