Quantitative literacy intervention in the faculty of health sciences for medical students at the university of cape town

Abstract

This article examines some aspects of the effectiveness of a first-year course in quantitative literacy for medical students at a South African university. As many students do not have the necessary foundations of mathematical and statistical knowledge and skills, the interventions are intended to provide 'foundations' in terms of quantitative literacy. Since quantitative literacy is a practice embedded in the disciplinary practices, this intervention has been integrated into the disciplinary curriculum. While this supports the argument that students motivation to engage with a context-driven curriculum is dependent on their interest in and perception of the relevance of the content and context used, the intervention could be enhanced by being more explicit in clarifying the distinctions between the disciplinary contexts and the mathematical and statistical content, as well integrating technology into the curriculum and creating opportunities for students to become involved in data collection on small research projects.