Supporting Transitions Across Mathematics and Physics Education

Transitions in education can provide several challenges for both students and teachers. Between the ages of 10 and 16 students undertake several transitions in their school lives. These include transitions across school systems (e.g. primary level to second level), transitions between different teachers, transitions across subjects (for example from general/broad science curriculum to a specialised physics curriculum and transitions across maths and physics) and several other social transitions. These challenges can be particularly prevalent in Mathematics and Physics, as from the ages of 10 upwards, students can begin to have specialist teachers in these subjects, and links start being made between the two subjects. Transitions across school systems and between subjects can also provide challenges for teachers. Sometimes different teaching approaches can be used in different schools, and with different aged pupils. Similar content in both Mathematics and Physics can also be approached in different ways by different teachers. Education before the age of 12/13 is generally provided to general teachers before students move to specialised teachers for both mathematics and physics after this. The main aim of the STAMPEd project is to develop ways that both pupils and teachers can be supported in these transitions. The project will aim to build on the work already done in the Erasmus+ funded 3DIPhE (Three Dimensions of Inquiry in Physics Education) Project in which some partners were involved. In particular, this project aims to use the learning experiences of 3DIPhE in the area of supporting teachers of physics and mathematics to carry out Practitioner Inquiry (PI), and form Professional Learning Communities of teachers (PLCTs). The practitioner inquiries will be focused on two areas:Transitions in learning between mathematics and physics (discipline transitions)Transitions across primary and secondary mathematics or physics (structural transition) We aim to run two iteration cycles of PLCTs with the teachers, and we expect to collaborate with a group of 10-12 teachers (both primary and secondary) in each iteration. During the first iteration teachers will work as a PLCT and will carry out a PI focused on one of the above areas. During iteration 2 the same teachers will work as a PLCT but they will now have opportunities to carry out shared PIs, with the PLCT working on supporting and sustaining collaboration of teachers across subjects (maths-physics) and between levels (e.g. primary-secondary). We aim to have four main outputs for the project:O1 - A collection of co-designed rich classroom tasks in both mathematics and physics that support student learning across transitionsO2 - A collection of teachers’ experiences developed through Professional Learning Communities of teachers working within and across transitionsO3 - Structured 5 day course for enhancing teachers’ competences to support teaching and learning across transitionsO4 - Research report on supporting students and teachers in transitions across mathematics and physics.