Science and Mathematics' Teaching

One study to uncover the teacher characteristics and teaching practices that matter most to pupil achievement, found that teachers characteristics do not effect pupil achievement, while teaching process variables mater significantly to student achievement but there are important differences across school types. This is done using unique, school-base data, collected in 2002-2003 from government and private schools from one district in Punjab province in Pakistan. The data allow exploitation of an identification strategy that permits the matching of students` test scores in language and mathematics to the characteristics of teachers that teach those subjects. Within pupil (across subject rather than across time) variation is used to examine whether the characteristics of different subject teachers are related to a students` mark across subjects. The data is also unique in asking all subject teachers questions pertaining to their teaching practices and these, often unobserved, `process` variables are included in achievement function estimates. Our pupil fixed-effects findings reveal that the standard resume characteristics of teachers do not significantly matter to pupil achievement. Perversely, however, teachers are found to be rewarded for possessing these characteristics highlighting the highly inefficient nature of teacher pay schedules.
June, 2007

For the past decade education has been deluged with many national initiatives, which none were piloted before being rolled out across the country. Many of them, like the national literacy hour, now seem to have been hugely expensive failures. It would be infinitely more sensible if the ideas in the plan were to be tested before being made national policy, so that theory could meet reality.

Schools in recent plans will be expected to offer parenting advice, mental health clinics and youth offending workers under one roof, as part of proposals outlined today in the Government's flagship Children's Plan.

The plan is also likely to lead to school-based speech and language therapists, social workers and children's health care as well as help with housing and benefits. It could also lead to police officers being present in schools to provide positive role models and prevent antisocial behaviour.

Looks to me like they are going to be asked to perform miracles. Expecting cure all social evils from schools, just added in to the mix of tasks that schools already have to fulfil. At this rate every school's going to be busier than Piccadilly Circus, having to socially engineer away all of life's troubles. With scarce resources the matter of delivering lessons will be affected..

A London teacher Guardian spoke to at a comprehensive is equally sceptical. She says schools' main job will still be the delivery of test results, because that's what they are judged on. That pressure will not change, but now they will be expected to deliver much wider social goals in the same time. It's nonsense. "We've reached the limits of what we can do with the resources we've got," she says. "If ministers really want to see a change now, we need much smaller classes, and the freedom to respond to what the real kids in front of us need, rather than following a national plan laid down in Whitehall."

Ref.:
- Monazza Aslam Geeta Kingdon , What can Teachers do to Raise Pupil Achievement?, June 2007, Oxford Univ., www.economics.ox.ac.uk

- Jennie Russell, Theory and reality, Guardian, Comments, 12 Dec,






10/12/07 Royal Society Report on Science and Mathematics' teaching
CaSE welcomes the thorough report and analysis of the science and mathematics teaching workforce released by the Royal Society today. The discussion detailed the Government’s lack of knowledge of the current workforce while it generates inaccurate targets to try to improve the situation. To reach the Government’s own targets for teachers in schools for 2014, there would need to be 1000 new physics recruits into teacher training each year and 3000 in mathematics. Recent recruitment figures are 350 in physics and 2000 in mathematics. The Government has many new initiatives to increase recruits in shortage subjects, but it must recognise that its own targets are not being met and were conservative to say the least. These targets could be lower if the appalling retention of teachers, could be improved. Currently only 50% are still in the profession 5 years after graduating.
The report highlights a worrying trend for recruits to train in combined rather than separate sciences. Although combined science teachers may be suitable for teaching core science GCSEs, specialists should teach separate science GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology. From next year all science specialist schools will have to offer separate science GCSEs and all students in any schools achieving above level 6 at Key Stage 3 will also be entitled to study them. This will of course heighten the current shortages. The report also notes an alarming trend for fewer science and mathematics graduates to train as primary school teachers, with numbers dropping from 428 to 227 in two years. A passion for these crucial subjects is often inspired by good teaching in the early years and there are already many primary schools without any teachers knowledgeable in science or mathematics.
CaSE supports the Royal Society in all of its recommendations and continues to urge the Government to set teacher training targets within physics, chemistry and biology instead of overall the sciences. In addition, headteachers should be encouraged to utilise the flexibilities they have in teachers’ pay to increase recruitment and retention in shortage subjects.


4/12/07 PISA report
The Programme for International Student Assessment released its detailed survey of the science and mathematics knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in 2006. Of the 57 countries surveyed, 12 ranked higher than the UK in science, although the UK did score above average. The UK ranked lower than 15 other countries in mathematics and was comparable with the OECD average. There was some regional variation, with performance in Wales worryingly lower than England for both mathematics and science. UK students had an unusually broad distribution of performance, indicating a wide range of achievement. The vast majority of students were positive about the importance of science to themselves and the world. Overall, coming from a higher socio-economic background increased student's appreciation and enjoyment of science as well as their performance and these relationships were disappointingly strong in the UK, although there were many exceptions.

"The report revealed the importance of exciting students about science although, sadly, only 55% of English students reported that they had fun when learning about it (OECD average of 63%). Hopefully new changes to the curriculum and various outreach and engagement programmes will convince more students of the pleasure that a science education can bring.
"Worryingly, 83% of English students were in schools with science teacher vacancies (OECD average 62%) and 27% of students were in schools in which a shortage of mathematics teachers hindered teaching. Although less than the OECD average (42%), 28% of English students were in schools in which headteachers reported that shortage or inadequacy of equipment was a problem.
"Finland performed amazingly well and above all other countries and also has one of the least divisive education systems, with little impact of social background. There is nothing special about Finland that means we cannot learn from its successes and achieve them here in the UK and this report provides a great opportunity to do just that. We hope that the Government utilises this detailed report to full effect in guiding education policy decisions."

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTX030843.html
http://www.savebritishscience.org.uk/about/diary/index.htm