Student self-assessment of mathematical skills: A pilot study of accounting student

When new students arrive at university to commence their undergraduate training they bring with them a host of prior experiences, expectations and beliefs. For students whose course of study includes mathematics these experiences, expectations and beliefs can be very strongly held and somewhat negative towards mathematics. In such cases they can become a barrier to further learning in mathematics. This paper reports on a small pilot study exploring the mathematical experiences, expectations and beliefs of accounting students with a view to improving their engagement with mathematics. The results of a student survey allow the identification of students whose self-assessments and expectations are not congruent with their observed performance with a consequent risk of disengagement from mathematics.