Teaching Maths

Peter Tymms

www.cemcentre.org

Outline• Changing education• How is maths taught?• How does this compare to English• How does it compare to maths 20 years ago?• How do processes relate to attitudes and attainment?• Lessons for the classroom?

Big changes: e.g.Testing

• We call it “assessment” now• KS3 test dropped

– but 85% of schools requested the test materials

• O level & CSE GCSE, which is evolving– Course work controlled assessment– iGCSE

• Diploma• A level AS & A2 & BTEC & IB and entrance

tests

Can you date this?

“Learning, alas will someday be smothered by … examination, competition, the calculation and publication of results.”

J.E.C. Welldon

Reasons

• Dissatisfaction with the old system• Forgetting the lessons of history• Evolving culture• New evidence and new theories• New technology• New politicians

Impact of Policies on Standards• Primary schools

– Hundreds of millions £– Impact on reading

• Tiny

– Impact on maths• Modest

• Secondary– GCSE: more passes and higher grades

Changes in proportion gaining five A*-Cs at GCSE1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

19

75

19

80

19

85

19

90

19

95

20

00

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

'15

ye

ar

old

s'2

But why this discontinuity?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Biology

English Lit

French

Geography

History

Mathematics

Ability - A level students

0

2

4

6

8

10

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Gra

de

(old

UC

AS

po

ints

)

Biology

English Lit

French

Geography

History

Mathematics

A

B

C

D

E

A Level – same ability

Summary

• Massive efforts to raise standards• More students staying on• More gaining qualifications• Levels of basic skills have remained fairly

constant• Higher grades are easier to obtain

How do you teach Maths?

Maths 2009

1

2

3

4

5

6

Help fr

om a

nother

Giv

ing h

elp

Liste

ning to

anoth

er s

tuden

t pre

sent

Prese

nting

Work

ing in

pai

rs

Resear

chin

g

Using o

f IT

Audio o

r vis

ual

Pract

ical

work

Using h

andouts

Mak

ing n

otes

Notes d

icta

ted

Discu

ssions

gro

ups

Class

dis

cuss

ions

Readin

g

Preparin

g ess

ays

Paper

s under

exam

conditi

ons

Paper

s w

ith h

elp

Exerc

ises

(exa

mple

s)

Prese

ntatio

n by

teach

er

English Lit. 2009

1

2

3

4

5

6

Help fr

om a

nother

Giv

ing h

elp

Liste

ning to

anoth

er s

tuden

t pre

sent

Prese

nting

Work

ing in

pai

rs

Resear

chin

g

Using o

f IT

Audio o

r vis

ual

Pract

ical

work

Using h

andouts

Mak

ing n

otes

Notes d

icta

ted

Discu

ssions

gro

ups

Class

dis

cuss

ions

Readin

g

Preparin

g ess

ays

Paper

s under

exam

conditi

ons

Paper

s w

ith h

elp

Exerc

ises

(exa

mple

s)

Prese

ntatio

n by

teach

er

Maths & English 2009

1

2

3

4

5

6

Help fr

om a

nother

Giv

ing h

elp

Liste

ning to

anoth

er stu

dent pre

sent

Prese

nting

Work

ing in

pai

rs

Resear

chin

g

Using o

f IT

Audio o

r vis

ual

Pract

ical

work

Using h

andouts

Mak

ing n

otes

Notes d

icta

ted

Discuss

ions

gro

ups

Class

discu

ssions

Readin

g

Preparin

g ess

ays

Paper

s under

exam

conditi

ons

Paper

s w

ith h

elp

Exerc

ises

(exam

ples)

Prese

ntatio

n by te

acher

English

Maths

1

2

3

4

5

6

20091994

Maths 1993-2009

Investigation• Looked across all subjects to find a process:

– Used little– Positively related to value-added– Positively related to attitudes

• We found onePresenting your work to the class

Introduced in

• Several A level courses

• Over 6 weeks

• Some weeks used, some not

• Statements rated lessons every week

Results

• With more student presentations lessons were:– More stimulating– More Involving– More enjoyable– Easier– More relaxing