The impact of a classroom intervention on university students' learning in a mathematics and statistics-related subject

English: A growing number of underprepared students are entering higher education institutions and students' underachievement in mathematics is indeed of great concern. Numerous research studies have pointed out that the academic domain of underpreparedness among such students entails a lack of mathematical ability and effective study skills. Research studies also point out that education should focus on "learning how to learn" and that educators in South Africa should turn back to their primary responsibility, which is to teach learners necessary thinking skills. Tertiary institutions, therefore, have the obligation to train future professional students, and the responsibility lies with lecturers to help students become aware of study skills and learning strategies with regard to mathematics-related subjects. A comprehensive look into learning theories and the learning of mathematics and statistics provided the researcher with insight with regard to these aspects. The researcher therefore deemed it necessary to conduct a research study with the aim to meet the need for improving students' academic performance in such subjects. The study reports on the introduction of a classroom learning strategy that was designed to improve students' academic performance in a mathematics and statisticsrelated subject at the Central University of Technology, Free State. The study is located within a quantitative paradigm, with some enhancement by means of qualitative information. The study followed a non-equivalent pre-test post-test design involving an experimental group and control group of students. A quasi-experimental approach was used to determine whether the post-test performance of students who were exposed to the classroom learning strategy (experimental group) was higher than that of students who received no classroom learning strategy (control group) in the module Business Statistics/Statistics II. With regard to the qualitative mode of study, the researcher conducted a nominal group setting to determine the developmental experiences students found most useful after the implementation of the classroom learning strategy intervention. The quantitative analysis of students' post-test performance showed increases in students' academic performance in the module Business Statistics/Statistics II. The results that emerged from the nominal group technique setting also support the effectiveness of the researcher's proposed classroom learning strategy intervention, as it had a positive effect on students' attitudes regarding a mathematics and statistics-related subject.