RfT

Secondary School mathematics

Students' views on their learning can have much to tell us about effective teaching. For this TLA research summary we selected and summarised a richly detailed, three-year study of the teaching of mathematics, which takes account of the students' own perceptions of their learning experiences.The study examines in considerable depth approaches to mathematics in two English secondary schools that were using markedly different approaches to the teaching of mathematics. It was conducted in England between 1992 and 1995 and was first published in 1997.

Gender differences

Not all researchers agree about the level and extent of the 'problem' of boys' underachievement or even (see Gorard, 2001) whether the 'problem' exists at all; nevertheless teachers have expressed considerable concern about this issue. The research featured in this summary shows how some schools are tackling perceived differences in achievement between boys and girls by drawing on the experiences of teachers in 19 case study schools. The researchers explore three approaches in a way in which we hope teachers will find interesting and potentially useful for their own practice.

Jerome Bruner's constructivist model and the spiral curriculum for teaching and learning

In response to the popularity of our TLA research summary about Lev Vygotsky, we decided to feature the work and contemporary relevance of another influential educational thinker - Jerome Bruner (1915- ).Bruner has made an enormous contribution to our understanding of the education process. As a professor of psychology at Harvard, he was particularly interested in the cognitive development of children and what appropriate forms of education might be.

Special educational needs and inclusion

What impact does inclusion have on pupils' achievement - both those with diagnosed special needs and those without - and how could schools manage inclusion so that they reduce any possible negative impact that inclusion might have? The study we have chosen for this TLA research summary sheds some light on these key issues.The study is: Dyson A., P. Farrell, G. Hutcheson and F. Polat. Inclusion and pupil achievement.

Effective teaching and learning in humanities

This research summary features a study which looked at the evidence for effective strategies in humanities, and most importantly why they worked:Aitken, G. and Sinnema, C. (2008) Effective pedagogy in social sciences: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES) , New Zealand Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand The researchers looked for evidence of teaching and learning approaches that made a difference to student  learning.

Strategies for improving pupils' writing skills

Concerns about pupils' achievements in literacy in England are not new. This is particularly the case with writing, especially where boys are concerned (Bearne & Warrington, 2003; Kingdon & Cassen, 2007). Raising boys' literacy standards, especially their writing skills, has been a key part of English educational policy for some time.The authors of the research selected for this TLA research summary remind us that writing well is more than just an educational issue; it is a necessity if young people are to participate fully in social and economic life.

Effective teachers of numeracy

The study featured in this TLA research summary set out to identify and describe the characteristics of effective teachers of numeracy. It took place before and during the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy.The researchers were asked to feed back their findings into the development work for the strategy. They explored teachers' beliefs, knowledge and understanding as well as their teaching practice.

Leading staff development in primary mathematics

In this TLA research summary we feature some of the findings from a major five-year study into the teaching and learning of mathematics in British primary schools.The work is derived from the Leverhulme Numeracy Research Programme, a six-strand study which began in 1997 to investigate primary school mathematics teaching at a time of national and international concern about standards of children's achievement in the subject.

Effective strategies for pupils with EBD

We think many practitioners will have a keen interest in research that has investigated different strategies for supporting children with EBD in mainstream primary classrooms, so in this TLA research summary, we have summarised the findings of a systematic review of research, which was designed to uncover and synthesise all the studies on this topic (published between 1970 and 2000).The review is:Evans, J., A. Harden, J. Thomas and P. Benefield. Support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream primary classrooms: a review of the effectiveness of interventions.