A thinking skills approach to learning maths (CAME) 29/04/2019 Very rough prototype

Schools implementing cognitive skills in maths saw: 29/04/2019 Schools implementing cognitive skills in maths saw: over half participating classes achieve larger than expected maths achievement from year 7 to year 8 significantly higher GCSE pass rates in maths than in control schools (0.8 of a GCSE grade higher) Very rough prototype

The impact of setting on pupil outcomes pupils in low ability sets gained little from CAME lessons despite being taught by experienced CAME teachers A CAME school with mixed ability classes reported gains for pupils of all abilities Researchers believed the reason was that higher-ability pupils provide a range of insights that help lower-attaining pupils extend their thinking

Evidence of thinking skills developed in maths transferring to other subjects CAME pupils achieved value-added gains of 0.30 of a grade in science and 0.32 of a grade in English this may be evidence for transfer of thinking skills from maths to other subjects

The Cognitive acceleration in mathematics education (CAME) project The CAME project: is based on research and theory about pupils’ thinking aims to boost mathematical thinking of pupils aged 11 to 14 years and raise their attainment in standard tests

The key ideas behind CAME are that: 29/04/2019 The key ideas behind CAME are that: through collaboration children who are further on in their understanding of a problem can help move other pupils forward too (from Vygotsky) the teacher’s role is to prompt pupils thinking with questions (mediation) all adolescents have the potential to achieve in mathematics Very rough prototype

The key stages of a CAME lesson 29/04/2019 The key stages of a CAME lesson CAME mathematics lessons follow a structure of: concrete preparation collaborative learning whole-class discussion Very rough prototype

Concrete preparation In the opening phase the teacher: - introduces the task to the whole group - asks pupils to explain to each other what they think the task is about

Collaborative learning 29/04/2019 Collaborative learning pupils work in pairs or small groups on tasks which challenge pupils’ existing ideas pupils make notes from discussion for feedback later The teacher moves around the class observing interaction and prompting with questions when discussion falters Very rough prototype

Whole-class discussion 29/04/2019 Whole-class discussion The session closes with a whole class discussion in which the teacher: asks groups to report their ideas encourages pupils to reflect on their reasoning using probing questions draw pupils’ attention to key ideas and vocabulary encourages others to ask questions Very rough prototype

The tasks pupils tackle in a CAME session 29/04/2019 The tasks pupils tackle in a CAME session In the ‘twigs and leaves’ task pupils describe the pattern relating to the numbers of leaves on some twigs The teacher then asks pupils to express the pattern in a word equation eg: The total number of leaves = number of twigs times 3 plus 2 leaves at the trunk pupils then replace the words by letter symbols, in this case: L = (3 x t) + 2 Very rough prototype

Who were the children in the study? 29/04/2019 Who were the children in the study? The intervention involved 78 classes of 11-12 year olds in 12 project schools Project pupils received 30 CAME lessons (called Thinking Mathematics) over two years Very rough prototype

How was the information gathered? 29/04/2019 How was the information gathered? Findings are based on: tests of mathematics understanding at the start of Year 7 and end of Year 8 GCSE results in mathematics, English and science three years later Very rough prototype

How might teachers use this evidence? 29/04/2019 How might teachers use this evidence? Group discussion was a key element in developing pupils’ thinking skills, and the teacher played an active role in ensuring this happened effectively In what ways could you support your pupils to listen to each other’s ideas more effectively, and reach a decision together? Could you weave in opportunities to model effective dialogue for them? Very rough prototype

How might leaders use this evidence? 29/04/2019 How might leaders use this evidence? The CAME approach used a quite specific pattern of delivery – preparation, collaborative task, whole class discussion How flexible, open to new approaches are teachers in your school? If you were to introduce a new approach like CAME which department or team of teachers is best placed to develop the practice? What scope is there for coaching partnerships to extend the practice? Very rough prototype

29/04/2019 Find out more Study reference: Shayer, M and Adhami, M (2007) Fostering cognitive development through the context of mathematics: Results of the CAME project in Educational Studies in Mathematics (2007) Vol. 64, pp. 265-291 You might like to read a summary of the work of Vygotsky available here: http://www.curee.co.uk/node/4883 Very rough prototype