出版社：Australian Institutes for Educational Research
摘要：The study of higher-level secondary mathematics is considered essential for nationaleconomic growth, competitiveness in research and innovation, and further educationopportunities. Yet the reported trend within Australian secondary schools is thatenrolments in higher-level mathematics are declining and have been in a state of declinefor over a decade. The little available and recent literature published on this phenomenonhas looked at why secondary students elect to study higher-level mathematics courses,both from the perspective of teachers and students. This research paper presentsfindings as to why Heads of Learning Area: Mathematics (HOLAMs) believe capablesecondary students elect not to enrol in those courses. Data were collected from 50secondary schools across the three sectors (Government, Catholic, Independent) inWestern Australia. The key findings are that capable students do not enrol in higher-levelmathematics courses because these courses are not required for university entrance,other courses appear to be less rigorous and more viable, and the Australian TertiaryAdmissions Ranking (ATAR) score can be maximised by taking one mathematics courseinstead of two courses.
