The Short-Term Effectiveness of a Remedial Mathematics Course: Evidence from a UK University

Abstract:     
Whilst in the US there is a growing debate about the effectiveness of remedial university courses, this issue is less questioned in the UK. Using a regression discontinuity approach and data from a large School of a post-1992 UK university, we estimate the effect of remediation on student outcomes. We find no evidence that attending a math remedial program improves student performance in the first year. This finding is consistent and complements that of a recent study by Lagerlöf and Seltzer (2009), which is based on data from a pre-1992 UK university. Taken together, these results may call for a review of the remediation policy offered at university level in the UK.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 34

Keywords: regression discontinuity design, remedial mathematics, student performance

JEL Classification: A22, I20

working papers series