CfBT Education Trust releases 'International comparative study in mathematics teacher training' report

A new research report, funded by the CfBT Education Trust, has been released which aimed to seek an understanding of good practice in the training of (primary and secondary) teachers of mathematics, based on evidence from variety of mathematically high performing countries around the world. The research also used a longitudinal study to provide recommendations for effective training.

In conducting the research, around 200 trainee teachers in each of a number of countries were tracked in their last year of training; the report also selected certain different training routes and different locations in each country for an in-depth study. The total sample size, combining all countries was around 1400 trainee teachers.

The participating countries were England, Ireland, Finland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, China, Japan and Singapore. These countries were chosen either on account of their strong track record in mathematics or because they exhibit interesting and relevant practice.

Although there were some positive findings, such as the fact that the most popular choice when asked ‘how long they expected to be in the teaching profession’ was ‘Working Life’ despite the reality seeming to show that very few mathematics teachers spend longer than three to four years in the job; findings such as these raised the question of “what happens to teacher trainees over those years which results in such a poor retention rate in English schools”?

One of the findings described as ‘alarming’ by the researchers was that ‘many of the English trainee teachers interviewed stated that they considered there to be a lack of relevance between the theoretical studies undertaken (and read about) at University and the practical implications for school-based work’;

Some of the report’s recommendations specifically for England were: 1) raising the maths entry requirement for primary teachers from a GCSE grade C to a grade B, with an AS in mathematics a possible target in the future; 2) for secondary mathematics teachers, it is recommended that the current A-level requirement be extended to include specialised mathematics enhancement courses which concentrate on the mathematical and pedagogical skills needed to be an effective teacher; 3) the establishment of University Practice Schools to embed school practical work and university theoretical work in each other, as well as ensuring there would be peer support during a trainee’s first school-based practice.

You can download the full report below.