A comparison of teacher and lecturer perspectives on the transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics education

The transition from school to tertiary study of mathematics comes under increasing scrutiny in research. This article reports on some findings from a project analysing the transition from secondary to tertiary education in mathematics. One key variable in this transition is the teacher or lecturer. This article deals with a small part of the data from the project-analysing secondary teachers' and lecturers' responses to questions on the differences they perceive between school and university and the importance of calculus, a bridging content. The results provide evidence of similarities and differences in the thinking of teachers and lecturers about the transition process. They also show that each group lacks a clear understanding of the issues involved in the transition from the other's perspective, and there is a great need for improved communication between the two sectors.