Enhancing mathematical literacy to

promote graduate employability. Louise Taylor, Nottingham Law School (Louise.Taylor@ntu.ac.uk)

“Mathematical literacy is

an individual’s capacity to

identify and understand

the role that mathematics

plays in the world, to

make well-founded

judgements and to use

and engage with

mathematics in ways that

meet the needs of that

individual’s life as a

constructive, concerned

and reflective citizen.” (National Numeracy 2012)

The

Analysis

The

Issue

The

Solution

Expectations Provision

The global economic crisis has created a challenging legal

graduate employment market (see Fig 1). This has placed

increased expectations on the Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) to

deliver graduates who possess key transferable and

employability skills such as mathematical literacy.

As law teachers we must question what our law schools

currently provide in terms of opportunities for students to

develop their mathematical literacy and consider additional

ways to enhance this skill-set in order to promote graduate

employability and future-proof our students’ careers.

0

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7000

2003

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2004

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2005

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In such a challenging legal graduate employment market we must deliver modules

and extra-curricular activities that develop skill-rich graduates who are both

employable and well equipped to become the lawyers of tomorrow (Susskind

2012, p.5). To achieve this we should place mathematical literacy alongside

language literacy at the heart of the activities offered within our law schools. This

could be achieved through the implementation of a simple model (see Fig 2)

without detracting from the substantive content of the QLD. All that is needed is

the will (and mathematical literacy) of the law faculty to facilitate it.

.

Optimum mathematical

literacy

Year 1 non-credit bearing

mandatory online module

Final year credit bearing optional

module

Employability summer school (incorporating mathematical

literacy)

Employability skills are the

most important attributes that

businesses look for in new

recruits, but graduates are

currently falling short of

employers’ expectations...”

(Anderson 2011)

“A student should

demonstrate a basic ability

where relevant and as the

basis for an argument, to

use, present and evaluate

information provided in

numerical or statistical

form.”

(QAA 2007, p. 4)

Assuming that this level of

provision is indicative of that

offered within other law schools

then it can be concluded that

while the QLD meets basic

regulatory requirements it is

unlikely to be offering employers

the mathematically literate

students which they seek.

A content analysis of all module

specifications for the QLD

offered at Nottingham Law

School was conducted. This

found that only one module, the

Law of Contract with Problem

Solving, offered some teaching

which encouraged mathematical

literacy.

Fig 2. Model for optimum mathematical literacy

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Fig. 1. No. of registered

traineeships by year.

(Law Society, 2003-11)

Anderson, S. (2011) CBI press release.

Available at: www.cbi.org.uk/media-

centre/press-releases/2011/05/universities-

must-embed-employability-skills-in-course-

structures-cbi-nus/ [Accessed 03/03/2013].

Law Society (2003-2011) Annual

Statistical Reports. Available at:

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/representat

ion/research-trends/annual -statistical-

reports/ [Accessed 03/03/2013].

National Numeracy (2013)

Available at:

http://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/nu

meracy-for-adults/index.html

[Accessed 01/03/2013].

QAA (2007) Quality Assurance

Agency Subject Benchmark

Statement: Law.

Susskind, R. (2012) LETR Briefing Paper

3/2012: Provocations and Perspectives.

Available at: http://letr.org.uk/wp-

content/uploads/Susskind-LETR-final-Oct-

2012.pdf [Accessed 01/03/2013].