Motivation and practice helping secondary pupils find success in maths
Claire McGrath at Whitburn Academy in West Lothian joined the Mindset Teams programme in order to improve the attitudes of her maths pupils.
With Whitburn Academy among the most deprived schools in the local authority, the teaching team were keen to change their students’ approach to challenges they had previously felt unable to overcome.
With a specific focus on language - for example encouraging students to use the word “yet” when they felt they couldn’t do something - teachers adopted various strategies in an attempt to help students tackle difficult questions.
Providing a context for them to learn, including arranging for a financial adviser to visit the school as a guest speaker, also helped to make maths more relevant to them. And demonstrating more than one method helped students find the right approach for them.
Faculty leader Claire McGrath gives a deep insight into her experience in a 15-minute podcast interview. Click below to listen.
With a specific focus on language - for example encouraging students to use the word “yet” when they felt they couldn’t do something - teachers adopted various strategies in an attempt to help students tackle difficult questions.
Providing a context for them to learn, including arranging for a financial adviser to visit the school as a guest speaker, also helped to make maths more relevant to them. And demonstrating more than one method helped students find the right approach for them.
Faculty leader Claire McGrath gives a deep insight into her experience in a 15-minute podcast interview. Click below to listen.
