An investigation of the mathematical literacy of first year third-level students in the Republic of Ireland

This article reports on a study carried out to measure the mathematical literacy of a selection of students entering third-level education in Ireland. The study investigates how such students performed when confronted with mathematical tasks, which, though commensurate with their level of education, may not have been familiar to them, and to identify the factors influencing their performance. Moreover, the relationship between the skills measured by the test of mathematical literacy administered and those measured by state examinations was explored, as was the question of whether or not the concept of mathematical literacy is a useful one for third-level educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science & Technology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)