The short‐term effectiveness of a remedial mathematics course: Evidence from a UK university

Abstract

While there is growing debate in the USA about the effectiveness of remedial university courses, there have been fewer questions raised in the UK. Using a sharp regression discontinuity approach and data from a large School within a post-1992 UK university, we estimate the effect of remediation on student outcomes. We find no evidence that taking a math remedial course improves student performance in the first year. This finding is consistent and complements that of a recent study by Lagerlöf and Seltzer (2009, Journal of Economic Education, Vol. 40, pp. 115–136), which is based on data from a pre-1992 UK university.