EBOOK: Raising Achievement in Secondary Mathematics


Book Description

This book brings together research and professional knowledge to enhance the teaching of lower attaining students in secondary mathematics. Attainment in mathematics is an important social issue, since underachievement can make a difference to future life choices, particularly amongst certain groups of students. Raising Achievement in Secondary Mathematics shows how well-meant teaching strategies and approaches can in practice exacerbate underachievement in maths by making inappropriate demands on learners. As well as criticizing some of the teaching and grouping practices that are considered normal in many schools, the book also offers an alternative view of attainment and capability, based on real classroom incidents in which ‘low attaining students’ show themselves to be able to think about mathematics in quite sophisticated ways. The author argues that teaching could be based on learners’ proficiency, rather than on correcting deficits in knowledge and behaviour. She describes how a group of teachers who believed that their students could do better with higher expectations developed a range of principles and strategies to support their work – the students showed significant progress and the teachers felt they were doing a better job. With numerous case studies, ideas and teaching strategies, this book is for anyone who is teaching, or learning to teach, mathematics.




Strength in Numbers


Book Description

Written by a seasoned teacher, researcher and teacher educator with over two decades of teaching experience, the goal of this book is to support teachers in developing tools for effective group work in their secondary mathematics classrooms. Effective group work engages children’s own thinking and allows them to work together to understand a concept. It can also address problems that often arise in typical mathematics instruction by providing a framework for teachers to create engaging learning environments. The book outlines ways to choose tasks, help students adjust to new ways of approaching schoolwork, and discusses the types of status problems that can impede the most earnest attempts at collaborative learning. This practical, useful book introduces tested tools and concepts for creating equitable collaborative learning environments that supports all students and develops confidence in their mathematical ability.




EBOOK: Raising Boys' Achievement in Secondary Schools


Book Description

"Boys’ achievement has attracted great attention in recent years in many countries. This comprehensive book based on sound research in schools provides practical insights into how the achievement of boysand girls can be raised. It reminds us that it is not all boys or no girlswho underachieve. It demonstrates the respective roles of teaching andlearning, school culture and social factors. No easy answers butexcellent ideas backed by evidence from authoritative, thoroughresearchers with a firm basis in schools." Judy Sebba, Professor of Education, University of Sussex "Teachers will find this book invaluable. It is based on quality researchwhich actually evaluates the impact of the various strategies suggestedfor raising boys' achievement. What is more, in contrast to many of themore 'quick-fix' works in this field, the authors’ discussion and analysisis measured and nuanced, and supported by an in-depth understandingof the wealth of theory and research around gender and achievement.It provides a welcome and weighty contribution to an evercontroversial debate." Becky Francis, London Metropolitan University In this important book, the authors evaluate different approaches and advocate practical, evidence-based strategies, which have the potential to promote boys’ as well as girls’ achievements. The approaches are discussed within the context of inclusivity, acknowledging the diverse needs and interests of different boys and the invisibility and continuing disadvantage of some girls. The book begins and ends with reflections from students of their own school experiences, and makes practical recommendations for the future. This book draws upon empirical research and work initiated as part of the DfES project on Raising Boys’ Achievement. It brings together theoretical and practical issues, and reflects upon the construction of the debate about boys’ apparent under-achievement from the perspectives of girls as well as boys. The authors critically explore notions of under-achievement and ‘value added’, and consider how useful the concept of the ‘gender gap’ is in advancing the debates. Raising Boys’ Achievement in Secondary Schools is key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate Education students, PGCE students, headteachers, senior managers within schools and local education authorities, and policy makers.




Teaching Mathematics at Secondary Level


Book Description

Teaching Mathematics is nothing less than a mathematical manifesto. Arising in response to a limited National Curriculum, and engaged with secondary schooling for those aged 11 ̶ 14 (Key Stage 3) in particular, this handbook for teachers will help them broaden and enrich their students’ mathematical education. It avoids specifying how to teach, and focuses instead on the central principles and concepts that need to be borne in mind by all teachers and textbook authors—but which are little appreciated in the UK at present.This study is aimed at anyone who would like to think more deeply about the discipline of ‘elementary mathematics’, in England and Wales and anywhere else. By analysing and supplementing the current curriculum, Teaching Mathematics provides food for thought for all those involved in school mathematics, whether as aspiring teachers or as experienced professionals. It challenges us all to reflect upon what it is that makes secondary school mathematics educationally, culturally, and socially important.




Issues in Mathematics Teaching


Book Description

This book presents the key debates that the mathematics teacher will need to understand, reflect on and engage in as part of their professional development. Issues in Mathematics Teaching is suitable for those at initial training level right through to practising mathematics teachers. Its accessible structure enables the reader to pursue the issues raised as each chapter includes suggestions for further reading and questions for reflection or debate.




EBOOK: Raising Boys' Achievement in Primary Schools


Book Description

Within the context of empirical research undertaken by the authors during the course of a 4-year research and intervention project on Raising Boys’ Achievement, the book will focus on approaches that are successful in raising achievement for boys, and the reasons for that success. It will explore the whole aspect of boys’ achievement, and look at how primary schools are addressing the issue, and the processes involved in schools working collaboratively and voluntarily to share good practice. Case study material will be used to illustrate the different contexts in which the strategies have been studied, and of great importance is the incorporation of boys’ and girls’ own perspectives on their educational experiences.




EBOOK: Becoming a Teacher: Issues in Secondary Education


Book Description

Becoming a Teacher provides a broad context for understanding education, addressing issues such as the influence of international policy and practice, education ideology and social justice. This is balanced with practical advice for the classroom on topics such as assessment for learning, learning technologies, literacy, numeracy and English as an additional language. Becoming a Teacher draws extensively on contemporary research and empirical evidence to support critical reflection about learning and teaching. Encouraging you to reflect on your knowledge and beliefs, it explores some of the complex social and cultural influences that influence professional learning and practice. The approach chimes with the government’s recognition that trainee teachers should take a research-informed approach towards classroom practice. The fifth edition is refreshed and revitalized throughout, with: • a complete revision of each chapter • new chapters on 'Reforming ITE', 'Teachers Lives and Careers', 'International Influences', 'Engagement and Motivation', ‘Learning and the Emotions', 'Data Usage in Schools', 'Safeguarding' and 'Learning with Digital Technologies' • up-to-date referencing of research findings • insightful policy analysis • critical commentary on issues For those training to teach in secondary school on a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a School Direct programme, or taking an undergraduate or postgraduate Education Studies course, Becoming a Teacher provides invaluable support, insight and guidance. “With every new edition this book confirms its place as one of the most commanding, authoritative and influential texts in teacher education”. Meg Maguire's leadership of this new editorial team means that this book remains my umbilical cord to those pivotal principals that I cherish in education: integrity, passion, critical engagement and transformation.” Gerry Czerniawski, Professor of Education, University of East London, UK “An excellent contribution to the Teacher Education and development literature”. “Many of the authors are leading thinkers in their field and as such the book offers a significant breadth, depth and coherence to the teacher development discourse.” Professor David Spendlove, School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, UK




Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12


Book Description

Selected as the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics winter book club book! Rich tasks, collaborative work, number talks, problem-based learning, direct instruction...with so many possible approaches, how do we know which ones work the best? In Visible Learning for Mathematics, six acclaimed educators assert it’s not about which one—it’s about when—and show you how to design high-impact instruction so all students demonstrate more than a year’s worth of mathematics learning for a year spent in school. That’s a high bar, but with the amazing K-12 framework here, you choose the right approach at the right time, depending upon where learners are within three phases of learning: surface, deep, and transfer. This results in "visible" learning because the effect is tangible. The framework is forged out of current research in mathematics combined with John Hattie’s synthesis of more than 15 years of education research involving 300 million students. Chapter by chapter, and equipped with video clips, planning tools, rubrics, and templates, you get the inside track on which instructional strategies to use at each phase of the learning cycle: Surface learning phase: When—through carefully constructed experiences—students explore new concepts and make connections to procedural skills and vocabulary that give shape to developing conceptual understandings. Deep learning phase: When—through the solving of rich high-cognitive tasks and rigorous discussion—students make connections among conceptual ideas, form mathematical generalizations, and apply and practice procedural skills with fluency. Transfer phase: When students can independently think through more complex mathematics, and can plan, investigate, and elaborate as they apply what they know to new mathematical situations. To equip students for higher-level mathematics learning, we have to be clear about where students are, where they need to go, and what it looks like when they get there. Visible Learning for Math brings about powerful, precision teaching for K-12 through intentionally designed guided, collaborative, and independent learning.




Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind


Book Description

In this galvanizing follow-up to the best-selling Teaching with Poverty in Mind, renowned educator and learning expert Eric Jensen digs deeper into engagement as the key factor in the academic success of economically disadvantaged students. Drawing from research, experience, and real school success stories, Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind reveals * Smart, purposeful engagement strategies that all teachers can use to expand students' cognitive capacity, increase motivation and effort, and build deep, enduring understanding of content. * The (until-now) unwritten rules for engagement that are essential for increasing student achievement. * How automating engagement in the classroom can help teachers use instructional time more effectively and empower students to take ownership of their learning. * Steps you can take to create an exciting yet realistic implementation plan. Too many of our most vulnerable students are tuning out and dropping out because of our failure to engage them. It's time to set the bar higher. Until we make school the best part of every student's day, we will struggle with attendance, achievement, and graduation rates. This timely resource will help you take immediate action to revitalize and enrich your practice so that all your students may thrive in school and beyond.




EBOOK: Teaching Secondary Mathematics with ICT


Book Description

“This is a book all mathematics teachers and teacher educators should read! It brings together a wealth of insights from a range of authors… The major issues confronting teachers of mathematics who wish to use ICT in different domains of mathematics are addressed in a clear and accessible way.” Professor Celia Hoyles OBE, Dean of Research and Consultancy, Institute of Education, University of London Teaching Secondary Mathematics with ICT shows the reader how to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) effectively to enhance the teaching of mathematics in the secondary school. The book explains which forms of technology can be used to improve mathematics teaching and learning, how to get started and where to go for further information. The first two chapters provide a useful introduction for those new to teaching mathematics with ICT. Further chapters cover topics including: ICT and the curriculum: number, algebra, geometry and statistics Making use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom Using the internet and video-conferencing to enhance teaching The book includes practical classroom scenarios and case studies (for example, the government-funded MathsAlive! Initiative), as well as discussions of general issues, such as the role of feedback and the use of ICT in whole-class teaching. It draws on current research and is supplemented by a linked web site, which provides access to demonstration copies of software and sample files. It also includes a directory of resources with lists of organisations, web sites, projects and further reading. Key reading for Education students specialising in Mathematics and all those teaching secondary mathematics, including non-specialists and those on professional development courses. Visit the text-supporting website: www.openup.co.uk/jwp




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