Fostering participation in mathematics education

Fostering participation and achievement in mathematics post-16:

Nuffield work to support post-16 students and teachers:

• Free-Standing Mathematics Activities: resource development – see below
• Mathematics in other subjects: research, analysis, and development – see Maths in other subjects
• Encouraging universities to make explicit the mathematics elements of their courses

Free-Standing Mathematics Activities

The Nuffield Foundation has played a key role in the development and support of Use of Mathematics Free-Standing Mathematics Qualifications (FSMQs). As the name implies, these are short, self-contained resources (with linked qualifications) covering a wide array of mathematical themes and topics. They are available at various levels, addressing the needs of students who are inadequately served by existing GCSE and A level mathematics qualifications. At Level 3, in certian combinations, they form the basis of AS and A-levels in Use of Mathematics.

Take-up of the FSMQs has so far been low – less than 2% of the post-16 student cohort. There are mutually reinforcing reasons for this, including limited recognition and understanding of the qualifications, limited offering by colleges and schools, and confusion about what is available caused by changes in regulations and a multiplicity of different specifications.

Nevertheless FSMQs remain the best available option for many students. Level 1 and Level 2 FSMQs offer a pathway for developing fluency and confidence in mathematics for those who may have a D or lower grade at GCSE, which may serve them well before a GCSE re-sit, where success rates are poor. Another strength of the FSMQs is the opportunity for mathematical modelling and comprehension exercises.

The Nuffield Foundation is updating its online pool of resources for supporting the FSMQs and more general mathematical pathways post-16. A mix of contextual and investigative activities, these will grow to include earlier work on process skills – see AMP below.

Following the Wolf Report, the government has launched a consultation relating to post-16 programmes of study for mathematics. This, and related work by a number of stakeholders including Nuffield and the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education, should provide some clarity on different pathways. The Nuffield Foundation is participating in these consultations and our next steps will be informed by the outcomes of these in Summer 2012.

There are demand as well as supply-side issues, and a parallel Nuffield agenda is to encourage university departments to be explicit and transparent when describing the mathematical demands of their courses.

Please contact Vinay Kathotia at the Nuffield Foundation if you would like to know more about our work and/or contribute to it.

Email vkathotia@nuffieldfoundation.org

Applying Mathematical Processes (AMP)

AMP activities support the teaching and learning of key mathematical processes: representing; analysing; interpreting and evaluating; and communicating and reflecting. They are suitable for use with 11-16 year olds and designed to encourage mathematical representation, problem-solving, group work, self/peer and formative assessment.

See the free AMP resources available from this site.