Teaching Maths Peter Tymms

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Teaching Maths Peter Tymms
www.cemcentre.org
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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?

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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

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Can you date this?

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

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J.E.C. Welldon
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Reasons

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

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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

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But why this discontinuity?
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Ability - A level students
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A Level same ability
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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

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How do you teach Maths?
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Maths 2009
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English Lit. 2009
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Maths English 2009
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Maths 1993-2009
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Investigation

• Looked across all subjects to find a process
• Used little
• Positively related to value-added
• Positively related to attitudes
• We found one
• Presenting your work to the class

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Introduced in

• Several A level courses
• Over 6 weeks
• Some weeks used, some not
• Statements rated lessons every week

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Results

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

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Thank you
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