Lessons from the
pandemic: Putting our
findings into practice
David Lyttle
A massive 84% of teachers say they have changed how they
teach maths in the last year or more. But such a
transformational change does not happen without teething
problems, and some teachers admit to not having the time or
know-how to transform their lessons to be fully accessible in an
online format.
Other teachers worry about a struggle to conduct ongoing
formative assessments for understanding the essential
concepts. This is particularly challenging in international schools
with high English as an Additional Language (EAL) populations,
whose students may not yet be able to write or speak with
confidence.
Initial trials by many teachers have discovered other challenges,
such as group work being difficult to facilitate and students who
are more passive being less responsive. One elementary
teacher told us that they "often resort to lecturing rather than
constructing understanding". Another teacher admitted to
feeling more like a children's television presenter, rather than a
mentor and educator.
Teachers are also very concerned about the impact remote
learning has had on student confidence. These impacts are both
positive and negative. When analysing the qualitative comments
by our survey respondents, there are five negative impacts
noted for every positive.
Find more maths education research and resources at oxfordprimary.com/mathsadventure
18