Numeracy Across the Curriculum

1
Numeracy Across the Curriculum

• Stromness Academy May 2006

2
First Steps

• Survey all departments
• Survey senior pupils
• Trawl the internet
• Collect information from other schools

3
Results

• Internet searches revealed some Numeracy projects
  in England but not what we wanted to do.
• Learning and Teaching Scotland had a few
  secondary examples
• Material from other schools was provided by SIO
  and proved to be most useful

4
Significant Results from Survey of Departments

• Range has a different meaning in Biology and
  Maths
• Drawing graphs with different scales and axes
  caused difficulty in science
• Scientific notation is taught differently in
  Maths, Science, Technical, and Computing

5

• Changing the subject of a formula caused most
  difficulty in physics
• Subtraction was taught differently by different
  teachers
• Percentage calculations done differently in
  business studies and maths
• Departments were using calculators with different
  operating systems and were unaware of it

6

• It was obvious that some departments expected
  prior knowledge that the pupils did not have
• Some pupils had difficulties in Physics and
  Technical where teachers were expecting S3
  general pupils to have algebra skills not taught
  until S4 credit in Maths

7

• The Maths department provided a response to the
  initial survey indicating where and when all the
  various topics in which difficulties had been
  identified were being taught
• It was clear that there were many apparent
  inconsistencies in teachers expectations of
  pupils prior knowledge

8

• It was decided to produce an information booklet
  for all departments to try and address these
  issues and each group member was to contribute as
  appropriate

9

• A draft booklet was produced and suitable
  additions and alterations made
• After much discussion a booklet was agreed on and
  completed

10

• Some adjustments were made to the booklet to make
  a more accessible parent version
• Booklet circulated to staff and parents,
  Associated Primary Schools and placed on the
  school website

11
Conclusions

• We feel this to have been a very worthwhile
  project
• Many inconsistencies were identified and many
  were addressed
• We feel that there is still work to do on this
  project

12
Follow up

• After the booklet has been in place a year we
  will resurvey and see if there has been any
  improvement
• At that time any further outstanding issues
  identified will be addressed
• Teachers will be surveyed to see if any
  improvement is evident in May 2007