Level 5 GCSE Maths – Session 2

Engaging and motivating learners in GCSE maths

Welcome to the second session

By the end of the session you will be able to:

  • Self-evaluate your personal maths skills & identify areas for improvement?
  • Identify how flipped learning might be used within GCSE maths
  • Analyse factors that promote mathematical resilience in learners?
  • Understand the benefits & limitations of contextualising GCSE maths activities
  • Develop contextualised maths activities

Session 2 PowerPoint slides

Here is Julia’s facilitator PowerPoint presentation for session 2:

Session Padlet

Here is the Padlet for this session.

Post-session tasks

Task 1: Engaging Learners

Read through the list of key messages from Robey & Jones’ research into engaging learners in GCSE English & maths

  • Which messages are easiest to implement?
  • Which are hardest?

Full report available from here

Task 2: Self assessment

Free online self-assessment tools & learning materials are available here.

What other tools could you use to self-assess & develop your personal GCSE maths skills?

Task 3: Your Reflective Diary

Regular entries into your reflective diary will aid the essay writing. Remember to add an entry into your Reflective Diary – you may choose to download and print this and include a physical entry or try to create an online diary using a tool such as Sutori or a Padlet Timeline. Examples are given on the Padlet. 

The completion of a reflective diary will assist you when writing your large assignment, if you are seeking accreditation 

Follow Up Activities

  • Start to use the ETF Self-Evaluation Tool & begin to create a plan for your personal skills development.
  • Check out the ETF Improving the teaching of maths & English online course & identify sections to work through to develop or consolidate your skills
  • Johnston-Wilder, S.; Lee, C.; Garton, L.; Goodall, S. and Brindley, J. (2013) ‘Developing coaches for mathematical resilience’ in ICERI 2013: 6th International Conference on Education, Research and Innovation, 18-20 November 2013, Seville, Spain. [available here].
  • Mathematical Resilience website: http://www.mathematicalresilience.org
  • The Flipped Classroom website: http://kokuamai.com/test/flipped/

Activities to prepare for the next session

Watch the Dan Meyer TED talk – “Math Curriculum Needs a Makeover”  

What relevance does this have to teaching GCSE maths re-sits?

Are there any lessons for your own practice?

Further reading for participants completing accreditation

  • Casey, H., Cara, O., Eldred, J., Grief, S., Hodge., Ivanic, R., Jupp, T., Lopez, D. & McNeil, B. (2006)  “You wouldn’t expect a maths teacher to teach plastering…”:  Embedding literacy, language and numeracy in post-16 vocational programmes – the impact on learning and achievement.  London: NRDC. [available here]
  • Johnston-Wilder, S.; Brindley, J. and Dent, P. (2014) A survey of Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematical Resilience among existing apprentices. London: The Gatsby Charitable Foundation. [available here]
  • Robey, C. and Jones, E. (2015) Engaging Learners in GCSE English and maths, Leicester: NIACE. [available here]
  • The Research Base (2014) Effective Practices in Post-16 Vocational Maths: Final Report. London: The Education and Training Foundation. [available here]

All course materials were developed as part of an ETF programme by ccConsultancy and they both should be acknowledged if any material is used on other projects.