FaSMEd

1. FaSMEd Improving Progress for Lower Achievers through Formative Assessment in Science and Mathematics Education David Wright Scientific Co-ordinator FaSMEd

2. FP7 research project • Action: Science in Society (Research in the role of teaching methods and assessment methods in addressing low achievement in the field of Mathematics, Science and Technology) Collaborative Project • Purpose To research the use of technology in formative assessment classroom practices in ways that allow teachers to respond to the emerging needs of low achieving learners in mathematics and science so that they are better motivated in their learning of these important subjects. Timescale 3 years Budget €1.9M

3. Research focuses: setting the context • Report the differences in the way that systemic structures influence the trajectories of lower achieving students within the participating countries; identify their typical pathways through the school system and reveal the educational opportunities that are open to these students. • Report on the varying assessment tools that are used to identify lower achieving students and may determine these pathways, with attention paid to the different interpretations of low achievement in each country.

4. Objectives: • To adapt and develop existing research-informed pedagogical interventions (developed by the partners), suited to implementation at scale, for working with low attaining pupils and transforming teaching through: • fostering high quality interactions in international classrooms that are instrumental in raising achievement for low achievers; • Expanding our knowledge of technologically enhanced teaching and assessment methods addressing low achievement in mathematics and science

5. Deliverables: • Offer approaches for the use of new technologies to support the formative assessment of lower achieving students. • Develop sustainable teaching practices that improve attainment in Mathematics and Science for the targeted students. • Produce a toolkit for teachers to support the development of practice and a professional development resource to support it • Disseminate the outcomes.

6. The context for technology in education Fullan(2013)

7. The purpose of education: what are our values? • The project is embedded in a context with a clear political dimension of Social renewal and Social Justice: • International statistics (PISA, TIMSS etc) demonstrate that across many (most) education systems, the membership of certain groups eg: Gender, class or race implies differential educational outcomes in science and mathematics. • However, some countries/schools/teachers are able to mitigate these effects. (Wilkinson & Pickett (2010)) • It is not just a technical issue of finding better ways of teaching and learning science and mathematics. • Mathematical and scientific literacy: ‘Reading and writing the world with science and mathematics’ (Freire (1970), Gutstein (2006) ) • ‘Reading the world’ = Using science and mathematics to understand society and the world. • ‘Writing the world’ = Developing a sense of individual and social agency through science and mathematics.

8. Re-Engaging lower attaining learners. Inside mathematics, Re-engaging learners

9. Design research • “Design-based research is a formative approach to research, in which a product or process (or “tool”) is envisaged, designed, developed, and refined through cycles of enactment, observation, analysis, and redesign, with systematic feedback from end users. • Its goals are to create innovative tools for others to use, describe and explain how these tools function, account for the range of implementations that occur, and develop principles and theories that may guide future designs.” • SWAN, M, 2014. Design Research in Mathematics Education. In: LERMAN, S, ed., Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education Springer.

10. WP1| Project design (Theoretical and methodological framework) WP2| Landscape review – historical and current practices WP3|Design and production of toolkit WP4| Intervention cases WP8/WP10| Project management WP9 | Evaluation WP7|Exploitation and dissemination WP5| Cross comparison analysis of historical and intervention cases WP6| Final synthesis – policy recommendations – identified future research needs

11. January – June July - December StartWed 01/01/14 FinishTue 27/12/16 WP1 Project designWed 01/01/14 - Tue 17/06/14 WP6 Final synthesis – policy recommendations – identified future research needsFri 01/07/16 - Thu 15/12/16 WP4 Intervention casesTue 02/06/14 - Fri 18/12/15 WP3 Design and production of toolkit for teaching and assessmentWed 26/03/14 - Thu 01/12/16 WP5 Cross comparison analysis of historical and intervention casesThu 01/10/15 - Fri 17/06/16 WP2 Landscape collection of data and review of systemic practicesTue 01/04/14 - Mon 13/10/14 WP8 Project management and administrationWed 29/01/14 - Wed 13/01/16 WP9 EvaluationWed 29/01/14 - Tue 27/12/16 WP10 Project management and AdministrationWed 01/01/14 - Tue 27/12/16 WP7 Exploitation and DisseminationWed 01/01/14 - Wed 14/12/16 Timeline 2014 2015 2016 July - December July - December January – June January – June

13. References • Akkerman, S & Bakker, A: Boundary Crossing and Boundary Objects Review of Educational Research June 2011 81: 132-169, • Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the oppressed. [New York]: Herder and Herder, 1970. • Fullan, Michael. Stratosphere: Integrating Technology, Pedagogy, and Change Knowledge. Toronto: Pearson, 2013. • Gutstein, Eric. Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics: Toward a Pedagogy for Social Justice. London: Routledge, 2006. • Wilkinson, R & Pickett, K. The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. London, Penguin, 2010.