Development of division strategies for Year 5 pupils in ten English schools (Updated)

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Which pupils were involved and what were they involved in?

Year 5 pupils in ten schools in and around a small city were selected by minimum class size of 25 and by their high mathematics test scores in National Curriculum tests. Scores in English and Science were also well above average. The children all had good reading skills, the confidence to tackle problems and ability to show their working out, thus giving valuable insight into the strategies used.

Whole year groups were tested in four schools and a representative half of the pupils in the other six schools. In all, 275 pupils completed two test papers.

These papers containing 10 division problems (of which half were context and half bare problems), were administered to the children in January and June of their Year 5. The questions were selected to enable children to choose appropriate mental strategies and invite the use of number facts that they should already have been familiar with. It was possible to approach all problems without using the standard algorithm, that is, the formal method.

This study is part of a continuing larger study where parallel groups in the Netherlands and England undertake the same tests. This is now reported in the current issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics. Click here for the full reference to the article.

Two practice questions were presented to the class and the pupils were asked to come up with solution strategies. These were written on the board so that at least three different strategies were available to all pupils for each problem.

Pupils then worked individually on the 10 problems, each one being provided with space to show working and an answer. They were encouraged to record ‘the way they think about the problems’ to show their solution strategies.

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction What did the researchers set out to learn? What came out of the study? Which pupils were involved and what were they involved in? What were the effects on pupil performance? What does the study help us to understand about the teaching and learning of division? What does the study mean for teaching? The way forwards? Definitions of technical terms Implications Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader Development of division strategies for Year 5 pupils in ten English schools (Updated) This digest found in Thinking skills Mathematics Send to a friend Word doc 70KB Printer friendly Collate for later Which pupils were involved and what were they involved in? Year 5 pupils in ten schools in and around a small city were selected by minimum class size of 25 and by their high mathematics test scores in National Curriculum tests. Scores in English and Science were also well above average. The children all had good reading skills, the confidence to tackle problems and ability to show their working out, thus giving valuable insight into the strategies used. Whole year groups were tested in four schools and a representative half of the pupils in the other six schools. In all, 275 pupils completed two test papers. These papers containing 10 division problems (of which half were context and half bare problems), were administered to the children in January and June of their Year 5. The questions were selected to enable children to choose appropriate mental strategies and invite the use of number facts that they should already have been familiar with. It was possible to approach all problems without using the standard algorithm, that is, the formal method. This study is part of a continuing larger study where parallel groups in the Netherlands and England undertake the same tests. This is now reported in the current issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics. Click here for the full reference to the article. Two practice questions were presented to the class and the pupils were asked to come up with solution strategies. These were written on the board so that at least three different strategies were available to all pupils for each problem. Pupils then worked individually on the 10 problems, each one being provided with space to show working and an answer. They were encouraged to record ‘the way they think about the problems’ to show their solution strategies.