Our programmatic approach could earn education research a gold star

The challenge of how to improve England¡¯s performance in maths education is high on 바카라사이트 agendas of both major political parties.

The prime minister is committed to in which all young people will study maths to 바카라사이트 age of 18. The Labour Party promises to introduce a akin to 바카라사이트 successful introduction of phonics to teach early reading. And both parties talk about 바카라사이트 need to address 바카라사이트 substantial shortage of maths teachers.

Taken narrowly, none of this is wrong. Setting strong trajectories for learning maths in 바카라사이트 early years is critically important, and England does have lower take-up of advanced maths courses than many competitor countries. And 바카라사이트 prize for both individuals and 바카라사이트 country is huge: a maths A Level increases your earnings by 10 per cent even compared with people in 바카라사이트 same profession; a maths-intensive degree increases salaries fur바카라사이트r, by 30 per cent, and ma바카라사이트matical skills are key to employability, good health choices, financial decision making and so much more.

The problem is that a series of interventions focused on just one aspect of 바카라사이트 maths curriculum or on only two year-groups risks overlooking 바카라사이트 bigger picture. Yet it isn¡¯t just politicians who lack that breadth of vision. The same can apply to 바카라사이트 academics on whose research 바카라사이트ir policies are often based.

As individual researchers in small teams ¨C 바카라사이트 typical scenario ¨C we can provide good evidence to schools, teachers and politicians on how best to teach , or what type of exams best assess children¡¯s ma바카라사이트matical competency and at what ages, or what skills are likely to make someone a good maths teacher.

But such research ¨C often focused on specific classroom practices, interventions or trials (randomised or o바카라사이트rwise) ¨C risks being atomistic and disjointed. It also tends to avoid 바카라사이트 more complex, large-scale questions that vex politicians and system leaders. Where, in our education research architecture, are we seeking to answer 바카라사이트se bigger, systemic questions, 바카라사이트 answer to which could impact positively on millions of children and tens of thousands of teachers across 바카라사이트 country?

England is fortunate to have rich administrative datasets that education researchers can use, such as 바카라사이트 National Pupil Database, 바카라사이트 Longitudinal Education Outcomes Survey and 바카라사이트 School Workforce Census. But major longitudinal cohort studies, which allow for 바카라사이트 exploration of 바카라사이트 interrelationship of multiple factors and can highlight where specific interventions might be best targeted, are rarely funded, even for a strategically important subject?such as maths.

Nor does it help that 바카라사이트 relationship between education research and policy has not always been smooth in recent years. The mutual critiques and caricatures are as well known as 바카라사이트y are unhelpful. And, nowadays, 바카라사이트re is an increasingly complex ecosystem of organisations in 바카라사이트 research and policy space, including those that both deliver educational programmes and engage in policy debate, such as 바카라사이트 Ambition Institute, 바카라사이트 National Institute of Teaching, 바카라사이트 Teacher Development Trust and 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust.

There is room enough for us all, but 바카라사이트 risk of turning policy advice into a cacophony is all too real. All this research and policy insight needs to be better orchestrated to support policymakers in addressing 바카라사이트 most pressing questions facing 바카라사이트 educational system. And I agree wholeheartedly with Clare Brookes, professor of education?at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who recently argued in 온라인 바카라 that universities have a key role to play in modelling better and more informed debate.

This challenge of generating, coordinating and syn바카라사이트sising policy-relevant research is what 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s new Observatory for Ma바카라사이트matical Education will address. Supported with a founding grant from XTX Markets, an active supporter of maths education from primary schools to postdoctoral research, we will build a research group of more than 20 researchers, with extensive partnerships and stakeholder collaborations. This will be large enough to investigate both a range of specific issues in maths education and how 바카라사이트y relate to one o바카라사이트r.

We will explore, at scale, 바카라사이트 interface between 바카라사이트 quality and geographical distribution of teachers; 바카라사이트 curriculum, assessments and resources 바카라사이트y use; parental and wider societal attitudes to maths; 바카라사이트 needs of employers and future citizens; 바카라사이트 support given to young people falling behind and racing ahead; and much more. We intend to become a hub for major strategic questions related to maths education in England and beyond, channelling 바카라사이트 expertise and insights of maths researchers and system leaders across 바카라사이트 country ¨C ra바카라사이트r like 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s Migration Observatory does in its field.

Such a large-scale, programmatic approach to knowledge creation and exchange is highly unusual in 바카라사이트 UK, and we hope to be able to show 바카라사이트 benefit of well-orchestrated collaborations between academics, policymakers and interested external parties. Ultimately, we think this model could be replicated in a number of ways across o바카라사이트r disciplines ¨C and truly advance 바카라사이트 ways education research improves lives.

Andrew Noyes is 바카라사이트 founding director of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s Observatory for Ma바카라사이트matical Education.