Low attainment in mathematics: An analysis of 60 years of policy discourse in England

Hodgen, Jeremy; Foster, Colin; Brown, Margaret

doi:10.1002/curj.128

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 67 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Less memorising is definitely more here. This is not only more efficient use of time but builds important skills of 'derived facts', 15 enabling learners to find products outside of the 12 × 12 tables as well. For example, as well as obtaining 12 × 8 from doubling 6 × 8, learners can just as easily obtain 6 × 16, or 3 × 32.…”

Section: Less Rote Memorising; More Connecting Of Important Ideasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Less is More: Improving by Removing

Foster

2023

Math. Gaz.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The pressures currently on teachers of mathematics at every level seem greater than ever, whether that is university mathematics lecturers, school teachers or those who work with very young learners. So, I began my Presidential Address with the hope that no one would leave the Joint Conference of Mathematics Subject Associations 2023 feeling as though they were not good enough and must do more. I did not want anyone to go home with a lengthy to-do guilt list of additional things they must try to incorporate into their practice. Instead, I advocated giving attention to the ancient proverb “less is more”, versions of which are found within many cultures; e.g., “brevity is the soul of wit” (Hamlet), “Sometimes diminishing a thing adds to it; Sometimes adding to a thing diminishes it” (Tao Te Ching). I offered five aspects of mathematics teaching and learning that might benefit from ‘less of’ something, in each case trying to see how this might create space for more of something else. In this article, I present these five suggestions for improving by removing.

show abstract

Section: Less Rote Memorising; More Connecting Of Important Ideasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Less is More: Improving by Removing

Foster

2023

Math. Gaz.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The last four decades have seen significant changes in mathematics education in England (see Hodgen et al (2022) for a discussion). In 1976, outside the mathematics classroom, imperial measures were still widespread, which implies little use of decimal notation and almost no use of calculators.…”

Section: Development Of Fraction Instruction In England Since the 1970smentioning

confidence: 99%

Danish Students’ Understanding of Fractions: A Replication Study

Færch,

Hodgen

2023

Impl. Repl. Stud. Math. Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this paper, we report on a conceptual replication of a fractions test originally administered in the 1970s in England as part of the ‘Concepts in Secondary Mathematics and Science’ (CSMS) research programme documenting lower secondary students’ understanding of mathematics. We present data from a recent study conducted in Denmark with 336 students aged between 12 and 14 years, presenting descriptive results as in the original research. In addition, we use Rasch modelling — a technique that was not widely used in the 1970s — to further analyse the students’ understanding of fractions and to validate the test. Our findings indicate that Danish students’ fractional understanding in word or diagrammatic contexts is slightly stronger in comparison to that of the English students in the original study, whereas the case for computations involving fractions is the reverse. We discuss the possible reasons for these differences. Our study provides evidence that fractional knowledge involves a number of components and suggest ways in which the test might be improved. The Impact Sheet to this article can be accessed at 10.6084/m9.figshare.24219673

show abstract

“…For example, in the UK, authorities have expressed great concern about attainment in mathematics, especially algebra (Hodgen et al, 2022). Students find algebra difficult and require much time to learn and master the concepts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Students’ Algebraic Proficiency and Attitude towards Learning Algebra

Sian Hoon,

Ghazali,

Singh

et al. 2024

ASMScJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Learning algebra is a difficult process that necessitates a positive attitude in order to maintain interest and master key concepts. Previous research found that students' attitudes influenced their algebra learning. As a result, more input is required to observe the current influence of attitudes on algebra learning. This study aims to investigate secondary school students’ levels of proficiency and attitudes towards learning algebra. A case study was employed to collect data using an algebra test, a questionnaire on attitude, and task-based interviews. The subjects of this study were Form Three and Form Four students who were in the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in a school in Malaysia. A total of 93 students volunteered to participate in this study, and three of them were interviewed for insights into solving algebra problems. This study revealed that (1) there was no significant difference in algebra achievement between the Form Three and Form Four students; (2) there was a negative correlation between the achievement and attitudes; and (3) the students displayed rather low proficiency in answering the test questions, which could be attributed to difficulties with comprehension of problems in algebra and inadequate reasoning when applying problem solving strategies. These findings have implications for developing positive attitudes towards the learning of algebra. It is recommended that educators look into these areas to equip students with the right attitudes and knowledge for advanced learning at university.

show abstract

Low attainment in mathematics: An analysis of 60 years of policy discourse in England

Cited by 10 publications

References 67 publications

Less is More: Improving by Removing

Less is More: Improving by Removing

Danish Students’ Understanding of Fractions: A Replication Study

Students’ Algebraic Proficiency and Attitude towards Learning Algebra

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About