Numeracy in paramedicine education: a literature review

The introduction of paramedical science into universities has led to unprecedented enrolment numbers in Australian undergraduate paramedical science programs. At the same time however, there has been an associated increase in complexity of student learning expectations and requirements. One area of paramedical education that is proving challenging for universities is the numeracy preparedness of students and how to best support students in this area. To examine how universities may begin to address the current challenges related to improving the numeracy of paramedical science students, this paper investigates the literature on the numeracy of paramedics and the underlying mathematical skills required for their programs of study. It also reviews the support programs that are available at university and considers how much these are reflecting effective pedagogies. The aim of this review is to identify ways numeracy and numeracy teaching in paramedical science may be improved and highlight possible directions for future research in this area