CMTP: Changes in Mathematics Teaching Project

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Pedagogic issues

Teachers often talked about how students had become used to limited ways of working on mathematics in most, but not all, feeder schools. In year 7 teachers had to re-educate students to work together, to talk, to take risks, to 'have a go', to discuss, and to do mathematics in other ways that were not worksheet or textbook exercises. This establishment of new working practices took time. From these discussions we believed that students would perceive a difference in teaching between feeder schools and project schools, but the student interview data only provides weak evidence.

In all schools, but especially LS, there was much discussion about language use. Teachers recognised that language in textbooks was often not appropriate. On the other hand, aural alternatives gave students more to 'hold in short-term memory' than comparable English-reading students³.

Teachers often talked about 'how I teach' a particular topic, or to engender a particular kind of habit. We were aware from our observations that such proclamations might give validation to mediocre practices if colleagues do not see themselves as a critical community.