Get bite-sized insights and analysis on the latest topics in primary education

This week, our trio are discussing a word that can have many meanings to many different people in education: Mastery. Our crew focus on the distinction between instrumental and relational understanding in mathematics, and how in other fields, the two types of understanding apply.

In this episode, our hosts delve into the concept of problem solving, discussing its historical context, significance, and practical applications. We explore the contributions of both George Polya and the Cockroft Report.

It’s time to wrap up our core competency mini series, with Metacognition. Why is consistent practice of metacognitive strategies essential for improvement? What is Andy talking about when he says the teacher needs to act the buffoon? Plus, we revisit why the core competencies are so important.

This week’s core competency is Number Sense. What does having good number sense mean? How can we spot if students have poor number sense? Plus, the gang share the importance of contextual understanding of number.

This week’s focus is another core competency, Communication. We’re wondering — Is reading mathematically completely overlooked? What did Lev Vygotsky teach us about interactions and social learning? And should teachers be facilitating more opportunities for talk? Listen to find out!

The next core competency our hosts want to chat about is Generalisation. How important is it for learners to make links and apply certain knowledge to new and varied situations? Plus, ever heard of Zoltan Dienes? Andy explains the two types of variation that Dienes is famous for discussing.