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What is a 'maths mastery' approach??

3 replies

MissPrimaryCrafts · 02/05/2021 08:27

I'm a PGCE student and this likely will sound a stupid question. But in my lectures we were taught about teaching with a mastery approach, both my schools have used it and I have no problem teaching it.

I'm just thinking....as opposed to what? This approach seems to make sense and I can't think what other ways maths was taught before this. What elements of what I've been doing are specific to a 'mastery' approach? Can anyone point me to some reading or explain to me what maths teaching looked like before mastery? I'm in primary

OP posts:
cantkeepawayforever · 02/05/2021 11:26

If I think through the different steps (I will exaggerate to exemplify the difference):

Objectives:
Non-mastery: Multiple objectives within a single lesson e.g. Multiplication and division by 10,100 and 1000
Mastery: Very clear single objective: Division of whole numbers by 10 to give a decimal to 1 dp

Teaching:
Non-mastery: procedural, focusing on 'how to get the answer' to specific question types
Mastery: for understanding, focusing on explaining why the answer is what it is, using a variety of question types to probe understanding. Often, more use of concrete or pictorial representations (though this depends on previous school policy).

Tasks:
Non-mastery: differentiated question sets of different groups within the class (or in different sets, in larger schools). Problem solving only as an extension for the most able. Focus on 'answering questions', not on explaining. Challenge limited by group.

Mastery: limited question numbers, all pupils access different question types as there is variation within these questions, very little differentiation in core task. Focus on explanation in lots of different forms (concrete, pictorial and abstract). Extension is via deeper thinking, not via different calculations with bigger numbers.

May also see in mastery: a separate 'fluency' session where routine skills are practised without necessarily additional teaching, though this is also an opportunity for immediate 'catch up' for any children needing more support after the main lesson of the day, or for 'p[re-teaching' any key skills some children will need in e.g. next topic.

Floobydo · 02/05/2021 13:42

The NCETM website is a really good place to go as a starting point for understanding TfM.

Ultimately it’s about children really understanding mathematical concepts rather than blindly following procedures.

Itstheprinciple · 02/05/2021 17:43

It's more about reasoning and depth of understanding rather than just being able to calculate an answer.

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