RESEARCHEARCH By Ian Goodwin


The Improving Mathematics in Vocational Education (IMIVE) project linked colleges in west and east Sussex, Surrey and Kent with independent training providers. The project’s objective was to bring about a step change in awareness of teaching methodologies and resources used to deliver GCSE mathematics to post-16 vocational learners. Project activity centred on delivering


a series of county-wide development events and establishing subject peer group networks with virtual resource back-up. These networks have been facilitated by college collaborative organisations and are designed to be sustained beyond project end. Key outcomes from the project included: • Improvement of teaching and learning through exchange of knowledge and practice by pairing expert practitioners with other teachers;


• 35 teachers engaged on a two-year development programme which supports and expands teaching methodologies;


• 17 colleges and 20 training providers paired with leads to cascade training and changes within their own organisations;


• Step change in teaching techniques so that flipped classroom and resources improve the eficiency


RESOURCES


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20 ISSUE 27 • SPRING 2017 INTUITION of delivery and pace of lessons;


• 10 actual/virtual meetings held between January 2016 and July 2016;


• Enhancement of teaching and learning methodologies through broadening practice and adopting new techniques.


EVERYDAY CONTEXT We know that learners on vocational courses are, in the main, not keen on developing their maths skills. However, hands-on activities relating to their vocation can help them see the relevance of maths to their futures, and so can be very effective in engaging and motivating them. In addition, it will facilitate learning


new skills, and consolidate previous learning and understanding, as well as attempting to help students make sense of abstract maths. We should remember that while we


think about contextualising maths, within a vocational context, we can also do this within a real-life, everyday context; for example, working out mobile phone tariffs. When developing our contextualised


activities we should also be considering how we will progress from the familiar to unfamiliar context, as well as making connections across mathematical areas. Activities that start by using maths in context will lead on to how


is it likely to take you to cycle 4 miles to get to your friend’s house?


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the same maths can be used in different contexts – and maths without context. Maths should not be taught in silos but links should be made across maths skills.


PRACTICAL EXAMPLES The following examples are taken from Maths at Work – integrating work experience and maths provision in 16-19 study programmes (see link in the resources section below). • If it takes you 30 minutes to cycle 3 miles to college, how long is it likely to take you to cycle 4 miles to get


?


cycle 3 miles to college, how long


mins 30 30 minutes to takes you If it


Ian Goodwin is an education and training consultant. He assisted FE Sussex in delivering the project along with Barbara Nance, director of Ideas4learning Ltd, who was the mathematics lead. Tim Strickland, chief executive of FE Sussex, was chair.


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Colleges get together with independent providers and find many plus points in brainstorming awareness of GCSE teaching methodologies for post-16 vocational learners


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