Directions of research-informed PD in UK Anne Watson University of Oxford NCETM Feb 2007
Nick’s stuff 3 5 15 8 3 5 ? 3 ? 8 ? 15 8
Fun Infinity Inverse
Research into mathematics education About 20 active mathematics education research centres in UK universities More literature available on learning and teaching mathematics than any other subject International conferences: about two per month on average About 10 international journals of mathematics education research British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics: conferences and publications More known about successes and failures in teaching and learning mathematics than any other subject So how can professional knowledge and practice and research link more closely – and whose job is it?
Celia’s story
My story
Common features Maths Collegiality within and outside place of work Outside input Input outside Sustained over time to reach a … Shared goal
Some successful PD in UK LAMP/RAMP OU Project Update ATM 100% coursework Mars/Shell Centre MMU Mathematics in Context Interactive Education Project Many Right Answers (BSA/NCETM) Lawrence Sterne School
Common features Maths Planned Informed Collegiality: teacher teams or teacher-researcher teams Intention to change Goals about students’ learning
Uncommon features Relative roles of teachers, tutors, researchers, other outsiders Sources of information ‘Width’ of teams Nature of goals Freedom
Contributing to researching classrooms
Contributing to researching change
Lesson Study
Learning study
Task-based teacher development
Planning-based teacher development
Multiple stories
Observation-based models
Behaviour as the focus Were links made? Were examples given? How many examples were given? How many students participated? Were open or closed questions used?
Mathematics as the focus What links were made? How might the links contribute to learners’ understanding? How did these examples help students’ understanding? What part did students’ contributions play in the unfolding maths story? What mathematical thinking was prompted by the questions? ….
Shift to mathematics … Were links made? Were examples given? How many examples were given? How many students participated? Were open or closed questions used? What links were made? How might the links contribute to learners’ understanding? How did these examples help students’ understanding? What part did students’ contributions play in the unfolding maths story? What mathematical thinking was prompted by the questions? ….
Habits of observation which are not inspectorial or managerial, but focus on the mathematics in teaching and learning
Three questions How can a focus on learning maths become ‘normal’ in practice? What ways of thinking about learning maths are promoted by different PD -research relationships? How can we use and build on our rich history and knowledge of maths-focused PD?