Dr Ntuli introduces a solution to help students who struggle with maths

Dr Mthobisi Ntuli is improving mathematics outcomes one student at a time. The new PhD holder has used the Higher Order Thinking Skills (Hots) program to improve learning outcomes for first year students to develop and assess their evaluation and analysis skills in mathematics.

In an interview with IOL, the University of KwaZulu-Natal PhD graduate said his PhD research found that a deficiency in students’ basic knowledge and skills hindered their ability to tackle university-level calculus concepts.

Ntuli studied at UKZN as an undergraduate in the BSc Augmented Programme. With his PhD, Ntuli hopes to pursue a career as an academic and researcher.

Ntuli’s PhD research sought to address this gap by utilising Hots to enhance first-year students’ problem-solving abilities in mathematics.

“By focusing on developing the necessary skills to overcome threshold concepts, such as understanding limits, my study aimed to empower students to navigate complex mathematical problems effectively,“ he said.

Ntuli shared his motivation of the research which was based on some students who perform worse than others.

“Generally, in a class or group of students, you can find students who perform exceptionally well and others who perform poorly. This may be because of students’ prior education or lack of basic knowledge and skills to understand concepts of first-year university mathematics.

“Research has shown that two students can perform the same task up to a specific mathematical point and then one student takes a further step while the other cannot. As a researcher, it is very important to get an understanding why one student lagged, and which skills the other student used to go further. Understanding this will empower researchers to produce methods of how to help the student who lagged to develop the necessary skills to be able to take that further step.”

Ntuli engaged with the students by formal invitations that were extended via email through the UKZN Moodle system; 412. Three voluntary participants took part in this study, all of whom were first-year students.

Ntuli’s study was based on improving the problem-solving abilities in first-year calculus students by developing Hots. He created assessment questions aligned with module content to foster the development of Hots.

The assessments not only promoted Hots development, but also offered insights into students’ higher-order thinking abilities.

During the interview ,IOL asked Ntuli what the main objective of his research was.

“The primary objective was to create purposeful assessment questions aligned with module content to foster the development of Hots.”

IOL asked if Hots could be utilised to high-school students.

“Yes, there is a substantial focus on the development of Hots in high schools compared to tertiary institutions. It is crucial to develop Hots at the high school level to prepare students for the rigour of higher education and professional environments,” he said.

Ntuli’s findings contribute to the understanding of how well-designed assessment questions could be used to evaluate the development of Hots among first-year calculus students.

IOL