Action Research

On June 5, 2015, at the BSRLM conference in Durham, a preliminary paper was given as a ‘new researchers’ paper’ on ‘Developing problem-solving skills with the Project Delta Classroom’. As a matter of school policy, all students in the KS3 and KS4, as well as students taking Mathematics in the Sixth Form, sit one UKMT Maths Challenge every year.

Many students have difficulty with problem-solving. In order to assist them, a series of ‘prompt’ videos were made which could be accessed on the laptops. The students were seated at the laptops, given the appropriate UKMT past paper, scrap paper and earphones if they didn’t have their own.

If they found a question impenetrable, they could click on the prompt and hear the question being read out to them with approaches to a solution outlined. This approach seemed to work best with the 11- and 12-year-old students who were below the usual age range for the Junior Mathematics Challenge.

At the conference, the paper was well received and valuable suggestions were made. But it is clear to the author, without being told, that the methodology of the research would have to be refined before it was worth publishing.

This year, the expanded ‘prompt videos’ have been made available for Challenge preparation to the Year 7 and 8 students on youtube by means of an Excel file.