- Date: September 2010
- Programme: Initial teacher training (ITT)
- Topic/theme: Leading partners in mathematics
- Number in series: 8
- School name: University of Wolverhampton
Summary of the project
A four-week additional mathematics placement was undertaken by a small number of second year BEd trainees. Two areas raised by the Williams Review were focused upon:
- how to plan effectively for high quality talk (HQT) in mathematics lessons
- how to incorporate Using and applying into mathematics lessons across the primary range.
Aims
- develop trainees' and teachers' mathematics subject and pedagogic knowledge
- develop trainees' and teachers' understanding of high quality dialogue
- develop trainees' and teachers' understanding of progression across the primary age range within these areas.
Impact on learning: trainee teachers
- develop an understanding of the role of problem solving and its broader role in mathematics lessons
- develop an understanding of how to increase the levels of HQT.
Impact on learning: teachers and mentors
- consolidate teachers' understanding of how to incorporate Using and applying and strategies to encourage high quality dialogue into the daily mathematics lesson
- increase mathematics coordinators' understanding of how staff within their school encourage Using and applying and strategies to encourage high quality dialogue into the daily mathematics lesson
- raise awareness of common areas of strength (of teaching and children’s understanding) across the school.
Impact: local authority
- increase understanding of higher education institute (HEI) tutors and local authority consultants of how the practice of teachers encouraging high quality dialogue differs across the year groups and what the common areas of strengths/difficulties are in tackling problem solving within the chosen schools
- encourage closer relationships between schools and HEI, and local authority and HEI.
The difference it made
- Trainees reported increased confidence and understanding of the two focus areas.
- Staff reported consolidation and increased knowledge.
- HEI staff reported increased knowledge of practice within the schools and closer relationships with school and local authority staff.
Area of mathematics featured
High quality dialogue was chosen, as it is a research interest of the HEI tutor.
Using and applying was chosen, as trainees are not often observed teaching this area while on placement. This is an area that the HEI mathematics team are passionate about.
