Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (Secondary Non-specialists)
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) is partnering with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) to evaluate the Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (SKTM) Programme for Secondary Non-specialist Maths Teachers. This is an exciting opportunity for your school to engage with a highly-regarded programme that supports nonspecialist teachers develop their identity and practice as a mathematics teacher, while helping to address the challenge of recruiting maths teachers. In particular, the trial will assess the impact of the SKTM Programme on non-specialist teachers and the pupils of their Year 8 class.
Who is running the programme? Who is evaluating it?
Designed by the NCETM and funded by the DfE, this group will be delivered by accredited local leader of mathematics education through Maths Hubs. Sheffield Hallam University is running an independent evaluation of the SKTM programme, with funding from the EEF. The evaluation will examine the impact of the programme on pupils and teachers, alongside its implementation in schools.
What does the programme involve?
The programme comprises six days' worth of training for non-specialist teachers, spread across an entire academic year. Teachers engage in 18 topic-based sessions and work collaboratively on maths tasks (within a workbook) to explore subject knowledge, pedagogy and common misconceptions amongst pupils. Teachers are also tasked with school-based challenges that encourage them to apply their training in their classrooms.
What are the benefits of participating?
Over half of the schools in England have participated in an EEF trial. Participating schools, working with their local Maths Hubs, will be contributing to the evidence base for interventions aiming to address the shortage of mathematics teachers within England.
This programme aims to improve participants' subject and curriculum knowledge of secondary mathematics, with a particular emphasis on mathematical structures. Participants will increase their use of a range of pedagogic approaches consistent with teaching for mastery, leading to an improvement in pupils' knowledge of, understanding of, and attitudes towards mathematics.
Eligibility
To participate, schools must meet the following criteria:
- Be a state funded secondary school or college within England
- Have a non-specialist teacher, who has not under taken Initial Teacher Training in mathematics and is teaching a Year 8 class (if the class is shared, the non-specialist teacher needs to teach at least 50% of the lessons)
- Be able to release the non-specialist teacher for all training sessions
- Not be taking part in EEF's research trials on 'Peer to Peer Coaching' or 'Making Fluent and Flexible Calculations (HL education) in the same period of time
Are there any costs involved?
The programme is fully funded by the DfE through the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to attend for participating schools.