1

REYPE Annotated Bibliography Sample 1

Exploring Approaches and Perspectives for Teaching Primary Mathematics

An Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

Within the UK education system, mathematics takes a strong precedence. Over the years this

emphasis has only increased with The National Numeracy Strategy enforcing daily

mathematics teaching from 1997. As an active practitioner, I understand the objectives set in

the National Curriculum clearly, however the approaches for teaching maths seem to be

moving more towards set schemes and lessons provided by an outside agency. With this in

mind, I have explored what research has been done into pedagogical approaches for teaching

primary maths and perspectives of maths teaching with the hope of furthering my

understanding as to why many schools are deciding to invest in pre-written schemes.

In this annotated bibliography, 10 articles have been chosen that explore different

perspectives of maths learning/teaching on a global level as well as different teaching models

that have been researched. The articles range from small scale enquiry projects to more

substantial long-term observations and analyses, mostly conducted in the UK, USA and

Australia. The bibliography begins by exploring the perspectives of maths teaching from

different viewpoints including students, parents and trainee teachers. This leads into articles

and case studies considering different approaches and pedagogies for teaching mathematics.

Most of the articles focus on primary education (4-11 years) however some consider maths

learning in teenagers in order to evaluate specific subject-based teaching.

Bibliography

Attard, C. (2011). ‘My favourite subject is maths. For some reason no-one really agrees with

me’: student perspectives of mathematics teaching and learning in the upper primary

classroom. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australia, Inc. 23. 363 – 377.

Attard (2011) presents a qualitative study with the aim to explore pupils ‘perspectives of

mathematics teaching and learning to discover pedagogies that engage the students’ (p. 363).

With a focus on primary education in New South Wales, Australia, Attard considers different

aspects of engagement for children. Following a questionnaire establishing children’s

engagement levels with mathematics, participants were chosen from a year six cohort to

partake in an individual interview with the researcher. This was followed up by a focus group

involving all the participants. Key findings showed that the children were most engaged

during hands-on lessons with less passive listening to a teacher. Further, children also

enjoyed the academic challenge of teachers scaffolding learning instead of simply giving

them the answer. From this, Attard concludes that the teacher is the most powerful tool for

pupil engagement. If further research observed these children in lessons compared to those

who defined themselves as less engaged in maths, the researcher could consider activities and

methods the teacher chooses and the impact this has further.

Boaler, J. (2000). Mathematics from another world: traditional communities and the

alienation of learners. Journal of Mathematical Behaviour. 18(4). 379 – 397.

In this study, Boaler (2000) explores students’ opinions of maths learning from six secondary

schools in London. The initial purpose of this study was to consider international learning

perspectives for practitioners in the USA, however it provides an interesting insight into

student perspectives from a local viewpoint as well. Building on a theoretical perspective of

situativity, an emphasis that learning should be doing, not simply being, and relate to real life

experiences, Boaler uses this article as a lens for further research instead of arguing a specific
 3

point. Having completed 120 hours of lesson observations and semi-structured interviews

with 76 participants, Boaler (2000) hoped to answer the following research questions: ‘1.

How do students view the world of the school mathematics classroom? 2. What impact do

such views have upon knowledge production and use?’ (p 381) Following the data collection,

three recurring themes were identified: students saw maths learning as monotonous compared

to other subjects, they felt it lacked meaning and a relationship to the real world, and that in

maths lessons students were moved into different groupings away from their friends which

impacted their motivation and focus. Boaler (2000) was struck by the impact social groups

had on the children’s impression of maths learning concluding this is an area of potential

further research. Are these perceptions specific to secondary maths, or do children feel this

throughout their schooling?

Haylock, D. (2014). Chapter 1: Primary teachers’ insecurity about mathematics in

Mathematics explained for primary teachers. SAGE Publications. London. 3 – 12.

To introduce his book, Haylock (2014) explains his findings following discussions with

trainee teachers around maths teaching in the UK. He uses this context as the foundation for

the rest of the publication. The chapter is focused on open-ended and informal discussions

that Haylock led as part of a maths support group for the trainee teachers he worked with.

Following analysis and thematic coding, findings showed that many participants felt anxious

about teaching maths and that they had a limited understanding of the subject, despite all

achieving well academically. At the start of the chapter, Haylock (2014) outlines current

literature on maths teaching mirroring these responses (It should be noted, many of his

citations were prior to 2010 so more up to date research is needed to evaluate relevance

today.) Haylock concluded ‘we need to shift perceptions of teaching mathematics away from

the notion teaching recipes and more towards the development of understand’ (p. 11). As a

core text for many trainee teachers today, it provides a good understanding of how teacher’s

perceptions may have developed.

Jay, T, Rose, J and Simmons, B. (2018). Why is parental involvement in children’s

mathematics learning hard? Parental perspectives on their role supporting children’s

learning. SAGE Open. April – June. 1 – 13.

This article presents a study exploring the distinction between school-centred and parent-

centred approaches regarding parental involvement on children’s learning with a focus on

mathematics. In this qualitative study, researchers engaged in a series of group interviews

with parent volunteers from 16 primary schools. Group interviews allowed a range of

perspectives to be explored and the participants were able to provide mutual support to one

another furthering the responses given. Transcripts of each interview were made and analysed

using a coding system. Key findings were divided into school-centred (homework,

curriculum focused) and parent-centred (maths used at home, for example money or cooking)

approaches. Researchers found that most discussions revolved around school-centred

approaches and many parents expressed frustration when trying to support their child due to

lack of understanding or familiarity. When asked about parent-centred approaches, parents

were less forthcoming with their responses until researchers provided examples, however

many parents did not consider these as maths learning. Limitations for the study are

acknowledged by the author as only participants available during the school day could

partake in the research reducing the overall sample size. Further research can develop the

findings by considering whether parents who work during the school have similar responses.

Boaler, J. (2016). Designing mathematics classes to promote equity and engagement. The

journal of mathematical behavior. 41. 172 – 179.

Beginning a series of papers evaluating a 5-week maths intervention for 13-15 year olds in

the USA, this paper explains the methods used throughout the intervention with justifications

for their choice. During the study, a leading mathematics education practitioner (author) and

four graduate students designed a series of 90-minute lessons that focused on engaging
 5

students and creating meaningful learning experiences. The participants involved in the

lessons were teenagers who had been enrolled on a summer school to improve their

mathematical understanding with hope to improve their overall achievement in the subject.

Many of the participants felt reluctance towards the subject and were unmotivated by maths

learning. This paper outlines three key principles the practitioners aspired to realise: engaging

the participants as active and capable learners, teaching algebraic content through

mathematical practices and encourage a collaborative community. Some lesson ideas from

the intervention are outlined including the development of maths talk through solving simple

calculations and group work solving meaningful problems that related to real-life

experiences. Full findings from the interventions are outlined in further papers, however

Boaler (2016) explains an initial conclusion of increased engagement and motivation from

participants as well as a development of mathematical thinking.

Lai, MY, Kinnera V, and Fung CI. (2019) Teaching mathematics for understanding in

Primary Schools: Could teaching for mathemising be a solution? International Journal for

Mathematics Teachers and Learning. 20:1. 1 – 17.

In this article, the authors consider the concept of ‘mathemising’ originally introduced by

Freudenthal in 1973 then furthered by Fung in 2004. The article begins with a thorough

literature review and explanation of mathemising following a decrease in maths achievement

in Australia despite their move towards a model focusing on conceptual understanding and

developing a number sense. Three goals are stated for the research within the paper: ‘1. How

students break or partition large number into numbers not larger than 10, 2. Students

mathematical reasoning for breaking a large number, and 3. How they arrive at the answer’

(Lai, Kinnera and Fung, 2019, p 11). To answer this, the authors worked with 2 participants

from a primary school who were both accessing the year 3 maths curriculum. The

participants were presented with the problem 26 x 3 which they were asked to solve and

discuss with the researcher. Findings showed that the participant who partitioned the number
 6

using base 10 materials was more successful. This supported the argument that children

should be able to use their number sense easily to solve problems. However, the findings

from this study are incredibly limited as there was only 2 participants. Following the detail

presented in the literature review, as a practitioner, there was hope the research would present

a more in-depth model of how mathemising can be used in the classroom. Further research

and evidence supporting this would need to occur in order for a significant impact to happen.

Garret, R, Dawson, K, Meinses, J, et al. (2018). Creative and body-based learning:

Redesigning pedagogies in mathematics. Journal for Learning through the Arts. 14(1)

This qualitative study investigates the integration of the Creative Body-based Learning

(CBL) model at two primary schools in Australia. Taking a positivist approach, the research

builds on embodiment theories stating that learning evolves from and is deepened by the

body’s sensorial and lived experiences, and aligns with Vygotsky’s constructivist approach

presented in 1978. The authors set out to answer the following research questions: ‘What is

the impact of CBL professional development on a) the working practices of teachers and b)

student engagement and disposition in mathematics?’ (Garret, Dawson and Meinses, 2018, p

10) Following a 2-day CPD workshop for all participants, six semi-structured interviews

were conducted to establish the impact of the model in practice. Findings showed a

significant increase in child engagement and participation in mathematics, especially from

those who had been more reluctant in the past. Many participants also stated using CBL

improved assessment as they could observe the child’s learning process more clearly than

using pen and paper. The authors concluded the model supports the development of

mathematical understanding through artistic, kinaesthetic, social and emotional experiences.

An, S, Capararo, MM, and Tillman, DA. (2013). Elementary teachers integrate music

activities into regular mathematics lessons: Effects on students’ mathematical abilities.

Journal for learning through the arts. 9(1).

Linking to Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory published in 1993, the researchers worked

with two elementary school teachers in the US to evaluate the success of using music

activities to teach maths in this study. Two research questions were stated: ‘1. How and to

what extent did the two teachers from different grade levels integrate music in their regular

mathematics lessons? 2. Will the intervention of music-math integrated lessons significantly

improve students’ mathematics ability levels as measure by the MSA assessments?’ (An,

Capararo and Tillman, 2013, p 4) Following a combination of qualitative and quantitative

approaches, researchers analysed lessons plans and videos from 10 lessons planned by the

participating teachers using coded analysis, and students undertook a mathematics assessment

prior to and after the 5-week teaching sequence. Findings showed a successful range of

musical activities incorporated throughout the unit of lessons resulting in drastic increase in

the children’s MSA scores. The authors acknowledge that the increase focus on mathematics

teaching and planning would have also impacted results, but confidently feel that there is

enough evidence to demonstrate the musical activities positive effect.

McGuinness, C et al. (2014). Impact of a play-based curriculum in the first two years of

primary school: literacy and numeracy outcomes over seven years. British Educational

Research Journal. 40(5). 772 – 795.

Building on a vast array of research that supports the use of play as a learning-tool, especially

within the early years curriculum, McGuinness et al (2014) designed a multi-method

evaluation of an extensive study following 120 schools in Northern Ireland trialing the

Enriched Curriculum (EC) over 7 years. This article specifically focuses on the first part of

the evaluation considering the children’s scholastic outcomes and learning dispositions with a

focus on literacy and numeracy. The Enriched Curriculum was designed to enable children’s

creative positive learning foundations that in turn would sustain children’s progress in school

over the long term. Interestingly, findings showed a significant decrease in a child’s

attainment for numeracy and literacy compared to the control schools. Furthermore, no
 8

positive effect was recorded by the authors in any area assessed. This result is shocking

considering the amount of research encouraging the use of a play-based curriculum to

develop independence and positive learning behaviours.

Malaspina, M and Malaspina, U. (2020). Game invention as means to stimulate probabilistic

thinking. Statistics education research journal. 19(1). 57-52.

This qualitative case study explores the use of a card game to promote mathematical thinking

around probability. Malaspina and Malaspina (2020) designed this study with the purpose of

making maths teaching more meaningful to pupils and emphasise the lack of subject

knowledge regarding probabilistic problem solving in the primary school. Based in a primary

school in Lima, Peru, researchers worked with 5 children between the ages of 6 and 10, and 5

primary school teachers to answer the research questions ‘Can playful situations in teaching

stimulate children’s probabilistic thinking and how can these games be used in teacher?’ and

‘How can teachers’ mathematical and didactic knowledge of probabilistic thinking be

improved and what role can playful situations assume in support?’ (Malaspina and

Malaspina, 2020, p 58). Each participant was presented with a card game to play with the

researcher. They were then asked to adapt the game inventing their own version followed by

an informal interview discussing their thoughts and approaches to the game. Key findings

showed all participants engaged well with the game and enjoyed both parts of playing and

invention. Researchers were intrigued that in subsequent discussions, the teaching

practitioners did not mention the use of probabilistic thinking as a key skill. The study

concludes that game playing contributes to self-learning and support intuition, emotion and

motivation encouraging teachers to focus on creative teaching methods. Practitioners may be

curious to find out the impact this has on summative assessment especially in the UK with the

emphasis on high stake testing.

Conclusion

This annotated bibliography contains ten sources exploring primary mathematics from

different perspectives including pedagogical models, concepts and how mathematics

education is perceived from a range of viewpoints. The majority of these studies are based on

a qualitative research design mostly consisting of interviews and occasional observations. As

there was an initial focus on perceptions of mathematical teaching, the consistent use of

qualitative research is unsurprising as this allows the researchers to obtain a clear

understanding the participants viewpoints and experiences. Some quantitative studies were

used to measure the impact of mathematic teaching regarding pupil’s achievement and

attainment level. This provides more insightful evidence when considering methods and

pedagogies used for teaching mathematics.

A recurring finding from these sources emphasises that successful maths teaching should be

meaningful to pupils. Boaler (2002) and Attard (2011) found that pupils had a want for maths

teaching to relate to real life experiences. Many pupils found maths lessons harder to engage

with as they were able to make a clear link between the learning and real life, resulting in the

subject lacking purpose. Both Jay (2018) and Haylock (2014) observed common anxieties

and frustrations towards mathematics in trainee teachers and parents following their own

education and being unable to understand new mathematical pedagogies. This in turn can

result in alienation from the subject. Malaspina and Malaspina (2020) suggest a potential way

to achieve this is the use of game playing and invention.

A second common feature in these studies was to encourage creative and practical models for

maths teaching. In order for this to be achieved well, more time may be needed to consider

the meaning and purpose of learning mathematical concepts by practitioners. Attard’s (2011)

interviews showed that children were more engaged and motivated in maths lessons when
 10

activities were more practical. The Creative and Body-based Learning model presented by

Garret et al (2018) found an increase in children’s engagement when this creative approach

was used in lessons. Furthermore, An, Capraro and Tillman (2013) found a strong correlation

in the participants increased maths attainment following the introduction of a creative

teaching model. However, McGuinness et al’s (2014) study showed a negative impact of

using a play-based curriculum throughout primary education which implies creative and

practical teaching models still need to be structured in their application.

With regards to further research, it is clear that creative and practical mathematical

pedagogies increase engagement and motivation within pupils and across the board it is

crucial for teaching to have a clear meaning and purpose. However, how effectively is this

being done in the UK? A voice that is not heard within this selection of research is that of

classroom-based practitioners in the UK and observations of different models of maths

teaching that are used daily. Interestingly, Attard (2011) concluded that the teacher is the

most powerful tool for engagement, therefore the use of pre-designed teaching schemes

appears more bizarre as this reduces the teacher’s opportunity for autonomy that could

increase pupil engagement. In order to evaluate the next steps for primary mathematics, it is

crucial to understand the current position to build on from the viewpoint of class teachers.