A landscape review of the literature focusing on the use of threshold concepts in mathematics teaching within higher education STEM disciplines

A systematic approach was undertaken to locate and analyse empirical research examining the use of ‘threshold concepts’ in mathematics teaching within STEM higher education disciplines. The primary research question, designed using the PICO framework, aims at investigating how the teaching of these concepts as ‘threshold concepts’ compares with teaching them more traditionally in relation to student understanding, performance and experience. A search was conducted across multiple databases following the design of search clauses and well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Publications were selected for inclusion by screening and appraising results obtained from databases and keywords refined through a scoping study. This work-in-progress paper systematically documents and draws insights from the key demographic characteristics (publication year, source, context and methods) of the shortlisted studies.