Session 1: Support Programmes in Mathematics

Gwyn Jones Bangor University gwyn.jones@bangor.ac.uk

Chris Olley King’s College London chris.olley@kcl.ac.uk

Gifted and Talented in Mathematics

Session Outline

• Rationale: why provide a programme?• Identification: who are the gifted?• Provision in schools• External support• Developing a sustainable programme: case

studies from around the world• Discussion and Feedback

Rationale: why provide a programme for ‘gifted’ students?

• The needs of the individual student• Good for all students• The needs of society– A function of any educational system is to create

well educated ‘talent’ for the future workforce and the more the better. It is undoubtedly in our country’s interest to develop a high skill economy. Our country’s future depends on it.

A History of GiftednessUnique Individual Paradigm• In the early to mid 20th century it focused on a

small number of unique individuals. • Ability is inherent and fixed.

Cohort Paradigm• The mid to late twentieth century saw the

advent of a focus on selecting groups of gifted students from amongst the general school population.

Deborah Eyre (Room at the Top)

A History of GiftednessHuman Capital Paradigm• The focus of leading research has shifted away

from identification and towards creating the educational conditions in which ‘giftedness’ might best be developed.

• Ability is developed through opportunity with perseverance and effort.

• High ability is a feature of otherwise normal children and may peak at different stages in their development.

Deborah Eyre (Room at the Top)

Identification of the ‘gifted’

1. … longitudinal studies on high performing adults (e.g. Nobel Prize winners) showed that, perhaps surprisingly, they were rarely outstanding as children so casting doubt on the value of early identification. Indeed, for late developers, the mere existence of gifted programmes …….. might have served to limit educational opportunities and educational horizons.

Identification of the ‘gifted’

2. … investigations into the background of those selected for gifted programmes or gifted schools in all countries showed a consistent bias towards the affluent majority population in the selection processes. (Eyre)

A Model for “Giftedness”

Renzulli's "three-ring" model of giftedness, which defines a gifted individual as one who exhibits:

(1) above average intellectual ability, (2) a high level of task commitment, (3) a high level of creativity.

(Renzulli, 1979 quoted in Connelly, 2010).

Renzulli

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semart13.html

Krutetskii

• The largest scale research into very able maths pupils (1955-66)

• Found that some pupils had a tendency towards mathematical thinking.

• It is possible to convert this tendency into high ability through hard work but ability can only be seen within an activity.

Krutetskii, V.A., 1976. The Psychology of Mathematical Abilities in School Children, University Of Chicago Press.

All School Programmes

Structured Tinkering. Structured tinkering is a systematic approach to the modification of the basic school curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils.

(Eyre, 2002)

All School Programmes

1 Reflect on practice2 Audit of provision3 Devise repertoire4 Assess and Intervene5 Reflect

Learning Environment

1. Interaction and developing potential.2. Appreciate and enhance intellectual

ability, talent, creativity, and decision making.

3. Opportunities for the use and development of higher levels of thinking (analysis, synthesis and evaluation).

Advantages for all

“Emerging research evidence and considerable anecdotal evidence from teachers indicate that including differentiation for able students in normal classroom practice tends to reveal more such students and can contribute to raising standards overall ”

The UKMT• National Contests for individuals and teams.

Senior (up to age 18), Intermediate (up to age 16) and Junior (up to age 12)

• British Mathematical Olympiad (from top scores in Senior Challenge)

• Team selection for International mathematical Olympiad

• The UKMT is a UK charity run from the School of Mathematics, University of Leeds

Towards Professional Mathematics: Masterclasses

The Royal Institute Secondary Mathematics Masterclass ProgrammeBangor University – 6 Saturdays for 30 yearsFor example: proof, knot theory, discrete mathematics, spherical geometry, modelling, codes breaking.

Towards Professional Mathematics: Mathematical Contests

“A mind like Omer’s or Raul’s is a great gift. Where do such talents come from? How do we find them? The answer seems to lie in large-scale systems of support.”

(Mark Saul … the international mathematics Olympiad).

The Nigerian Team at the International Mathematics Olympiad

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Team Position 84= 85 90 84 78 67

Other Sub-Saharan African countries with highest position Benin (100=), Ivory Coast (69=), Mozambique (82=), South Africa

(27), Uganda (99), Zimbabwe (100)

Specialist Schools (England)

“The research found that a quarter of the science schools had chosen their specialism on the basis of strength in the subject, but a fifth had done so because they were weak in it and saw specialist status as a lever for improvement.”

Specialist STEM Schools (USA)

• Started in the mid 1980s• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

(IMSA) is an internationally recognised, state funded specialist STEM school

• The NCSSMST provides support and networking for all STEM schools and their students with conferences and publications

Specialist STEM Schools (S Korea)

• 17 public maths/science high schools: one in each region.

• Special screening of IMO winners and those with top 10% maths scores.

• Highly qualified teachers continue as researchers.• Fast track graduation direct access to KAIST, the

top HEI for science and engineering (50% of students).

(Choi & Hon 2009)

NAGTYThe National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth

1 Student Academy to provide directly for students;

2 Professional Academyto improve the provision in schools and colleges

3 Expertise Centreto support those working with G&T students

4 Research Centre to research the most effective methods of teaching

The Mawhiba Project (Saudi Arabia)1. The advanced supplementary curriculum (ASC) with

specially authored students text books with detailed teacher support books delivered in after school programmes through partnership schools

2. Teacher training (with accreditation)3. Four week summer schools in domestic and

international universities4. Online support for students from experts. (Also,

advice and counselling for students, parents, educators)

5. Competitions and Awards (KSA at the IMO)

Organisations from around the world

• African Gifted Foundation• JNV Schools in India • Maths Excellence• AIMSECC (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Schools Enrichment Centre)– Teacher training and institutes– Next Einstein

• IGGY (International Gateway for Gifted Youth)(Mathematics problem solving with open access solution submission and discussion)

• Nrich

Summary

• Identification• The school environment• Extra support outside school• Specialist schools• Developing higher order thinking• Nurturing mathematicians of the future

Global Trends

“Collaboration between gifted education providers is increasingly recognised and taken up, whether locally, nationally or internationally.There is a growth of a more democratic approach that is empowering to teachers, parents and students.Providers are becoming more sophisticated in choosing and applying models and recommendations in gifted education to suit their local conditions.”

Freeman et al (2010)

Discussion and Feedback

• Should Nigeria have a specialist academy for gifted maths and science students?

• Should Nigeria develop a NAGTY to support gifted mathematicians from a central organisation?

• Should Nigeria develop an extension course for gifted mathematicians to follow in summer schools and/or extra classes?

Further Information

• Go to http://www.themathszone.com/• Further information about Mawhiba• References• Programmes for the gifted and talented in

both Primary and Secondary• Presentation slides