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Improving Progress for Lower Achievers through Formative Assessment

in Science and Mathematics Education (FaSMEd)

We explored the use of technology in formative assessment classroom practices in ways that allowed teachers to respond to emerging needs of low achieving learners in maths and science so they are better motivated in their learning of these subjects.

  • Project Dates: Start date: January 2014 End date: December 2016
  • Project Leader: Jill Clark
  • Staff: Lucy Tiplady - Project Manager and Research Associate; David Leat - Expert Advisor and team member
  • Sponsors: FP7 Award: Science in Society - Research in the role of teaching methods and assessment methods in addressing low achievement in the field of Mathematics, Science and Technology – Collaborative Project

Background

This project was aimed at working with the most challenging learners in science and mathematics education across eight countries.

One of the partners is the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), based at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and Professor Brink was instrumental in its foundation.

We believe that Professor Brink’s interest in the continued development of AIMS and its enlargement into the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) provides a clear justification for his involvement in the launch of the project and will provoke wider interest in the community.

Summary

This international project will adapt and develop existing research-informed pedagogical interventions (developed by the partners), suited to implementation at scale, for working with low attaining pupils and transforming teaching.

Aims and objectives

This project aimed to:

  • foster high quality interactions in international classrooms that are instrumental in raising achievement for low achievers; 
  • expand our knowledge of technologically enhanced teaching and assessment methods addressing low achievement in mathematics and science

Major objectives for the project are to:

  • produce a toolkit for teachers to support the development of practice. (NB. The expression ‘toolkit’ refers to a set of curriculum materials and methods for pedagogical intervention)
  • produce a professional development resource that exemplifies use of the toolkit.
  • offer approaches for the use of new technologies to support the formative assessment of lower achieving students.
  • develop sustainable assessment and feedback practices that improve attainment in mathematics and science for the targeted students.
  • challenge stereotyped attitudes and practices which raise anxiety on the part of teachers and students : research shows that anxiety and stereotyped attitudes have a strong impact on achievement in mathematics and this may also be the case for science. 
  • disseminate the outcomes of the project in the form of online resources, academic and professional publications, conference presentations as well as policy briefs to government agencies at a regional, National, European and International level.

Partners

The partners were:

  • Newcastle University – co-ordinator
  • The University of Nottingham
  • Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon
  • National University of Ireland Maynooth
  • Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg
  • Universita Degli Studi di Torino
  • Universiteit Utrecht
  • African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre
  • Hogskolen I Sor-Trondelag (997606104)

The timescale was 36 months starting from January 2014 and the budget is €1.9M 

Contact

For further information contact:
Jill Clark, Principal Investigator.
Email: Jill.Clark@ncl.ac.uk
Telephone: 0191 208 5637