Summary of Progress

Strand 1: National policy trajectory analysis and literature review

We have been reviewing published academic papers and reports produced over the last 20 years by government, independent bodies and stakeholders. Our summary, in the form of a policy timeline and database, is being used to trace the development of key ideas that have shaped the present curriculum. We are currently inviting comments on possible additions or amendments to a draft version of the policy timeline. Please send your suggestions to diane.dalby@nottingham.ac.uk

Strand 2: Analyses of student progression over time

The project team has been examining the Next Steps cohort study, which provides information about the education and employment of a cohort of students from age 13/14 through to age 25 (in 2016). The analysis is ongoing but will include the numbers of students from this cohort (GCSE in 2006) who studied in FE, the mathematics qualifications they completed and their employment at age 25.

Strand 3: Case studies of Further Education colleges

Publicly available data about FE colleges have been used to select a balanced sample of six providers (i.e. individual colleges or college groups) from six regions to become the first set of case studies. After initial phone interviews with college principals, visits were arranged to interview staff and meet students. The studies have involved 23 student focus groups and 73 individual interviews with mathematics teachers, managers and vocational staff. A second sample of providers, from across all nine regions, has been selected and invited to join the second phase. In total, 32 providers have now agreed to take part and documentary evidence is being collected, prior to further college visits.

Strand 4: Survey of the mathematics teacher workforce

A survey of mathematics teachers at the case study colleges has been conducted. Teachers have been asked about their teaching experience, roles and responsibilities, job satisfaction, prior occupation, training and CPD. Over 400 teachers have completed the survey, representing around 55% of those invited.

Follow-up work

The MiFEC project recommendations generated considerable interest nationally. As a result, the research team has received funding to undertaking further project work in two areas.

Leading mathematical improvement in FE colleges

(December 2020-March 2021)

This knowledge transfer project is funded by Research England. It will develop MiFEC recommendations about the leadership and management of mathematics provision in further education colleges. MiFEC findings will be synthesised with related research and analysis of documentary evidence from range of organisations.

The project will produce:

a professional competency framework for cross-college managers of mathematics
thematic priorities for a year-long professional development (PD) programme
a provisional curriculum and delivery plan

The PD programme will be designed to align with models currently supported in the sector. Sense checking interviews with sector leaders will test the approach and a reference group of key stakeholders from the DfE, AoC and ETF will advise the team to ensure workability.

Read the PD programme final report

A Whole College Approach

(October 2020 –ongoing)

The concept of a Whole College Approach (WCA) to mathematics is strongly linked to several of the MiFEC findings and recommendations. The MiFEC team has developed a more detailed account of what a Whole College Approach would look like and how this might be developed in further education colleges.

From April 2021, the government-funded Centres for Excellence in Maths (CfEM) programme, led by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), will include a programme strand that aims to operationalise and research WCA approaches in colleges. This new strand of the CfEM programme will be led by the MiFEC research team in partnership with ETF.

Read the WCA working document