Improving Teacher Practice and Accelerating Student Learning in Mathematics (TAI 2023 presentation at Burst & Bubbles)

Since 2021, my inquiry focus has been on improving teacher practice and raising student achievement  in Mathematics. Over the past years, the Maths achievement data has been consistently concerning across many Manaiakalani schools at all year levels. Furthermore, the issue of students underperforming in math has captured national attention.

At the start of the year, I discovered that almost 90% of our new Y3 students were working below and well below their expected levels in mathematics. Their Term 1 PAT results confirmed the data I collected during other summative and formative assessments. This group of students became my target group, or I prefer to call them my control group, as I always strive to deliver the best teaching to all students. 

After analysing the school-wide T1 PAT results, I engaged in several professional conversations with my school leaders and teachers. We decided to adopt a more data-informed approach and redesigned and restructured our maths programmes across all year levels. We ensured a well-rounded focus on both Number and Strand, employing an integrated curriculum and fostering student agency.

I’ve been actively involved in supporting my school and other COL teachers by working on understanding various assessments, analyzing and using data for more effective planning. 

I've supported a number of teachers and teams by discussing and collaboratively reviewing their maths programmes, by selecting the best resources for teaching different concepts, compiling and sharing practical resources, for example, maths-integrated Matariki resources for L1 to 4 of the curriculum, by observing lessons, providing feedback, unpacking it and planning next steps. 

To share my expertise and passion for this subject, I provided in-class support by both modeling and co-teaching maths lessons.

This year, I’ve had the privilege of working as part of the Maths design group, with the goal of launching a new maths PLD program next year. I've already volunteered to pilot this program in Term 1. I really hope that this new Manaiakalani initiative will support our teachers in growing their capability and love for teaching mathematics.

To conclude my presentation, I’d like to share the end-of-year Maths PAT results of my targeted Year 3 cohort (Y3 learners in my class achieved 18.6 gain).  We filtered the data analysis by "same students only" to compare apples to apples. The group achieved a gain of 17 points, compared to the national average of 9.2. This difference translates to nearly 2 years of progress and means that, with my team, we successfully accelerated their learning in Mathematics.

Team Feedback on Maths Programme and Team collaboration this year

This year, I've had the privilege of leading a team of five enthusiastic Y3-6 teachers. It has been an interesting and sometimes challenging experience with a lot of changes: we welcomed some new team members who felt more comfortable teaching literacy than maths. I heard them say, 'I am not a maths person,' multiple times. Furthermore, most of our team had to learn the curriculum for new year levels they hadn't taught before.

Thinking of the wisdom of the famous saying, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn," we involved our newbies in team planning. I believed that involvement and shared responsibility would be the keys to transforming their perception of teaching Math.

I have been always available to model, co-teach, observe, explain maths progressions and resources, help with assessments, etc. Two of my team members had never planned for Year 5-6 maths (Level 3). I supported them by initially planning for those stages at the beginning of the year, gradually passing these responsibilities to them as they developed more knowledge and confidence.

Throughout the year, I observed the need for a universal planning template. So, in Term 3, a new universal planning design emerged, simplifying the planning process and enhancing our teaching and providing consistent learning experiences across our classes. You can read about our planning here.

Last week, I collected feedback from my team, seeking their insights and perspectives on our collaboration, teacher capabilities in maths and areas for improvement as we always strive to provide the best for our learners. Some findings are below:

Did collaborative planning help you deepen your knowledge of the maths curriculum and better understand progressions (stages)?

Teacher #1: Yes- I think the strength comes from different perspectives and how everyone approached the planning of the math curriculum. Elena led the team effectively, ensuring each member knew which progression they were planning while always providing support. This helped us grow stronger in planning, understanding the Maths curriculum and progressions, and how to teach Maths effectively.

Teacher #2: Yes, with having to plan all different stages it deepened my knowledge of the progressions as well as the maths curriculum. I was able to look at what my team had planned which allowed me to have access to more resources. As I had come from teaching year 3 & 4 I had never planned stage 6-7 before which at the beginning of the year I found challenging. With Elena's support and using my team's planning, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of what these stages looked like for all different strands etc.

Teacher #3: I think for me personally (as a fairly inexperienced maths teacher), planning my own lessons has allowed me to deepen my understanding of individual stages one at a time. If I was to have planned for all stages at the same time, I would have likely become overwhelmed. I now feel more successful and confident in teaching maths.

Did team planning help you feel more comfortable and confident when teaching maths?

Teacher #1: Yes! I love that I can bounce ideas off from my colleagues and that I can ask for advice in a safe space. 

Teacher #2: I love the evolution of how the planning templates have developed. Elena was mindful to support her team (most of whom were relatively new to teaching) and as such the planning templates helped to scaffold understanding of concepts and delivery. Even for someone with experience like me, I found them so useful! 

Teacher #3: Absolutely. Now I feel so much more confident teaching maths, I really enjoy working with Elena, Team Kea and using our planning format.

Teacher #4:  Yes, it was great to use the same structured format and also have others' planning as an example when completing my own planning. 

What do you like about our collaborative maths planning and the changes that we made this year?

Teacher #1: As a newbie! I love it, it made planning ahead so much easier and you can find planning and tailor it to suit the needs of our kids. 

Teacher #2: At the beginning, when we started teaching from each other's plans, I found that different teachers’ plans varied to some extent and I found different planning layouts confusing. However after Elena suggested the new planning format and explained it to us, I better understood how to plan for a good maths programme. I loved our Term 4 strand planning idea, I found it extremely helpful having the resource bank of plans that we can use and to slot it into our own classroom programs when needed. 

Teacher #3: I love to plan on the slides, it’s interactive and it is visually appealing. It was great to have  same expectations across classes and maths stages. We also often reflect back on what worked well and what didn’t, which helps improve our maths planning and teaching (since we learn from our mistakes).

Teacher #4: I felt like the pressure of planning was reduced by a significant amount. I wasn't spending all weekend finding/ creating resources and lesson plans. Now with our planning, we are able to put more thought into our lessons and explicitly teach. I find that our learners are getting more out of each lesson and the design is easy for them and the teacher to follow. When I had my student teacher in class, she commented on how easy she found our template and how she found it easy to follow other teachers' planning. 

As a team, we also reflected on the implementation of Maths Matrices to empower our students. 

All of us witnessed the positive impact they've had on empowering our students and engaging our students' whanau. This experience has reinforced our commitment to continue using Maths Matrices next year and beyond.

Evidence of Improving Teacher practice and Student achievement in Mathematics in GTS

In 2021 I analysed our school data in Maths and raised my concerns with the management. I was thrilled that my voice was heard! This initiative led to a school-wide collaborative inquiry into improving the teaching of mathematics. Last year, we took this inquiry to the next level. After reviewing school Maths Matrices, we focused on two powerful areas: teacher practice and student agency. That meant that we needed to give students both the option to make choices to direct their own learning and the information they needed to make strong choices. Interestingly enough, after unpacking Maths matrices with their students, our teachers began to use these Matrices for their planning. 

Thanks to Johanna's (DP at GTS) data analysis before and after this intervention, we can provide clear evidence of the positive impact of this collaborative approach. 

In her recent Staff presentation, Johanna shared: "The impact of AfL is obvious when you look back on historic ‘normal’ year which is on the left - numbers stayed this same in WB, B, At & Above and compare it to this year on the right where there is a definite shift due to the focus on Assessment for Learning.  Teachers have noticed a difference and students are more engaged.  We still need a lot of work in maths and this will continue in 2023"

I totally agree that collaborative efforts between teachers, school leaders, and students have a significant impact on improving teaching practices and student learning outcomes. 

Team Feedback on Collaboration and Its Impact on Raising Student Achievement in Maths

As part of the evaluation of my 2022 inquiry, I collected teacher voice asking them to reflect on our collaborative journey this year: 

Did collaborative planning help you deepen your MATHS curriculum knowledge and better understand progressions (stages)? 

- Yes, with having to plan all different stages it deepened my knowledge of the progressions as well as the curriculum. I was able to look at what my team had planned which allowed me to have access to more resources. Before we started collaboratively planning I noticed that I was planning too high for stages 2-3, now I understand the level that they are at and can see a big shift in their progress. 

- Definitely! I am an experienced teacher, who knows how to teach. However, as an overseas teacher, I struggled to understand the different stages and especially how to plan for each stage (and how to know when the students should move on to the next stage)....

Did team planning help you feel more comfortable and confident teaching Maths?

- Absolutely. Now I feel so much more confident teaching maths, I really enjoy it. It took me some time to get used to teaching off others' plans. But once we spoke about using the same template that helped a lot more. 

- The best thing about this whole experience was that I never felt judged, criticized or as a failed teacher. I loved that I could bounce ideas off from my colleagues, that I was able to ask for advice in a safe space and that I was mentored. 

Did using different maths manipulatives help you teach and your students learn Maths concepts better?

- Using different math manipulatives and hands-on activities gave my students more of an understanding of different concepts. I will never teach without manipulatives now. It also makes the students more engaged with their learning. I find that my students are actually excited to learn about maths now and really enjoy it! 

- Do you feel that you can scaffold your students' learning? What helped you achieve this?

- Yes, I feel like my students are able to get the correct teaching and guidance to improve in maths. As I have more content knowledge from the collaborative planning I am able to recognise my students' strengths and weaknesses and improve/ build on them. 

- Yes, it is incorporated in our plans. Instead of doing a massive lesson about a new concept, we break it up into smaller chunks and give them time to practice the new skill or concept. Once they are familiar and confident we move on to the next part/phase of the concept. 

What do you like about our collaborative planning and the changes that we made this year? What can be improved next year?

- We often reflect back on what worked well and what didn’t, which improved our planning and teaching (since we learn from our mistakes). Open communication in the team has been KEY (this is extremely important when planning and working together). I have learned so much from my two colleagues. Due to the fact that we have different teaching styles and different personalities, my own teaching practice has improved. I love that we are comfortable to ask each other for advice, that we can support each other and help each other grow. I honestly felt like we shared the load and that I was never alone... He waka eke noa.

- I think now that we have a solid template it will be great to look over these again and reflect on what works well and what doesn't.  Also reflecting and adding different activities to our choice board to keep this interesting. 

Burst in Bubbles 2021 - TAI 2021 Evaluation (Maths focus) - #23

Kia Ora, my 2021 inquiry started after collecting my first set of data, when I discovered that 61% of my learners were working well below their expected levels in Mathematics. 

During the profiling phase, I used student voice, formative and summative assessments, and referred to their historical data that revealed a widening gap in their achievements over the past years at school. Sadly, many of these students didn’t believe they could be good at Maths, some said that Maths was too hard for them. Interestingly enough, the same students enjoyed much better results in reading and writing.

So I decided to dig deeper into High leverage practices in mathematics to try to accelerate their learning.

We started by co-constructing positive norms, using Talk Moves and having ongoing conversations about the growth mindset. Soon,  most of my students began to feel more comfortable doing Maths.

During the planning stage of my inquiry, I looked at international results in maths and referred to research and practice of the most successful countries. I questioned myself, about what they’ve been doing differently from New Zealand and from our school.

I identified many differences but focused on the most crucial findings:

• They use well-designed maths programmes supported by textbooks or digital platforms, not depending on individual teachers’ planning
• They value explicit teaching, use of materials and deliberate practice in order to develop student’s ability to transfer their knowledge and skills
• They often revisit topics to build long-term memory and deepen understanding.

Reflecting on these, I restructured my maths programme to accommodate these best practices. For example, I now allow more time for deliberate practice with a gradual release of responsibilities. Another important skill that I’ve been explicitly teaching and practising with my learners is ‘translating’ word problems into maths equations. This definitely helped to improve their comprehension, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The mid-year data showed some good progress of my learners and I’m now in the process of collecting term 4 data.

I also extended my inquiry across our school. Supported by the management, we had a staff meeting with a focus on maths data, content knowledge, progressions and understanding of assessments. We planned to have a school GLOSS and JAM moderation. Collectively, we reviewed school expectations for planning, use of resources and delivery of mathematics. I tried to support my colleagues by sharing my practice via class on-air and on my blog, by modelling maths lessons, helping with planning and resources and pedagogy behind them. At the beginning of the last lockdown, I curated and shared a collection of digital tools for online learning. 

I believe that the changes that I made this year in my own practice and initiated school-wide will have a great impact on our teachers and learners raising their confidence, engagement and achievements in maths. 

Due to Level 3 in Auckland, the Bursts and Bubbles were conducted online. Below is the video I recorded about my inquiry this year and how I have improved my own practice and supported my colleagues. This year wasn't a usual face-to-face teaching year but there was still some great data and evidence that came out of my inquiry.

Year 4 Maths PAT data - repeated measures - TAI #22

Yesterday, I administered a Year 4 Maths PAT. We started by talking about integrity when doing the test online. The cameras were on all the time with no creative backgrounds and no other people around them. We also had a conversation about how teachers use the test information in their planning. Practice makes perfect - that was our purpose for this test. I used filters to compare the results of the students who participated in Term 1 and Term 4 tests (comparing 'apples to apples'). 

I'm very proud of my students who have shown resilience, great engagement and love of learning during these lockdown times and kept improving their knowledge and skills despite the circumstances!

TAI - cognitive engagement and critical thinking during online learning - #21

It's been a rocky year with a lot of changes in practice due to the lockdown and adapting to prolonged online learning. 

During these times, I tried to continue to run a balanced programme for reading, writing and maths using high leverage practices and the Learn-Create-Share pedagogy. I was pleased with how students responded and participated during online learning.

I designed a number of integrated units using multimodal sites. I believe that this approach helped to differentiate during online learning but also raise students' confidence to participate and contribute. 

I continued with the main part of my TAI 2021 throughout the distance learning times - How will I change my practice to ensure my learners are cognitively engaged and develop their critical thinking skills across the curriculum - and can definitely say that my online learners deepened their critical thinking and stayed cognitively engaged during online learning. I recorded some Class onAir episodes and shared my resources to support these units.

Reflecting on my 2020 Inquiry

Looking back at my TAI 2020, I must admit that it was a bumpy year for my teaching and learning. In this post, I'd like to reflect on my professional learning through my last year inquiry cycle.

The challenges that the pandemic and lockdowns forced educators through revealed the strong need for a drastic pedagogical shift. Like many other teachers, I had to act fast and extend my repertoire of pedagogical strategies and tools in order to meet my teaching intentions for children’s learning. 

The inquiry process that I followed was well pre-planned and led by the Manaiakalani leaders and the Woolf Fisher Research Centre (WFRC).  However, I felt the strong urge to act faster, especially during some of the inquiry stages, e.g. collecting initial data, profiling my students and making a hypothesis. 

I found our COL meetings, especially Talanoa group times, quite useful. Such conversations helped me get connected with my COL colleagues and learn about their inquiries, challenges and successes. Professional reading was also a great part of my TAI as it supported me to make informed decisions when designing and trialling my intervention. 

What worked really well and is supported by evidence:

- introducing blogging to my young Y2-3 learners and actively using their and class blogs to share our learning, learn from others and express their opinions or give feedback.

- actively listening to student voice and appreciating their learner identities when planning activities and topics.

-  the gradual release of responsibility

- purpose behind each and every learning task!

Please refer to this blog post for more details.

I believe that all of the changes that I had to make during my TAI 2020 led to my students' successes and great progress.  I would rate the changes for my learners as highly positive, evident and measurable. The evidence for my rating is supported by the EOY data both in reading and writing along with huge improvements in their key competencies, growth mindset and achievements. 

I believe in the spiral nature of TAI and I'm ready to take my last year's professional learning to my new TAI 2021 journey.

Burst and Bubbles

The catalytic aspect of student learning my inquiry focused on this year was a strong need to improve reading comprehension and poor vocabulary in our junior classes.

At the beginning of this year, I identified this as my inquiry focus after analyzing my new class data and discovering that most of my Year 2 students were well below the expected levels both in reading and writing. My year 3 students were working at different levels; however, many of them experienced a ‘summer drop’ and required lots of support and immediate actions to improve their outcomes.

To build a rich picture of my students’ learning in literacy, I used Running Records, e-asttle, vocabulary and spelling tests, a range of formative assessments of their reading and writing across the curriculum, and student voice.

The weakest aspects in their literacy learning that I identified during the profiling phase were a lack of comprehensive strategies, poor vocabulary and limited general knowledge. 

The profiling of my own teaching showed that I had strengths in designing various cross-curricular projects and effectively pulling deeper learning out of them using the Learn-Create-Share pedagogy. 

After analysing and evaluating my students’ profiles, consulting with the literature research, reading blogs of my COL colleagues and reflecting on my own teaching practice, I finalised and implemented the following  interventions:

• Designing authentic LCS projects taking into account their cultural and personal identities 

• Using digital and traditional tasks designed to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension at the appropriate levels. 

• Creating a culture of blogging and commenting (new to our junior school).

• Implementing drama activities that according to the literature research are ‘giving students the chance to use all skills in decoding and comprehension, expand vocabulary and build metacognitive knowledge’. I believe this led to our success during the Manaiakalani Film Festival.

These changes allowed my Year 2/3 students to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning, explore, take risks, make mistakes and learn from them.  For example, my young students created their own Kahoot quizzes and riddles. To be able to successfully participate in such high-thinking level activities, the students had to research, process, design and present their learning. They got so extremely excited that I couldn’t stop them even during the school holidays! 

Overall I would rate the changes in student learning as highly positive, evident and measurable. The evidence for my rating is supported by the data collected in Term 4 both in reading and writing along with huge improvements in their key competencies, growth mindset and achievements. All of my students showed great progress and the vast majority are working ‘at’ or ‘above’ the expected levels including four boys and two girls from my control group. 

Coherence in putting my students at the very centre of their learning and developing cognitive engagement and critical thinking across the curriculum was my hunch and it proved to make a difference during both in-class and online learning.

Comparing Reading data - Y2/3 (3 classes)

My students’ progress compared to two other Year 2/3 classes in my school. 
(Assessments used - Running Records Term 1 and 4).

Collecting and Evaluating Data

Repeated measures/Pre-post design: Compare evidence and data collected before your intervention with evidence and data collected after your intervention. What has changed?

At the beginning of my intervention, I collected student voice about their literacy dispositions.

It was very interesting to see that in Term 1 my students had identified a strong need to focus on learning new vocabulary. However, I also noticed that many of them didn't like to spend more time and effort to understand texts and figure out new words. That showed a lack of motivation and engagement with the text and also a limited range of comprehension strategies.

In Term 4 my students showed more appreciation of text discussions and a deeper understanding of the information read in the text. They said that now they pay more attention to new vocabulary and most of them are willing to explore and use new words and phrases. 

I believe that my students are also equipped with a range of comprehension strategies that I have explicitly taught this year. In fact, I've used a multiple strategy approach using direct explicit teaching, guided instructions, providing texts with multiple encounters of the same words in different contexts, story retelling, implementing drama, use of props and objects, comprehension and vocabulary discussions. I tried to embed vocabulary and comprehension work across the curriculum.

Quantitative data (Running Records):

The data showed that the vast majority of my Y2 and Y3 students have made a great shift in their reading and now achieving 'at or above' the expected levels. 

My T4 'below and well below" students have also shown some progress, all of them have been also working with RTLB and other support programmes. 

My target group has shown great progress in both Reading and Writing and all of the students are working at 'at' and 'above' the expected levels.