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A research project that explores low attainment in mathematics in lower secondary.

The overall aim of the study was to understand the nature of low attainment in mathematics in lower secondaryÌýbyÌýgathering evidence on what mathematics pupils know, investigatingÌýhow the attainment gap develops over time, andÌýreviewing existing evidence on what teaching strategies and approaches are most likely to improve the problem.Ìý

The project ran from 2015 -Ìý2020 and wasÌýfunded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Background

Evidence from theÌý indicate that in England the proportion of the very lowest attaining students at the end of Key Stage 3 (KS3) has roughly doubled since the 1970s. This group now constitutes about 15% of the Year 9 cohort.

These students have difficulty answering even basic questions about core ideas from the primary curriculum. In addition, we found that a significant proportion of students have difficulty with the basic concepts in secondary mathematics: 41% in algebra and 65% in ratio.

We believe that thisÌýlow attainment in mathematics isÌýone of the most serious and urgent problems currently facing our educational system.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the research evidence about mathematical low attainment is limited and fragmented.There are relatively few studies in mathematics education that investigate what low attaining secondary students understand in mathematics or what approaches are effective at addressing these students’ difficulties.

Yet, such evidence is vital to informing interventions and policies that seek to address low attainment in mathematics and thus increase later attainment at GCSE.Ìý

Methodology

We developed of a new test of low attainers’ mathematics knowledge which was administered to middle and high attainers in Year 5 (1050 pupils) and low attaining Year 9 pupils (2841 pupils).

This wasÌýmatched to demographic and prior attainment data in the Department for EducationÌý(DfE)ÌýNational Pupil Database. Analysis focused on a subsample of these pupils with similar overall mathematics attainment.Ìý

We conducted further analysis of the sample (10,913 pupils)Ìýfrom Year 7, 8 and 9 who took part in theÌýICCAMS national survey in 2008 and 2009.ÌýThe surveyÌýtested pupils’ conceptual understanding of algebra, decimals, fractions and ratio with matched demographic and attainment data from the National Pupil Database (including these pupils’ later performance at GCSE).Ìý

We carried out a systematic review of the relevant literature on approaches to teaching low attaining secondary pupils.ÌýWe interviewed 195 pupils and 12 teachers to investigate how mathematics was taught to low attaining students.

Advisory group

• Dr (IOE)
• Dr Ann Dowker (University of Oxford)
• Dr Peter Gates (University of Nottingham)
• Professor Matthew Inglis (Loughborough University)
• Jane Jones (Ofsted)
• Professor Anne Watson (University of Oxford)
• John Westwell (National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics)
• Anne White (Improve Maths)

Project team

The Low Attainment in Mathematics study wasÌýconducted by a team of researchers fromÌýIOE, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham and Durham University:

• Professor (IOE)
• Dr Colin Foster (Loughborough University)
• Professor Robert Coe (Evidence-Based Education / Education Endowment Foundation)
• Professor Margaret Brown (King’s College London)
• Professor Steve Higgins (Durham University)
• Dr Dietmar Kuchemann (King’s College London)

Outputs

• Hodgen, J., Coe, R., Foster, C., Brown, M., Higgins, S., & Küchemann, D. (2020). . London: UCL Institute of Education.Ìý
• Hodgen, J., Coe, R., Foster, C., Brown, M., Higgins, S., & Küchemann, D. (2020). London: UCL Institute of Education.

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