Improving GCSE Maths Results
Improving GCSE Maths ResultsEffective Strategies and Structural
Approaches
[email protected] Chris OlleyVisit:
www.themathszone.co.uk1ProgrammeWe teach maths hereYou can and will
succeedLunchKeeping on trackWinning at maths examsClose Chris
OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk2The Score1993 (Arrival)13% A*- C
at GCSE School: 5+ A*- C = 21%A level candidates = 32001
(Departure)49% A*- C at GCSE School: 5+ A*- C = 34%A level
candidates = 30+ Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk3Maths v.
School MathsWhat is mathematics?What do mathematicians do? What
mathematics do professionals do?What is school mathematics?What do
students learn in school mathematics lessons? Chris OlleyVisit:
www.themathszone.co.uk4The Big PictureAn atomisation of the
curriculum can lead to disconnected learning.For students, the
problem is seeing the wood for the treesKings College, London:
Effective Teachers of Numeracy connexionismAskew, M.; Brown, M.;
Rhodes, V.; Wiliam, D. & Johnson, D. (1997). Effective Teachers
of Numeracy: Report of a study carried out for the Teacher Training
Agency. London: King's College, University of London Chris
OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk5Big IdeasProofPure
mathematicsAlgebraic manipulationExplain/convince
meModellingSolving real world problems!CritiqueThe data handling
cycle
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk6More Big
IdeasTransformationInfinity/LimitNumberFunction
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk7Why Teach Maths?What do
we say to students?What do we say to their parents?What do we say
to each other?What do teachers of English Literature say to
everyone?
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk8Is it Useful?Lave and
shopping mathsNo correlation between success I the supermarket and
success at school.Problem solvers always succeed.Spradbery and
pigeon mathsNo-one else validates your hobbies!Nunes and bubble gum
mathsSchool makes you worse at numeric problem solving.Jean Lave,
Cognition in Practice, Cambridge, 1988Terezinha Nunes et al.,
Street mathematics and school mathematics, Cambridge, 1993
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk9Distance Time A Real
Life Problem
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk10Distance Time A Real
Life Problem
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk11Presentation
MattersAccurate mathsReadable mathsAnnotated mathsExemplified
maths
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk12You Can SucceedThe
language of successAchievementAlgebra from the offHigherThe
language of failureAbilityYou cant expect these kids to do
thatFoundation
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk13Achievement
GroupingsShirley Brice Heath (e.g. Ways with Words, Cambridge,
1983)Jo Boaler: Experiencing School Mathematics, Open University
Press, 1997Paul Dowling: A touch of class: ability, social class
and intertext in SMP 11-16 in Teaching and Learning School
Mathematics eds. Pimm and Love, Hodder and Stoughton, 1991
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk14Time to Respond
...DISCUSSIONShare in pairs: What stops them succeeding?Group: What
can we do about it?
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk15The National Maths
ChallengeGold, Silver and Bronze certificatesAverage cohort = self
selected 3-5 from each class, done as exam withdrawn from
lessons.Outcome = around 10 bronze and 3
silver.http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk16Early EntryTrial: Year
9. Nine students. All C+ including one A* - the first ever!Around
30% in year 9All take intermediateAround 50% in year 10D+
candidates take higherYear 11D+ candidates take higherA* candidates
take ASAlmost nobody takes foundation (yet A*-G = 92%)
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk17A Structured
Assessment StrategyNotes and examplesDeep marking/shallow
markingTutorial support(SMART) target setting
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk18Monitoring and
TrackingWhat do have to go on?Key stage 2, 3 resultsCATs, NFER,
other external assessmentsRegular internal assessmentsHalf termly
testsEOY exams + past papers
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk19A Tracking Measure
Under achievement Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk20A
Tracking Measure
Good achievement Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk21
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk22
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk23Monitoring and
TrackingEffort = achievement expectationProgress = achievementx
achievementx-1Prediction is the extrapolation of achievement over
time
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk24Monitoring and
TrackingA reliable and consistent reporting mechanismTo talk to
students, parents, tutorsTo inform target setting and reviewTo
generate realistic (= useful) predicted grades
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk25Exam
PreperationDISCUSSIONShare the strategies you use for the period
after the course is finished up to the exams.How do you get the
best coursework out of students?
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk26Winning the Exam Game
1Top Rated CourseworkStructured practice over timeExpectation of
proofHypothesis to AnalysisSharing the criteriaWith studentsIn
detail across the department
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk27Structured development
of investigative skills.ExplorationProofCriticiseWrite
upRe-draftPresentExtendUsing algebraJustify and explainGeneralise
and testPattern spottingOrganisationTabulationBreaking
downDiagrammatic representationDesign Chris OlleyVisit:
www.themathszone.co.uk28The Tower of HanoiFeel the structure to
explain it.Pattern spot to algebra.Prove by induction.
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk29Data
HandlingHypothesisMeasureIndicatorDataCharts and
statisticsAnalysisCritiqueCritique: sample size, validity,
reliability, do a time series or a stratified random sample. Is it
a good indicator of the measure? Chris OlleyVisit:
www.themathszone.co.uk30Winning the Exam Game 2RevisionNotes and
examples = proper revision notesMind mapsPreparationOrganised
practiceGood exam techniqueOn the day
Chris OlleyVisit: www.themathszone.co.uk31
Volunteer
CBR
TI-83
Projector
Screen
About 6 metres
