11th December 2015 6:00
By Blue Tutors
The Department for Education is currently in the second year of a Shanghai-England teacher exchange programme designed to improve maths teaching in English schools. Shanghai tops international league tables in Pisa maths test results, leading to considerable interest in the methods used to teach maths in the city. The method used differs dramatically from those favoured by the UK government. The approach requires a single mathematical concept to be addressed each lesson, and the class does not move on in the curriculum until the entire class has mastered the lesson.
Not only does the class not move on until every student understands, but the class is also mixed ability. This is significantly different to the UK system in which students are put into sets according to ability. According to the results of the pilot so far, the experiment is proving to be a success in this country. This suggests that we have a lot to learn about the way students learn best.
The Shanghai method is socially responsible, ensuring that every child understands regardless of ability. Critics might speculate that having mixed-ability classes in such a system would mean that some children are held back. However, the results show that every student of all abilities benefit from the method, suggesting that educating a group as opposed to individuals, has more benefits for all involved. There are, of course, other factors which may account for success in Shanghai – a more academic culture of homework and longer school hours will certainly contribute. However, it would benefit us ensure that no pupils are left behind.