inFOCUS


ENGLAND HAMPSHIRE


GUY FRANCIS IS HEAD OF MATHS AT BROCKENHURST COLLEGE TEACHING GCSE, A LEVEL MATHS AND A LEVEL FURTHER MATHS.


Both of our featured teachers in this issue teach GCSE-level students as part of their roles. Guy Francis is head of maths at a further education college in the New Forest while Lifeng Yu teaches politics in the megacity of Shanghai.


Guy has a Bachelors degree and a Masters in mathematics, as well as a Masters in software engineering and a Postgraduate Teaching Qualification.


Before becoming a teacher in 2001 he was a software engineer and consultant. As head of curriculum for maths, Guy teaches around 12 hours a week, less than Lifeng, given the greater administrative duties that go with his position. He describes his teaching style as varied, which is how Lifeng describes her teaching. He says that some teaching is traditional and other lessons are more dialogic, involving activities for students to engage with each other and ask questions. There is an emphasis on rigorous Q&A in maths lessons to get all learners involved and thinking.


There is also a large focus on practice and independent learning, which is vital for success in mathematics. In terms of feedback, both Guy and Lifeng prefer a mix of verbal and written, although there is perhaps less direct feedback to students’ parents than in China. Both use peer-assessment and Guy’s department also makes use of quizzes to give students immediate feedback. Both Guy and Lifeng, like teachers across England and China, are adapting to recent policy changes. For Guy the new specifications for GCSE and A Level maths have changed the way Brockenhurst teaches maths. For instance, there’s greater problem solving at A Level. Like Zhiyuan Middle School, Brockenhurst runs professional development activities throughout the year, including internal training and visits from experts in teaching and learning.


SHANGHAI LIFENG YU TEACHES POLITICS TO THE


EQUIVALENT OF KEY STAGE 3 AND 4 STUDENTS IN SHANGHAI ZHIYUAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.


Lifeng has been teaching politics for 29 years and went straight into the profession after teacher training college. Subsequent reforms have meant that


all teachers now need a first degree to teach at KS3 and 4 and usually a Masters to teach beyond that. All teachers must have a teaching qualification before they


start teaching in China or they must complete one during their first year of teaching. Lifeng’s typical working week is more than 40 hours. Every five years she and


other teachers in the Shanghai area need to take a training course to gain credits for certification. This training can happen online or face to face. Additionally there are


professional development opportunities during the winter/summer holidays and Chinese teachers are fairly used to attending training organised by the school or local education bureau between terms. Training opportunities in specific curriculum areas are often


led by experienced departmental teachers. While China may have had a reputation in the past for a very traditional approach to teaching, this has changed in recent years, according to Lifeng. Like Guy, Lifeng uses a mix of lecturing, student-led activities and self-directed learning. She uses verbal and written feedback, often to the parents of students. The Chinese Ministry of Education has made changes in recent years to the Gaokao System (the National Higher Education Entrance Examination) so that entry requirements do not just focus on academic results but also on students’ qualities and skills. This has meant schools adapting their curricula and teaching.


BROCKENHURST COLLEGE Brockenhurst is a large general FE college, incorporating a sixth form of more than 2,700 students. It also offers apprenticeships, adult learning and higher education courses.


CHINA


ZHIYUAN MIDDLE SCHOOL Zhiyuan educates some 690 young people between the ages of 12 and 15. Compulsory subjects include Chinese, English, maths, sciences, politics, music, art and labour skills. They also offer enrichment subjects such as the Chinese tea ceremony.


8 ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 inTUITION


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