Did you know that a circle has more than one side? Are you aware of the difference between 1:2 and 1⁄2? Could you spot when a 2D shape is actually 3D? Tackling Misconceptions in Primary Mathematics is a practical guide based on the principles that sound subject knowledge is key to fostering understanding, and addressing misconceptions is central to pupil progress. With an emphasis on preventing as well as unpicking misconceptions in the classroom, it offers trainee and practising teachers clear explanations, practical strategies, and examples of the classroom language and dialogue that will help pupils successfully navigate tricky topics. The book demonstrates the importance of preventing misconceptions through what is said, done and presented to children, giving a variety of examples of common misconceptions and exploring how they can be addressed in a classroom environment. Proper intervention at the point of misconception is regarded as a key skill for any outstanding classroom practitioner and the author stresses the value in understanding how the pupil got there and explaining that it’s okay to make mistakes. Misconceptions are only one step away from correctly formed concepts if harnessed with care and skill. This comprehensive text is designed to be read as either a short course introduction, or dipped into as a guide to assist teaching. It is essential reading for trainee primary school teachers on all routes to QTS, as well as mathematics subject leaders and practising teachers looking to inspire the next generation of confident and inquisitive mathematicians.

This practical guide to children’s common errors and misconceptions in mathematics is a popular planning tool for primary trainees. It supports a deeper understanding of the difficulties encountered in mathematical development. This third edition has been updated to link to the new National Curriculum. New for this edition is a chapter on addressing errors misconceptions which explores how errors can best be identified and countered. The text examines misconceptions individually and in each case provides a description of the error alongside an explanation of why the error happens. The text also considers the role of the teacher in understanding and addressing children’s common mathematical misconceptions.

Did you know that a circle has more than one side? Are you aware of the difference between 1:2 and 1⁄2? Could you spot when a 2D shape is actually 3D? Tackling Misconceptions in Primary Mathematics is a practical guide based on the principles that sound subject knowledge is key to fostering understanding, and addressing misconceptions is central to pupil progress. With an emphasis on preventing as well as unpicking misconceptions in the classroom, it offers trainee and practising teachers clear explanations, practical strategies, and examples of the classroom language and dialogue that will help pupils successfully navigate tricky topics. The book demonstrates the importance of preventing misconceptions through what is said, done and presented to children, giving a variety of examples of common misconceptions and exploring how they can be addressed in a classroom environment. Proper intervention at the point of misconception is regarded as a key skill for any outstanding classroom practitioner and the author stresses the value in understanding how the pupil got there and explaining that it’s okay to make mistakes. Misconceptions are only one step away from correctly formed concepts if harnessed with care and skill. This comprehensive text is designed to be read as either a short course introduction, or dipped into as a guide to assist teaching. It is essential reading for trainee primary school teachers on all routes to QTS, as well as mathematics subject leaders and practising teachers looking to inspire the next generation of confident and inquisitive mathematicians.

Sound subject knowledge is key to fostering understanding and addressing misconceptions is central to pupil progress. Proper intervention at the point of misconception is regarded as a key skill for any outstanding classroom practitioner. This comprehensive guide to the most common misconceptions in primary mathematics is designed to be read as either a short course or dipped into to guide teaching that week. With an emphasis on preventing as well as unpicking misconceptions in the classroom, it offers trainee and beginning teachers clear explanations, practical strategies and examples of the classroom language and dialogue that will help pupils successfully navigate tricky topics.

This open access report explores the nature and extent of students’ misconceptions and misunderstandings related to core concepts in physics and mathematics and physics across grades four, eight and 12. Twenty years of data from the IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and TIMSS Advanced assessments are analyzed, specifically for five countries (Italy, Norway, Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the United States) who participated in all or almost all TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced assessments between 1995 and 2015. The report focuses on students’ understandings related to gravitational force in physics and linear equations in mathematics. It identifies some specific misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings demonstrated by the TIMSS Advanced grade 12 students for these core concepts, and shows how these can be traced back to poor foundational development of these concepts in earlier grades. Patterns in misconceptions and misunderstandings are reported by grade, country, and gender. In addition, specific misconceptions and misunderstandings are tracked over time, using trend items administered in multiple assessment cycles. The study and associated methodology may enable education systems to help identify specific needs in the curriculum, improve inform instruction across grades and also raise possibilities for future TIMSS assessment design and reporting that may provide more diagnostic outcomes.

Effective science teaching requires creativity, imagination, and innovation. In light of concerns about American science literacy, scientists and educators have struggled to teach this discipline more effectively. Science Teaching Reconsidered provides undergraduate science educators with a path to understanding students, accommodating their individual differences, and helping them grasp the methodsâ€"and the wonderâ€"of science. What impact does teaching style have? How do I plan a course curriculum? How do I make lectures, classes, and laboratories more effective? How can I tell what students are thinking? Why don't they understand? This handbook provides productive approaches to these and other questions. Written by scientists who are also educators, the handbook offers suggestions for having a greater impact in the classroom and provides resources for further research.

"What is good mathematics teaching? What is mathematics teaching good for? Who is mathematics teaching for? These are just some of the questions addressed in Transforming Primary Mathematics, a highly timely new resource for teachers which accessibly sets out the key theories and latest research in primary maths today. Under-pinned by findings from the largest research programme into primary mathematics funded in recent years, it offers a clear, practical approach to implementing fundamental change in curriculum, classroom environment and teaching styles. Written by one of the top experts in mathematics education, it offers an inspiring, sometimes controversial, and often unconventional look at the subject of mathematics, by: - Endorsing the use of a 'new mathematics' - one based on problem solving, modelling and inquiry, not on abstract rules, memorising, and regurgitation - Arguing that there is more to maths teaching than 'death by a thousand worksheets' - Challenging norms, such as the practice of sorting children into sets based on their perceived mathematical ability - Asking whether this mathematical ability is innate or a result of social practices - Upholding the idea that mathematics teaching is an adaptive challenge, rather than a technical problem - Advocating an environment where teachers are encouraged to take risks - Looking at how best to prepare learners for an unknown future - Encouraging reflection on teachers' own beliefs and values about mathematics. Transforming Primary Mathematics is for all primary school teachers who want to make mathematics welcoming, engaging, inclusive and successful"--Résumé de l'éditeur.

Thinking Deeply about Primary Mathematics is a comprehensive exploration of the ideas, theories and practices of most value to beginning teachers, as well as any teacher with the desire to improve their practice. Immediately applicable in the classroom and supported by robust analysis of research into mathematics teaching, this book is designed to provide inspiration for specialised teaching assignments with the power to enhance both the rate and quality of your professional development journey. Through the use of expertly crafted explanations, examples and tasks, each chapter will guide you step by step through the otherwise intimidating world of primary mathematics teaching. This book is perfect for teachers driven to become highly effective practitioners. It also serves as a blueprint for school leaders looking to develop the abilities of their teachers and ensure the highest quality mathematics education for all children. Teacher proficiency is a vast uneven continuum but in taking time to think deeply about primary mathematics we allow ourselves with the opportunity to build a solid base from which a successful, fulfilling career can be constructed. The insight and expertise provided by Thinking Deeply About Primary Mathematics is essential for anyone involved in the teaching of mathematics.

Tasks in Primary Mathematics Teacher Education is intended to advance relevant research and innovative international practices in the preparation and professional development of mathematics teachers. Emerging from discussion at the ICMI study on teacher professional development, this volume, focused on primary and elementary teachers, culls a richness that can only be found by gathering wisdom from varied experiences around the world. The choice of tasks, and the associated pedagogies, is a key aspect of teaching and learning mathematics. Arguing that what students learn is largely defined by the tasks they are given, several major themes are presented. One such major strand, the form, function and focus of tasks, is discussed throughout several chapters, offering analysis, discussion of implementation, and exemplars of a broader category of illustrative techniques for developing critical understanding.