Extended Tasks for GCSE Mathematics: Teacher's Guide and Impact

The teacher’s guide from the Shell Centre which accompanies the series of modules to support school-based assessment is the main guide to the materials. It makes some suggestions as to how the materials might best be used. It was not intended that this guide should be read from cover to cover at the first attempt but was designed as a 'dip-in' resource.

The material attempts to offer some help to teachers as they look at the what, why and how of GCSE mathematics. In particular, it looks at the most significant challenge, but potentially the most fruitful area of mathematical activity, the extended task.

Throughout all the materials a four stage approach, similar to that put forward by Polya (1945) has emerged. The four stages being:

*Understanding and exploring the problem
*Devising and planning individual studies
*Implementing plans and pursuing ideas
*Reviewing and communicating findings

Improving mathematics practice and classroom teaching (Impact) is a departmental development programme for a department, or small group of teachers within a department, who may wish to review their style of mathematics teaching. The teacher activities offered are designed to provoke discussion, thought sharing and mutual support. Within this book student's activities are presented inside the same type of frame as in the cluster books. Each chapter contains a teacher's activity which is presented inside a different type of frame. In summary, the most important features of the whole programme are
* Working together
* Sharing experiences
* Giving things a go
* Honesty with yourself and with each other
* A willingness to actively review teaching methods.