Dynamic digital technologies for dynamic mathematics: final report

This report summarises the outcomes of the Nuffield Foundation funded 2014–17 project ‘Developing teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching and classroom use of technology through engagement with key mathematical concepts using dynamic digital technology’. The project took place between January 2014 and November 2016. It involved 48 self-selecting secondary schools from 23 London Boroughs. At least 2091 teachers participated in the project, the number of participating teachers in each school ranging from 1 to 16.

This project set out to research the impact on teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching and associated mathematics pedagogical practice on their teaching of key stage 3 topics with dynamic technology. The context chosen for the research was Cornerstone Maths, an existing  resource for teaching key stage 3 mathematics topics with dynamic mathematical technology. Furthermore, the project aimed to develop a professional development ‘toolkit’, an online resource to support teachers in London with some prior experience of Cornerstone Maths as they engaged and helped other colleagues to also develop their use of dynamic technology.

The research and subsequent repoirt aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What is the impact on teachers’ mathematical knowledge of teaching around the concepts of algebraic generalisation, geometric similarity, and linear functions, of their engagement with cycles of professional development and associated teaching that embeds dynamic mathematical technology?

2. What mathematical knowledge of teaching is desirable for teachers to integrate dynamic mathematical technology into their teaching of these concepts?

3. What are the design features of professional development activities for key stage 3 mathematics teachers that support them to use dynamic mathematical technology in ways that become embedded in their practice and lead to effective learning?