Mathematics mastery

Mathematics mastery is an approach to mathematics education which is based on mastery learning in which most students are expected to achieve a high level of competence before progressing. This technique is used in countries such as China and Singapore where good results have been achieved and so the approach is now being promoted in the UK by people such as schools minister Nick Gibb.[1][2][3][4] Chinese teachers were brought to the UK to demonstrate the Shanghai mastery approach in 2015.[5] A trial was made in the UK with about 10,000 students of ages 5–6 and 11–12.[6] In one year, test scores indicated that the students were about a month ahead of students in schools using other approaches.[6] This result was considered small but significant.[6]

The National Association of Mathematics Advisers has highlighted five issues in understanding this approach.[7]

  1. Variation in the methods promoted by different organisations
  2. The extent of differentiation
  3. The content of the curriculum
  4. The amount of practise and repetition
  5. The choice and use of textbooks

References
  1. Asian maths method offered to schools, BBC, 12 July 2016
  2. Mastery, National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, 1 July 2016
  3. Drury, Helen (2014), Mastering Mathematics, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780198351757
  4. Sarah Cunnane (27 March 2015), "Schools minister analyses exam papers and finds maths teaching doesn't measure up", Times Educational Supplement
  5. Sally Weale (13 March 2015), "Chinese teachers bring the art of maths to English schools", The Guardian
  6. Sally Weale (18 June 2015), "English pupils' maths scores improve under east Asian approach", The Guardian
  7. Five Myths of Mastery in Mathematics (PDF), National Association of Mathematics Advisers, 2015
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