Researching Effective CPD in Mathematics Education (RECME) project: Findings in context of HEI and LEA involvement in CPD Dr. Els De Geest Project Director RECME Lecturer in Mathematics Education, The Open University Research Fellow, University of Oxford Also: mathematics consultant ITE tutor teacher worked with Basic Skills Agency

What I hope we will do… Get an insight into what the RECME project is about, and its approach Have an idea about what is in the RECME report Explore how some of the identified factors of effective CPD apply to CPD provided by LEAs & HEIs Provoke and discuss ideas for working together creatively

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas

Let’s talk about… Your own experiences of providing or organising ‘effective’ CPD What did you do? What made it ‘effective’?

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas

The RECME Project is about… Finding out what is effective CPD what are the factors of effective CPD in mathematics education in England The philosophical underpinning of this project is the co-constructing of meaning with the wider mathematics education world.

The data we collected… From 30 ongoing CPD initiatives in England Rich an varied data – quantitative and qualitative: launch event, observation of ‘meetings’, online questionnaire, follow- up with 2 teachers per initiative (classroom observation and teacher interview), summer residential, case studies, further questionnaire to organisers of the initiatives Research team of 5 researchers and advised by the Research Advisory Group of the NCETM

What is in the report… Executive summary Recommendations Details on our findings, with descriptions of how we came to these findings and lots of illustrative examples Six case studies with details of the initiative, and how two teachers experienced this same PD Nice pictures

HEIs and LEAs represented in the sample… Talking about complexity!

HEI is organiser of CPD (6) HEI working with local authority (3) HEI contributing to CPD design (4) Accreditation towards Masters degree (can be optional) (9) CPD part of research project involving HEI (3) Research project funded by outside organisation (1) HEI working with school department (1) 1 1 MSc course that is also a research project (1) HEIs participation in ‘research involved’ CPD initiatives (12) 2 (optional) 5 (optional) 1 (optional) Part of doctoral study of organiser of CPD (1)

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas

Let’s talk about… The complexity, or simplicity, of ONE of your CPD provisions (preferably one that involves collaboration between different organisations, e.g. HEI and LA)

Meta-analysis of this diagram…

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas

Relating some of the findings of RECME to the context of HEI and LEA provision/organisation of CPD…

Opportunities Thirty different ‘effective’ initiatives provided a range of different opportunities for teachers to develop professionally. These included: Doing mathematics, attending to students’ conceptions/learning in mathematics, ways of teaching mathematics, thinking about using ICT in the teaching and learning of mathematics, reading research, getting information about current developments,… Implications: There is not a one-model-fits-all approach to effective CPD. Different CPD initiatives provide different learning opportunities. Teachers should have the opportunity to engage in different kinds of CPD at appropriate times in their career.

Leadership Leadership of the CPD was identified by teachers as of key importance Leaders … Could be knowledgeable about current practice, Could initiate and sustain the CPD initiative, Could be influential in the planning and the direction the CPD took Were committed to the CPD Implications: leadership in CPD is important. Existing leaders of CPD should be supported and future leaders nurtured

The CPD is pragmatic Looking at all the data from all angles, teachers reported that the relevance of what they were working and discussing in the CPD to the classroom was an important factor of the effectiveness of their CPD. Examples: “I was greedy for knowledge if it helps in the classroom and this CPD was classroom based” “The best CPD is when I can see it in my classroom” “I love talking about what we are doing” Implication: offer opportunities for teachers to become aware of the relevance of what is offered in the CPD to their classrooms

Time Teachers reported that ‘time’ was an important factor in explaining why their CPD was effective. Importantly, it seems that time away from the classroom is valued by the teachers - particularly time to stand back from their everyday practice and reflect on the teaching and learning of mathematics. Examples: ‘time’ in CPD meeting supply money for ‘time’ away from the classroom Implications: plan for time

Stimulation, challenge and enjoyment Teachers reported that they thought their CPD was effective because they were stimulated or challenged by it. This seemed to increase their enjoyment. Example: “This project is high level. I am thinking, talking at a much higher level and things are thrown in that challenge this high level thinking. This is what I call ‘fun’: the thinking of how you can make it work, the fitting things together.” Implications: do not dumb CPD activities down. Consider the support needed for teachers to manage and enjoy stimulating and challenging activities.

Networking Opportunities to network were highly valued, both incidental and formal. Networking gives access to a wider range of views and ideas, to meeting ‘like minded people’ and to mutual support. “It is effective because we are all practising teachers who are coming together to talk about real dilemmas we are faced with and to come up with ways of solving these together”. Implications: Offer opportunities for networking – in physical sense or virtual.

Supporting change Changing practice and embedding such change is not always easy. Examples of support: ‘permission’ to change or to try ideas out Collegial support from within and outside their own institutions Opportunities to engage with literature about the intended change Having cycles of trying out new approaches in the classroom, reflecting, discussing, developing and trying again were central to many CPD initiatives. Implications: think carefully about what is the intended change, and what support could be required?

Increased passion and energy Effective CPD appeared to increase teachers’ passion and energy to keep going, to keep working on professional development, to keep trying out ideas in their teaching practice, even with other pressures of work or life. “I'm alive again as a teacher. I'm enjoying working with young people (I always have), but now I'm enjoying freshness, change, the intellectual challenge of engaging with newness and uncertainty”. Implications: feeling energized to keep going, and to keep developing professionally is important. Working on, and being aware of triggers of passion-energy could be helpful.

Passion and CPD Passion-energy gets triggered by… Any, or a combination of the following: Making sense of past and new experiences by being able to bring the past into present, finding answers and solutions, being challenged Fitting of the ‘Self’ by experiencing a fitting image, a sense of belonging, pleasure, or satisfying their own interest Experiencing a possibility of being capable Desire

Student learning and changes in ways of working Working on and talking about what is evidence of student learning of mathematics is not easy. Changes in student learning was seen as evidence for the effectiveness of the CPD by teachers and for justification of sustained changes in practice. Teachers frequently talked about improved student attitudes, behaviour and involvement when asked about student learning Implications: plan for space and opportunities to analyse the ways in which students make sense of mathematics

Benefits from research Using research in CPD can offer teachers effective means to to become aware of different perspectives about teaching and learning to engage in deep thinking to gain confidence about own thinking To feel confident to act and to apply it to their practice “It has stimulated my own thoughts re practice and introduced me to academic research I might not otherwise have accessed. It has stimulated thinking and debate amongst us three participants” “I feel much more motivated by CPD that is underpinned by research as I know that people have really tried things out with children rather than made something up and hoped for the best” Implications: Recognise and use the wide-ranging ways in which research impacts on CPD and is valued by practitioners.

Forms of research-involved CPD About three quarters of the RECME CPD initiatives entailed some form of research in their set-up and running. We called this ‘research-involved CPD’. The following categories of what this research element was emerged as: Reading research literature Using resources that have been developed based on research Research inspired CPD Being part of a research project Doing research as CPD

Recapping this session…

What I hoped we would do… Get an insight into what the RECME project is about, and its approach Have an idea about what is in the RECME report Explore how some of the identified factors of effective CPD apply to CPD provided by LEAs & HEIs Provoke and discuss ideas for working together creatively

How… By ‘Practice what you Preach’ approach from RECME findings on provoking passion-energy: Building on your own thinking, your own experiences Encountering some of the findings of the RECME project (Experiencing some of these ideas in practice) Talking, reflecting, pondering Working on practical ideas Passion-energy triggers are any, or a combination of the following: Making sense of past and new experiences by being able to bring the past into present, finding answers and solutions, being challenged Fitting of the ‘Self’ by experiencing a fitting image, a sense of belonging, pleasure, or satisfying their own interest Experiencing a possibility of being capable Desire

An unsettling thought from Els’ own experience as a consultant in Slough I, and I think Slough LEA as well, found it really hard to come up with ideas of working together with HEIs!

Thank you