Essential Ingredients

Published in Mathematics Teaching September 2005

Page 1/4

In my experience, if children have an overall idea of what mathematics is about, they will be more interested in gaining mathematical skills and will have a sense that the skills are actually useful for something. Mathematics would then be taught as in integral part of our culture, as other subjects are taught. It is a valuable subject with unique ways of thinking, important to the development of the human mind. I don’t think that school mathematics, that is, National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) mathematics, is providing a rich and well balanced diet for young mathematicians. I think we have to add other essential ingredients to make it a whole package in educational terms.

The dilemma

In my own practice and in my reading, I have identified a dichotomy between what I am expected to do as a teacher using the NNS and what I have subsequently understood about mathematics and good mathematics education.

I started from the position of being quite amenable to the NNS and what it offered the children I teach. I have found my position changing as I have read more about the meaning and purpose of mathematics teaching. It is my belief that the NNS does not sufficiently supply the breadth of experience necessary to develop the full range of mathematical thinking. The NNS was set up as a response to the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey. (TIMSS) This indicated that Y5 pupils in the UK were amongst the lowest performers in key areas of mathematics compared with countries of similar social and cultural backgrounds. Millions of pounds have been spent in setting up and supporting the NNS throughout the country and it is important that there is feedback about what really happens from the grass roots.

In the introduction of the NNS [1] it makes reference to children being “Properly numerate” (page 2) but does not discuss what this is. It mentions “non-routine problems that require (children) to think for themselves” (page 5) but again does not say what specifically. Almost everything else is skill-based. The section in the NNS for specific guidance for activities in the classroom is skills-based, and all the examples fit into a particular type of mathematics lesson, with the teacher leading and the pupils performing a follow-up activity. Having followed the strategy advice for many years and observed others using it, I believe there are areas of mathematics not sufficiently thought about. There seems to be little attention given to development of wider mathematics concepts, such as logically thinking a problem through over a prolonged space of time and going about an open-ended task in a logical way that you could explain to others. This is also compounded by the approach of consultants to the implementation of the three-part lesson.

next page

[1] Framework for Teaching Mathematics Reception to Year 6; DfES, Feb 1999

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |