Primary mathematics and social pedagogic collaborative group work in primary schools in England and Hong Kong (the HK-UK SPeCTRM project)

In this project data were collected in parallel using essentially the same instruments but adjusted to optimise cultural validity. This means that cross culture comparisons must be made with caution and awareness of the differences between the instruments and between the two educational cultures. 20 Hong Kong and 17 English primary teachers representing 10 schools in each country took part. In HK the teachers were all mathematics teachers working with 400+ 10-11 year olds. In England the teachers were primary generalist teachers working with 200+ pupils in the 9 - 11 age range.
The data collection includes:
quantitative data on:
- audit of teachers' mathematical knowledge and confidence at start of project (20 HK teachers and 17 English teachers)
- pre and post intervention project data on teacher mathematical pedagogical self-efficacy
-classroom observational data on pupil talk in groups
- pre and post intervention pupil mathematics attainment data
- post intervention attitudes to group work and mathematics data from the English pupils
-qualitative data pre and post intervention interviews with the English teachers about their attitudes, experience and concerns on using group work in mathematics<p>This bilateral research project capitalises on Hong Kong primary teachers’ mathematics expertise and UK primary teachers’ use of collaborative groupwork, thereby recognising the two administrations’ respective concerns to develop interactive pedagogy and improve teachers’ subject knowledge. It complements the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme project: ‘Improving Effectiveness of Pupil Groups in Classrooms’, which combined the social and cognitive aspects of groupwork into an effective social pedagogy. It aims to:

establish an intercultural community of practice between English and Hong Kong primary teachers and researchers for the sharing of knowledge and expertise

provide professional development for primary teachers in understanding and applying social pedagogic principles to groupwork in mathematics

determine the effects of carefully implemented groupwork on teachers’ self efficacy to teach mathematics and children’s higher order mathematical thinking.

To achieve these aims, the specific objectives are:
(i) to assess a sample of primary school teachers' levels of mathematical and pedagogic knowledge and self-efficacy for teaching mathematics in Hong Kong and England
(ii) to introduce and assess the use of social pedagogic-based groupwork skills with focused groups of primary school mathematics teachers in Hong Kong and England
(iii) to compare for effects over time and between cultures of effective groupwork skills on teachers' self-efficacy for teaching mathematics, and teachers' and pupils' mathematics achievement demanding higher order thinking.

In both countries, ten teachers will learn to apply social pedagogical principles to their mathematics teaching, while ten more teachers and classes will form control groups. Face-to-face and digital communication will facilitate the sharing of pedagogical and subject knowledge in the local and inter-cultural communities of practice respectively. Teachers’ subject knowledge and teaching self-efficacy, pupil tests and classroom observations will form measures of professional development</p>

本研究采用基本一致的研究工具开展平行数据采集，同时对工具进行调整以优化文化适配性。这意味着在开展跨文化比较时需保持审慎，充分意识到研究工具本身以及两地教育文化间存在的差异。本研究共纳入来自两地各10所学校的教师样本：香港地区20名小学数学教师，其授课对象为400余名10至11岁学生；英格兰地区17名小学全科教师，授课对象为200余名9至11岁学生。

本次研究采集的数据包含以下类别：
1. 定量数据：
- 研究启动时的教师数学知识与自信程度评估（覆盖香港20名、英格兰17名教师）
- 干预前后的教师数学教学法自我效能感项目数据
- 课堂观察采集的学生小组讨论发言数据
- 干预前后的学生数学学业达成度数据
- 干预后英格兰学生对小组学习与数学学科的态度数据
2. 定性数据：干预前后对英格兰教师开展的访谈，内容涉及他们在数学教学中运用小组学习的态度、实践经历与顾虑。

本双边研究项目依托香港小学教师的数学教学专长与英格兰小学教师的协作小组学习实践经验，契合了两地教育主管部门分别推动互动式教学法发展、提升教师学科知识的目标。本项目是对ESRC教学与学习研究计划旗下「提升课堂学生小组学习效能」项目的补充，后者将小组学习的社会与认知维度整合为一套有效的社会教学法。

本项目的目标如下：
1. 搭建香港与英格兰小学教师及研究者的跨文化实践共同体，促进知识与专业经验的共享
2. 为小学教师提供专业发展支持，帮助其理解并将社会教学法原则应用于数学学科的小组教学中
3. 评估规范实施的小组学习对教师数学教学自我效能感，以及学生高阶数学思维能力的影响效果。

为达成上述目标，本项目设定具体研究任务如下：
(i) 评估香港与英格兰两地小学教师的数学学科知识、教学法知识以及数学教学自我效能感水平
(ii) 为香港及英格兰的重点小学数学教师群体引入并评估基于社会教学法的小组教学技能应用情况
(iii) 对比不同文化背景下，小组教学技能的实施效果随时间的变化情况，及其对教师数学教学自我效能感、师生高阶数学学业表现的影响。

两地各有10名教师将学习将社会教学法原则应用于数学教学，另外各10名教师及对应班级将作为对照组。线下与线上沟通将分别助力本地及跨文化实践共同体实现教学法与学科知识的共享。教师的学科知识、教学自我效能感、学生学业测试结果以及课堂观察数据，将作为专业发展成效的评估指标。