Mathematics

Using big whiteboards in teaching A Level Maths

"Essentially, students have the opportunity to teach each other which is definitely the best way to learn. That, along with occasional competitions and demonstrations, ensures each lesson is really fun."

The idea: The main idea is that students do not need to be told a lot and that they learn better by struggling with their peers on problems. By working in groups on big whiteboards around the classroom the teacher can see who is getting involved, listen in on mathematical conversations and intervene when necessary (though not too soon, as students can correct each other). A bonus is that they learn great social skills, including presenting, communicating their thinking and taking responsibility for the learning of their peers. The big boards encourage collaboration, independence and resilience, and improve problem-solving skills. Another bonus is that being on their feet keeps them awake on a Friday afternoon.

How has it gone? The teachers who fully engaged with this way of teaching got better results from their classes. The satisfaction rates from our students were very good and participation in class work was very high. Here is a quote from one of our students who has gone on to study an Engineering degree.

“Maths at SFX is a very hands-on experience. Majority of the work is done in groups of 2 to 4 students on whiteboards. This encourages team work and chances are if you are unsure of how to tackle a question, someone in the group will be able to. Essentially, students have the opportunity to teach each other which is definitely the best way to learn. That, along with occasional competitions and demonstrations, ensures each lesson is really fun.”

Staff found it a much more fulfilling way to teach and had time in the lesson for one-to-one conversations with students. We have all learnt a lot this year, but there is still a lot we can improve on, so we will continue with department inset and personal reflection to make continual improvements. We also decided that getting the students to work inside the class is not enough. This year we are continuing with the big boards but we have also embarked on a system of improving their independent learning.

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College (SFX) is a Roman Catholic Sixth Form college in Clapham, South London.