Issues in research and practice in mathematics education

Anne Watson & John MasonFriday 7th Dec 2012

What to see in mathematics lessons

• Conceptual understanding• Procedural fluency• Solving problems:– Extending mathematical repertoire– Developing identification and application– Developing reasoning

What you see in mathematics lessons• Hard questions that might not be answered in one lesson might be used

when ....• Introduction of ideas might initially confuse when ....• Students might resist changing minds when ...• New ideas can be seen to build on prior knowledge when ....• A range of representations might be used when .....• Lesson will be stop/start rather than flow quickly when ....• Written work may be shared and/or rough when ...• Students may appear to be ‘off task’ when ...• Teachers may have to make up examples in the lesson when ...• Teachers may have to deviate from the lesson plan when ....• A lesson is likely to be without direct instruction when ....• Silent work might be used at the start when ....• A short test might be used when ...• Teachers will ask ‘why?’ when ...

Mathematics education as a research field

• Sociology• Psychology• Cultural studies• Gender studies• Philosophy• Mathematics• politics

Policy

• EBacc -EBC• Expenditure• Teacher recruitment and retention• International comparisons• Post-16• Raising standards

Aaarrrggghhh! Help

• I cannot take the problems of the country onto my shoulders

• Easier to appear to make maths teachers act in certain ways than to appear to make Amazon act in certain ways

Teachers’ research-informed change

• Small changes in practice• Collaboration• Task design• Development of self-motivated learning• Development of enquiry approaches• Short and medium term planning