This project explored an intervention within the classroom, and to what extent group collaboration influences the atmosphere within the classroom setting and the changes, if any, it has on the children within the setting, specifically in their mindset. The project also investigated social groups and introduced the intervention of group collaboration before exploring the types of practices that are deemed appropriate for the classroom of young children, extending their learning of mathematics utilising an active approach.
Changes in teaching styles will support in investigating how this intervention impacts on individual learning progression, individual levels of understanding, and levels of consolidated reasoning throughout the curriculum, the increase of social interaction in a positive setting where individuals can grow together, throughout learning experiences, promoting the use of maths resources and collaboration work. The project will explore and answer to what extent does working in groups to complete a range of activities in an active approach in mathematics impact on an individual’s learning, even their mindset.
The project delved into understanding the mindset of individual’s and supported them to engage in understanding maths concepts, when the learners were often less likely to commit to tasks unknown to them.
Throughout the course of the project, the aim was to enhance the taught lessons in Numeracy by utilising a rich range of resources, interactions within smaller groups and modelling through open-ended questions while seeking for strategies over the final answer to engage all learners, especially those who hold a more fixed mindset.
The intervention of the project created a language-based environment where rich discussions were held. This prompted for a stronger lead on problem-solving based questions, something that over half of the learners originally struggled with, but eventually the learners were discussing in smaller groups, all eager to participate, an unexpected but very much appreciated result. In the few years of being a Practitioner, it is often found that learners seek more assistance when they are faced with problem-solving type questions, but throughout this project, the learners participating in enquiry have been tackling these questions with confidence.
There was a plan for a continued assessment of ‘Hot Chocolate Catch-ups', where it was planned to discuss the strategies taught in class with the learners who held the lower mindset and to discuss their own progress, however, due to the nature of an end of term, and the addition of staff meetings during the school day, it was unable to happen. In these meetings, it was hoped to delve into what knowledge was added, as well as how the learner’s evaluated their level of mindset since implementing the project. Instead, these assessments were not recorded in the form of ‘Hot Chocolate Catch-ups', but in their participation in class, using large pieces of paper and different colours of pens to identify which leaner had recorded which strategy. If there ever is a reason to do this project differently, the application of the ‘Hot Chocolate Catch-ups' will be included, as it seemed a worth-while addition to the assessments, where the learners could openly share their progress.
Utilising a range of resources has now become more important as a Leading Practitioner. The fact that a lot of the hands-on learning tools were so visual, it has positively impacted how the future will look in a Numeracy lesson with the use of a language based, problem solving ethos.
The project plan originally suggested that the input will last 4 weeks, with time prior and post the teaching input, for 6 weeks in total.
The project began on the 10th of May by introducing the class with the Microsoft Form ‘Kinellar School: Numeracy Engagement Survey (Pupils, May, 2021)’ at the end of the last maths topic, Multiplication and Dividing and the beginning of the new maths topic; Decimals, Percentages and Fractions. Then the post-assessment was conducted through a Making Thinking Visible concept, Compass Points, for the evaluation.
This timeline worked to a strength as the implementation of the project allowed the learners to get the best use of the techniques over a few weeks before eventually evaluating their progress and their mindset.
However, the addition of the ‘Hot Chocolate Catch-ups' would have consolidated their own learning and would have provided the project with a stronger assessment, along with the team-work pages and their rich student-lead discussions.
Overall, the timelines provided in the project plan were adhered to, and worked out successfully.
The project plan included that the learners completed a second Microsoft Form evaluation, ‘Kinellar School: Numeracy Engagement Survey (Pupils, May, 2021)’, but this was not implemented and instead, a Making Thinking Visible, Thinking Routine was used as this seemed to benefit all learners as it could be created independently. MTV is also on the School Improvement Plan.
The use of the MTV: Compass Points allows all the learners to examine an idea or proposition from different angles of perspectives, identifies areas where more information is needed and evaluates and makes judgements about the topic. This seemed to have strengthened their evaluation, taking time to consider the points and make meaningful comments about their learning in short sections, compared to the in-depth pre-assessment Form.
The addition of the ‘Hot Chocolate Catch-ups' would have consolidated their own learning and would have provided the project with a stronger assessment, along with the team-work pages and their rich student-lead discussions.
Prior to participating in the Course, there had always been an interest in the learning styles of children and how group work could affect the learning and mindset of learners, depending on a variety of different factors, such as group size or characters within that group. Growth Mindset is always something to improve, but more importantly, in the curricular area of Mathematics, where, as previously stated, ‘textbook anxiety’ was a regular sighting in classrooms, was debilitating for certain learners. There was always a wish to make an impact on their outlook of maths so participation in the Mindset in Education Course would enhance not only the teaching style provided, but hopefully benefitted the learners and their overall mindset through an active math approach, where textbooks were rarely used.
At the beginning of the course, the learners were questioned on making mistakes. The website Mentimeter was used to record their findings, which had negative connotations towards maths, with answers ranging from frustrated to mad and sad.
The marking criteria given was then adapted and terms like:
These are visual supports for the project, very much skimming the surface of what a Growth Mindset is, but was an addition to the course, and supported a Growth Mindset within the Classroom. However, when the learners relayed the quote during tasks, it highlighted the importance of these visual reminders as well as the implementation of work and resources given.
During the Mindset in Education course, it was highlighted to value mistakes, talk about and celebrate them. This has positively opened my perspective to discussing mistakes and feeling confident enough to openly explore class discussions on strategies, right or wrong, to answer numeracy or maths questions. Then, with support from fellow members of the Mindset Team within the School, a Form was created, discussing their mindset again. The findings had a much more positive ethos, with answers ranging from ‘happy’, ‘ok’ and ‘fine’ as they now are starting to see the value in learning from mistakes. This has made such a change in the classroom ethos as the learners interacted positively with sharing answers, peer-marking and self-marking. The learners have become wholesome learners, who share ideas openly, listen to different strategies and are now not afraid to record their scores.
Their mindset was also supported in their individual learning journey with the use of concepts from Maths Mastery, where the learners were engaging through discussion and valuing their mistakes. Planning worked to engage all learners completing the same tasks and activities around group work of mixed ability. The potential benefits of mixed ability groupings (can benefit group dynamics, there are less pressures on individuals regarding their own ability, lower attainers can be given exposures to concepts they may not know or use) was, throughout the Course, all experienced. This, along with Daily Mental Maths, increased their effectiveness of utilising strategies taught from their peers as well as through teaching, improving their attitudes toward mathematics, and their communication skills with one another.
With all the teaching and learning experiences and the implementations of the Mindset Course, there was an overall improvement in their self-belief, their ability to work in teams, their use of strategies and their confidence to tackle challenges. The course has greatly improved the quality and quantity of teaching and understanding of learner’s abilities in Mathematics. The use of resources and in-depth discussions will now always be implemented into planning and teaching.
References:
VPAT® Version 2.4 (Revised) – December 2020 [Online]. Mentimeter voting site "Menti". Available from < https://www.mentimeter.com/ > [Accessed: 28th July 2021
GoodReads © 2021 Goodreads, Inc. [Online]. Available from < https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1015959---if-you-fail-never-give-up-because-f-a-i-l-means . [Accessed: 28th July 2021]
As a Mindset Champion, the course was primarily set within the classroom. The data presented in the coursework was individualistic towards the findings in the one classroom, in the hope that further on the assessments and measurements would be shared with the school staff and school team through in-service days or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Meetings, however, due to lack of time being in the classroom due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was a limit to how much data and information could be shared, but there is hope to continue to implement and assess in the new School year.
However, through the first three units of the Mindset in Education Course, there was an opportunity to share the theories and the evidence shared within those modules in a CPD Meeting. The PowerPoint and brief notes have been added to the ‘Sharing Your Progress’ section of the course module 5.2.
The course had an impact with the members who participated, making a prolonged relationship with planning and executing an active role in Mathematics. Throughout teaching mathematics this year, there has been a great emphasis on using concrete materials from the Maths Boxes in the shared area cupboards. There has also been an addition of implementing a ‘Show me your strategy’ starter where the answer is not what is being asked for but use the resources to show. This has led to student led conversations, a range of strategies and a deeper understanding of the maths concepts. The children are reacting positively to this change and have enjoyed using the resources to show their understanding.
During planning, there has also been less ‘set’ tasks for the learning groups and therefore have recently been adapting challenges to roughly match all three of the learning groups, and using ‘One Star, Two Star, Three Star’ where the learners choose their own challenge. Since starting, there's been a few learners push and challenge themselves, improving their mindset along the way. The use of the ‘chilli’ challenge approach, which is similar to the ‘One Star, Two Star, Three Star’ approach, has been used across the upper stages of school already and is something that has cemented the children’s value of self-motivation and learning.
As a Mindset Champion, the course will continue to guide planning and implementing mathematics through the active approach, including the discussions, the questions asked, the visual learning of students and their groupings. This valuable way to have hands-on assessment, sharing dialogue with the children will now be implanted in the ethos of the classroom, allowing learners to take the lead in their learning with the challenges they choose.
It is planned to continue this active approach in Mathematics through enriching conversations and support scaffolding when required.
As a School, one current School Improvement Plan concept is Making Thinking Visible (MTV), which supports showing the learner’s thinking in an engaging way. This links in with Growth Mindset in the respect of seeing the strategies and hearing the discussions with the addition of understanding mathematical concepts. Utilising MTV through the active approach to Numeracy would enhance the learner’s understanding of mathematical knowledge and skills while improving their own mindset and pre-conceived ability.