Mathematics in Primary Schools (MIPS): A Study of Pupil Progress and Teacher Effectiveness, for Mathematics, in Malta, during the Second Year of the Primary School

• Main Author: Lara Said
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University College London 2006-05-01
• Series: Educate~
• Online Access: http://www.educatejournal.org/index.php?journal=educate&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=57

Contextualisation
 Engaging in school-effectiveness research in Malta is a relatively new activity. Initial research
 has found that schools do make a difference for literacy in both Maltese and English (Mifsud,
 Milton, Brooks and Hutchison, 2000). Further research, particularly in mathematics is clearly
 needed as this curriculum context constitutes both a basic skill, and an area of study, that
 can be related to future career prospects (Hutchison and Brooks, 1998). This research note
 reports the beginning of a ground–breaking study, in the Maltese context, into pupil progress
 in maths education and the role that teacher effectiveness may play in that progress.
 
 
 Abstract: Value-added measures are one indicator of school effectiveness. This
 research note poses the question of ‘How are pupil progress and teacher effectiveness
 related?’ It asks this in the context of the Maltese education system by tracking pupil
 progress in primary school mathematics, from year 1 to year 2, in relation to teacher
 instructional style and underlying pedagogical orientation. To do so it outlines a three
 level school effectiveness study. This will adopt a multi-stage sample involving
 approximately 2,100 pupils and 99 teachers based in 40 schools of different types. The
 study will employ the Mathematics In Primary Schools (MIPS) methodology as its working
 framework, informed by the view that consistency, at the school level, involves an
 alignment between effective instruction, the nature of the curriculum materials
 themselves, grouping procedures and teacher behaviour.