The government’s controversial experiment with Shanghai mathematics teaching in English schools could pay dividends with improved test results within four years, according to one leading expert.

David Reynolds, professor of education at Southampton University, said it was “not beyond the realms of possibility” that UK pupils could post better scores in the next round of Pisa international tests in 2018 (and published the following year) thanks to the Shanghai-style teaching.

The Department for Education (DfE) is in the second year of a Shanghai-England teacher exchange which aims to raise English pupils’ maths skills. Shanghai currently tops the international maths league table published by the OECD, while UK pupils lag behind in 26th position.

The Shanghai approach is to shape each maths lesson so it concentrates on a single mathematical concept, which is covered methodically and in great depth. The class does not move on until every child has mastered the lesson.

Για τη συνέχεια Guardian