NCP4 Hub report A
Impact on
teacher PD
Summarise key points teachers made with regard to the impact on
their knowledge and classroom practice
Knowledge
1
8%
Task 1:Questioning
scripts


3
8%
4
0%
Able to probe deeply into why
questions are asked and how to
phrase questions in a better way to
achieve outcomes.
2
92%
3
8%
1
0%
2
50%
3
50%
4
0%

Gained confidence in pushing
students to give a clearer, reasoned
response.

Feel more comfortable in using
student misconceptions to deepen
understanding.

4
0%
Targeted questions and prior
knowledge given more
consideration.
1
0%
2
83%
3
17%
4
0%

Reasoning using mathematics
already known allows students to
deepen understanding.

Consideration of how the structure of
an activity greatly impacts the
reasoning done

How to select resources
appropriately to encourage
reasoning skills.

Improved experience and
confidence in using tasks

Willingness to give less instruction
so pupils become more
independent.

How to differentiate the same activity
for accessibility for all.
1
0%
Task 3
Listening to
teachers
proofs
2
83%
Classroom practice
Realised that they already used
these ideas to an extent, but it gave
them confidence that teaching
reasoning doesn’t necessarily
needed to be complex.
1
0%
Task 2: Generic
structures
Hub: East Midlands East WGL: James Thomas


2
67%
3
33%
4
0%
1
0%
2
57%
3
43%
4
0%
How understanding the structure of
a problem can lead to better
reasoning and proof, including the
use of visual structures.

How to take a task and deliver it
appropriately to different abilities.

The importance of conjectures for
students of all abilities.
Developed understanding of what
“mathematical proof is” and what
students see proof as.

Again, how the structure of an
activity can promote or hinder
reasoning.
HEI: Peter Gates Date: June 2016
Summarise some of the
aspects teachers felt helped
achieve this? – give reasons
and make reference to barriers
Summarise some of the key
actions teachers said they
would do next to further
develop practice
Sample script was useful to give
structure, although the example
chosen made it difficult for some
teachers to appreciate the impact at
first.
Spend more time planning for
student misconceptions
Continue to use this idea in my
planning for a range of topics.
Time spent discussing with others
teachers at workshop and in
departments was very beneficial.
Resources provided were a helpful
starting point, particularly having a
range of short and long resources.
Use the idea when working with
other teachers in their professional
development.
Use an always/ sometimes/ never
activity once a week with all groups.
Look into the use of longer tasks.
Discussion of activities beforehand
and afterwards allowed chance to
learn from others’ experiences.
Develop lessons involving a focus on
learning mathematically, not just
doing maths.
Time and timetable constraints were
an issue for some, meaning they had
less chance to try things out.
HEI input on “the nature of proof”
was very well received.
Use the idea of proof more
frequently in the teaching of algebra.
Sharing ideas with others and having
the chance to reflect on different
approaches was very helpful.
Use visual prompts to make
algebra/proof accessible to all.
A number of schools struggled to
Develop more activities that involve
proof that all pupils can access.
spend time on this as it happened
during the main exam period.
The follow on tasks did not work so
well when representing visually due
to the use of subtractions.
Overall
comments
Teachers were able to improve
their knowledge of what
reasoning is and how it might be
incorporated into the classroom.
They were able to reflect on the
strengths of their current practice
and how it might be developed.
Teachers were able to plan, try
and reflect on a wide range of
activities and their responses
show a real engagement in the
process. As a result teachers
have gained confidence and
experience, although some are
now more aware of how much
there is still to develop.
The project provided a
powerful mix of input,
discussion, reflection and a
chance to put this all into
practice.
The biggest constraint was
time, either teachers
struggling to have enough
time to attempt tasks fully
alongside other
responsibilities, or lacking
support in school to have time
“off timetable”
All sessions and gap tasks
provided firm foundations for
teachers to build on in further
practice. In particular, task 1
was described as very
transferable and teachers
who tried “shorter activities” in
gap task 2 were keen to move
on to longer and more
demanding structures.
NCP4 Hub report B
Impact on
department
practices
Task 1:Questioning
scripts
Task 2: Generic
structures
Task 3
Listening to
teachers
proofs
Overall impact
Hub: East Midlands East WGL: James Thomas
Summarise what aspects of
NCP4 departments felt helped
achieve this and why?
Summarise some of the key points departments made in
relation to:
Professional practice

Department resources & Sow

Useful as discussion/training,
particularly working with less
experienced staff or as part of
department co-planning
Realised the need to be using this
idea more frequently within the
department

Lessons involving questioning scripts
have been trialled and are being built
into new KS3 schemes of work.
Departments were able to try and
evaluate a range of methods for
presenting a task.

Teachers in the department are
starting to re-use resources that have
been trialled.

Awareness of the need to use
activities regularly to gain maximum
value


Observation and discussion of how
pupils can work in pairs/groups
when using reasoning structures.

Discussion within the department of
“what makes a viable proof?” and
how this needs exploring with
pupils.

Appreciate the value of trying
different methods and ensuring
pupils are exposed to this.


An effective way of developing our
“day to day” practice

Reinforced the change of
curriculum emphasis


1
0%
2
92%
3
8%
HEI: Peter Gates Date: June 2016
4
0%
This was an accessible start to the
project and participants generally felt
comfortable sharing this idea with
their department.
One department commented that it
seemed a big first step having the
rest of the department watch them.
Summarise key actions
departments said they would
take to further develop
department practice
Departments were planning to build
this structure into joint planning time
and meetings.
Departments are starting to build in
the structures discussed into their
schemes of work and want to spend
further time investigating this.
The structure of workshop,
department time, implement and
reflect was hugely helpful. The
amount departments engaged in this
was very dependent on the support
the Head of Faculty and school gave.
On the whole, departments feel like
they have begun the process of
using reasoning structures and now
need to take steps to use a bigger
range more frequently.
Generally, departments feel that they
now have a task that they will be able
to use confidently in their scheme of
work.
Again, the structure of the project
provided much chance to plan, do
and reflect.
There is an acknowledgement that for
maximum effectiveness pupils need
to be exposed to a range of activities
that focus on proof.
Departments found this activity
harder to implement, particularly due
to this happening during exam time.
This is the area where departments
needed more time to develop from
the single activity that was tried to
being able to use these ideas in a
range of situations
1
0%
2
67%
3
33%
4
0%
grade any
further
comments
In summary, the teachers involved felt that their motivation and
confidence for developing reasoning had been positively
impacted as a result of the project. This had filtered down into
departments, although the success of this varied between
schools, depending on the support of the head of faculty and the
willingness of other members to engage.
A number of teachers commented on how they would have liked
to have known beforehand in detail what the project would involve
in terms of structure and gap tasks.
The project has had most impact in developing individual
teachers’ practice, although all teachers involved are keen to
continue to develop their departments’ approaches. Many are
keen on continuing the project into a second year, with a
particular focus on how what has been learnt can be applied
more broadly in their schools’ mathematics teaching.