Becoming a Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher

Gina Donaldson, Jenny Field, Dave Harries, Clare Tope, Helen Taylor

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781136322150
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

What is the role of the mathematics specialist?

What is deep subject knowledge in mathematics?

What sort of pedagogical knowledge does a mathematics specialist need?

How can you best support your colleagues to improve mathematics teaching and learning?

Becoming a Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher helps you explore the role of the specialist in promoting positive attitudes towards mathematics and developing the teaching and learning of mathematics in your primary school.

Illustrated throughout with classroom-based examples and referenced to relevant research, it is designed to support your development as a reflective practitioner who can confidently review and develop practice in your own classroom, as well as challenge and move the whole school forward through collaborative professional development. Essential topics explored include:

• The nature of the role of the primary mathematics specialist
• Understanding how attitudes to mathematics evolve, and why it is crucial to challenge and change negativity
• What we mean by deep subject knowledge in primary mathematics
• Pedagogical knowledge of how mathematics is taught and learned
• The skills of coaching and mentoring to support teachers and teaching assistants
• Unpicking the principles of progression for high quality teaching in all years groups
• The key features of deep subject knowledge and pedagogy in three areas of the curriculum: multiplication, time and data handling.

Becoming a Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher is an essential source of guidance and ideas for all primary school teachers aiming to achieve Mathematics Specialist status or already taking this role, those studying primary mathematics as a specialism and at masters level, and for all primary mathematics co-ordinators.

Chapter 1
The Role of the Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher

Figure 1.1 A ‘wordle’ constructed using relevant elements of the Williams Review (2008)

Introduction

So what is the role of a mathematics specialist teacher? Perhaps you are considering yourself for this role, or have already embarked on a programme to gain this status. If you have a passion for teaching mathematics, if you want to make a difference and impact upon the continuing professional development of others, then read on … this might be the very role for you!

In this chapter we will clarify the role of the mathematics specialist teacher (MaST), for both prospective and training MaSTs, providing support and guidance as you prepare for this crucial and multifaceted status.

This chapter aims to explore the nature of the role of the subject specialist by:

1. considering how the need for mathematics specialist teachers emerged;
2. identifying the importance of subject specialists;
3. exploring the key elements of the MaST programme;
4. evaluating your future potential as a mathematics specialist teacher;
5. considering the importance of your school in providing necessary support;
6. identifying your key responsibilities in this role;
7. exploring the benefits for both the school and the mathematics specialist teacher.

How the Need for Mathematics Specialist Teachers Emerged

The recent government White Paper The Importance of Teaching (DfE 2010: 45) clearly states a need for this role in our schools: ‘We need more specialist mathematics teachers in primary schools and will encourage and support schools in developing this specialism.’ It reiterates this by stating that it will focus central government support on strategic curriculum subjects, particularly mathematics and science. This provides welcome affirmation of the conclusions of the Williams Review (2008) which preceded it.

Sir Peter Williams (ibid.) was commissioned by the government at that time to undertake an Independent Review of Mathematics Teaching in Early Years Settings and Primary Schools. Its rationale was to review mathematics provision, to identify strengths and to focus on areas for development, making clear recommendations for the future.

Williams (2008: 1) identifies ten key recommendations which he argues will support the development of high-quality provision in mathematics. One of the key recommendations is ‘the presence of a Mathematics Specialist in every primary school, who will champion this challenging subject and act as the nucleus for achieving best pedagogical practice’. Donaldson (2002) supports the need for such effective leadership in mathematics, stating that such teachers would be creative and inspiring in their teaching … lessons would be exciting, motivating and intriguing, resulting in increased enthusiasm and raising the profile of mathematics.

In his review Williams (2008) acknowledges that teachers in primary schools are not normally ‘Mathematics Specialists’ and he argues that this needs to change. This idea was previously raised almost 30 years ago by Cockroft (1982: 199), reporting to the government of that time. He also highlighted this issue, focusing on ‘mathematical expertise which is so badly needed in primary schools’ and a real necessity to ensure that primary teachers with mathematical expertise are appointed.

The process of moving forward with this finally began in September 2009, as a direct result of Williams’ ‘Recommendation 3’: that ‘There should be at least one Mathematics Specialist in each primary school … with deep mathematical subject and pedagogical knowledge’ (2008: 25). As a consequence of this key recommendation, the government invited higher education institutions to offer a national Masters-level training programme, and thus emerged the Mathematics Specialist Teacher Status, commonly known as MaST.

The Importance of Subject Specialists

The Royal Society’s report (2010: 2) summarising the key issues in primary mathematics states that teaching specialisms are not generally recorded across the UK, but that ‘it is society’s view that this situation needs to change if children are going to be given the best possible start’. It reiterates this by clearly identifying an ‘urgent need’ to find ways of providing post-qualification routes to acquiring specialisms ‘such as the Mathematics Specialist Teacher primary programme’ (p. 3), seeing this as a clear way to improve quality. In its evidence-based approach to supporting responsible policy-making within education it states that the ‘Masters-level qualifications that have been established in England to develop mathematics “specialists” in primary schools need to be sustained’ (p. 4) and goes on to list this as an ‘Action’ for on-going commitment.

Ofsted had supported this view two years earlier. In its report into mathematics, Understanding the Score (2008: 7), it recommends that the government should ‘explore strategies through which the subject expertise … can be developed and lead to recognition and reward … enhancing the role of subject leader for mathematics so that teachers aspire to it’. It also placed responsibility on schools, stating that they should improve their own subject leader’s expertise, placing an important emphasis on a ‘home grown’ attitude to CPD.

Even before this Askew et al. (1997: 94), researching into effective teachers of numeracy, produced evidence that extended CPD programmes (which would describe the MaST programme) ‘were perceived by teachers as highly influential in developing their beliefs and practice’ and gave rise to real improvements in the classroom. This led to the question ‘should extended programmes of CPD in mathematics education have priority and if so who should provide them and what components should they contain?’ We are very glad to say that the MaST programme has now been seen as a key priority, and we will now discuss the components of this programme.

The Key Elements of the Mast Programme

One of the major factors, paramount in improving the teaching of mathematics, is tackling the issue of attitudes. This will be comprehensively dealt with in Chapter 2; however it is crucial to state here that positive attitudes towards mathematics will be central to becoming a successful MaST, and essential in maximising success in each of the three key elements of this training programme.

Fraser and Honeyford (2000: 1) state that ‘one of the issues facing many primary teachers charged with teaching mathematics is that they do not like mathematics … and do not feel confident teaching it’. Haylock (2010: 10) adds to this, stating that ‘amongst many primary school teachers in general, there is this background of anxiety and confusion’, and promoting positive attitudes is a ‘major task’. Therefore, to have any real impact, developing positive attitudes in all your colleagues would need to be central to your philosophy. Little real progress could be made in the three key elements discussed below without this first being in place.

As a mathematics specialist teacher you must ‘champion’ your subject. You must be prepared to tackle and change negative attitudes. To a large extent this will be driven by your own enthusiasm for the subject; passion breeds passion, excitement breeds excitement – without doubt attitudes are contagious!

Now with this positivity firmly in place we can explore the three key elements that inform the programme:

1. The development of deep mathematical subject knowledge from EYFS to KS3, with a clear understanding of progression in key areas.
2. The development of a wide repertoire of subject-specific pedagogy with a clear understanding of how these teaching approaches enable children to learn.
3. A developing ability to mentor and coach others, sharing your expertise and providing whole-school impact through classroom-based collaborative professional development.

Deep mathematical subject knowledge

This will be investigated in much more detail in Chapter 3; however, an outline is provided here to establish a context. As a MaST you will be confident and happy to both review your own emerging subject knowledge needs and those of others, promoting the attitude of ‘always learning’ within your school. The knowledge you have gained through this programme will enable you to provide support to your colleagues in improving their own subject knowledge needs once identified.

At the end of your training you will be expected to have developed a clear understanding of progression in key mathematical concepts from EYFS to KS3 and to be confident to teach across age phases. It is therefore hoped that you will feel able to offer advice to all staff accordingly, with both their planning and teaching. In fact we have not been surprised to find that many teachers on the programme feel confident within their own year group: ‘I have been teaching in Year 6 for many years now’; however they lack confidence when considering what goes on in other places in the school: ‘I’m scared of going into the nursery. Staff there don’t think I know anything about it! They smile and say “get back to Year 6” … they’re right, I don’t.’ It therefore delights us when, some months on, they confidently and enthusiastically lead meetings on the principles of counting – especially when their early years staff are so impressed and go on to change their approaches as a result!

Of course, centrally important is the ability to demonstrate a clear conceptual understanding of key mathematical principles and, crucially, the connections between them. Haylock (2010: 9) suggests that this ‘involves knowing how fractions relate to whole numbers, where they belong on a number line, how they link to … ratio and proportion, the connections between fractions and the division operations’. A MaST will develop a strong conceptual understanding, which will bring to fruition a rich tapestry of connections, exposing true understanding for the learner.

In addition to understanding how concepts inter-relate within mathematics is the importance of cross-curricular and real-life application. You will increase your understanding of the importance of using and applying mathematics, and making it more relevant to staff and children alike. This will include becoming more familiar with key aspects of learning, which include problem solving, reasoning and enquiry, and promoting this across your school.

Although subject knowledge per se is vital, a report by Ofsted (2008) talks about effective teaching relying on essential ingredients which include both subject knowledge and understanding the ways in which pupils learn mathematics – drawn together to form ‘subject expertise’. This leads neatly into the next key element.

Subject-specific pedagogy

A specific focus on pedagogy forms the content of Chapter 4, but an outline is provided here. The crucial issue here may well be an understanding that subject knowledge alone is not enough. A wide and appropriate range of subject-specific pedagogy for the teaching and learning of mathematics is vital. You will need a critical awareness of experiential learning, alongside a developing range of models and images that will support and promote children’s conceptual understanding, in addition to a clear understanding of when to withdraw practical resources and encourage abstract reasoning.

Identification and analysis of misconceptions will also form part of your developing entourage of pedagogy; of course it is one thing to recognise a misconception, but a more skilled approach will allow you to establish why it has arisen and how best it can be exposed and addressed. In many cases teachers w...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS
• List of figures and tables
• Introduction
• 1 The role of the primary mathematics specialist teacher
• 2 Attitudes to mathematics
• 3 Deep subject knowledge
• 4 Pedagogical knowledge
• 5 Leading professional learning in mathematics in your school; mentoring and coaching
• 6 Championing the teaching and learning of multiplication
• 7 Championing the teaching and learning of time
• 8 Championing the teaching and learning of data handling
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index