Socio-economic Background, Senior Secondary Mathematics, and Post-secondary Pathways

Sep 20, 2026

The paper examines how socio-economic background relates to completion of senior secondary mathematics and subsequent post-schooling pathways. Using recent Victorian data, it links index of relative socio-economic disadvantage (IRSD), mathematics enrolments and study scores, and On Track destination outcomes for VCE Unit 3 and 4 students in Further, Methods, and Specialist mathematics. The study provides preliminary observations about student profile differences without testing explanatory factors.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Mathematics curriculum structure and course types

Victorian VCE course equivalents and enrolment trends

Research focus and data scope

Student socio-economic profiles, study scores, and destinations

Socio-economic Background, Senior Secondary Mathematics, and Post-secondary Pathways. Eng Yeoh Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority <[yeoh.eng.t@edumail.vic.gov.au](yeoh.eng.t@edumail.vic.gov.au)> David Leigh-Lancaster Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority <[leigh-lancaster.david.d@edumail.vic.gov.au](leigh-lancaster.david.d@edumail.vic.gov.au)> The relationship between socio-economic background and completion of senior secondary mathematics study leading to various post-schooling pathways has been an area of keen interest to researchers, school systems and policy makers for some time. This paper briefly considers some aspects of this relationship using recent Victorian data relating to the indexof relative socio-economic disadvantage (IRSD), enrolments and study scores for Victorian senior secondary mathematics students and On Track destination data. Background A distinctive feature of senior secondary mathematics curricula in countries around the world and also in Australia is the common use of a hierarchy of three to four distinctive mathematics subjects typically characterised in terms of a combination of: depth, breadth and directness of application to practical problem solving in real life; the level and scope of complexity and demand in ‘pure’ and ‘applied’ mathematical concepts, skills and processes; expectations for mental, by hand and technology assisted approaches to working mathematically and pathways to post-secondary study, training or work (see, for example, Tout & Motteram, 2006) . The development of a ‘national’ or Australian curriculum from school entrance to the end of secondary school is now well underway in the first four subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and History, with drafts scheduled to be available for consultation throughout 2010. The Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) mathematics framing paper The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (National Curriculum Board, 2009) referred to four types of senior secondary mathematics courses that can be characterised as everyday mathematics vocational (Course A), general mathematics including data analysis, business and discrete mathematics leading to further training, employment or tertiary study that does not require a calculus background (Course B), a mainstream calculus based mathematics leading to tertiary study in sciences, economics, medicine and the like (Course C) and an advanced pure and applied calculus based mathematics leading to study that requires a substantial mathematical background such as engineering and actuarial work (Course D) . It also noted the current imbalance in access to these types of courses with respect to socio-economic background. Curriculum benchmarking research typically carried out by state and territory curriculum and assessment authorities, board and councils as part of normal review processes (see also, for example, Masters & Matters, 2007) indicated a high level ofcommonality in the nature and purpose of different versions of such courses around the Australian states and territories. In Victoria the corresponding courses are the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) Senior Numeracy and the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Unit 3 and 4 studies Further Mathematics, Mathematical Methods/Mathematical/Methods (CAS) and Specialist Mathematics. For 2006–2009 Mathematical Methods/Mathematical and Methods (CAS) were alternative and equivalent parallel implementations of the same typeof course with different assumed enabling technology – an approved graphics calculator or CAS. Mathematical and Methods (CAS) replaced Mathematical Methods from 2010 L. Sparrow, B. Kissane, & C. Hurst (Eds.), Shaping the future of mathematics education: Proceedings of the 33rd annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Fremantle: MERGA. (inclusive) . In the rest of this paper only these three VCE studies are conside

FAQs

What is the main relationship investigated in the paper?

The paper investigates the relationship between students’ socio-economic background and completion of senior secondary mathematics study, and how this connects to different post-schooling pathways.

Which Victorian data sources are used?

It uses Victorian data including IRSD, mathematics enrolments and study scores, and On Track destination data for VCE Unit 3 and 4 students.

Which VCE mathematics subjects are examined?

The paper focuses on three VCE studies at Unit 3 and 4: Further Mathematics, Mathematical Methods/Methods (CAS), and Specialist Mathematics.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Arica Lee