The final report from the RSSCSE – QCA Review of Handling
Data and Statistics in GCSE Mathematics makes the following
eleven recommendations:
|
Recommendation 1 - The Curriculum |
| We
recommend that the statistics and data handling content
of the mathematics curriculum should be seeded through
real world examples drawn from science, geography and
other subjects but should be retained within the mathematics
curriculum. |
|
Recommendation 2 – Assessment |
| We
recommend that a range of new ways for assessing the statistics
and handling data coursework be trialled. All of these
alternatives should be designed to occupy no more than
a single week of class time. Of the suggested alternatives
in the questionnaires, the in-depth interviews in schools
have so far shown that teachers thought the field centre
option was impractical. We will also consider other possible
approaches. |
| Recommendation
3 – Continuing Professional Development (CPD) |
| We
recommend that a programme of CPD be developed for Heads
of Mathematics with particular regard to teaching how
the problem solving approach (data handling cycle) can
best be taught. This will also be necessary for Heads
of Science and Geography if they are required to teach
this material. |
| Recommendation
4 - Teaching Materials |
| We
recommend that a comprehensive range of teaching materials
be developed and made available to Heads of Mathematics
to facilitate the teaching of all topics within the statistics
and data handling content of the mathematics curriculum.
These should be designed to use real data from other subject
areas and should embrace the problem-solving approach. |
| Recommendation
5 – Trialling |
| We
recommend that material for trialling in schools be based
on the topics: handling data project; measures of location;
measures of variation; regression and time series; and
inference from data. The chosen topics should be explicitly
taught through problem-solving. |
|
Recommendation 6 – Future Strategy for Teaching
and Learning Statistics |
| We
recommend that the QCA should promote the teaching and
learning of statistics and handling data through the statistical
problem solving approach. |
|
Recommendation 7 – Resources for Teaching
and Learning Statistics |
| We
recommend that the QCA should promote the development
of a database of resources containing examples of the
use of the statistical problem solving approach which
should be made available to school teachers. A common
format for the resources, as exemplified by the resources
developed and trialled by this project, should be used. |
|
Recommendation 8 – Teacher Professional
Development in Statistics |
| We
recommend that the QCA should promote the development
of online CPD resources designed to demonstrate the use
of the resources in Recommendation 7 to school teachers.
These should be developed in tandem with the teaching
resources. |
|
Recommendation 9 – Creating a Portfolio
of Resources |
| We
recommend that the QCA should give priority to the development
of online CPD resources that will enable school teachers
to take ownership of their CPD needs by facilitating the
transformation of their own case studies and examples
into further resources in the style of those in Recommendation
7. |
| Recommendation
10 – Development of Assessment |
| We
recommend that the assessment of the problem solving approach,
described as the Data Handling Cycle in the National Curriculum,
should be undertaken by using, and further developing,
the approach to this assessment developed by this project. |
| Recommendation
11 – Dissemination |
| We
recommend that a national conference/workshop be organised
by the QCA where teachers can learn about the resources
and get involved with the creation of further ones in
line with recommendations 9 and 10. This could be done
under the auspices of the NCETM. |
