Recruiting and Retaining Qualified and Motivated Mathematics Teachers

The shortage of specialist teachers of mathematics has been a concern for many years and this resource, from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), is designed to help organisations focus upon a plan of action, which will lead to better recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers.

Organisations are invited to promote a discussion of relevant staff to identify those factors, or strategies, which it is felt have an effect on the recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers.

Following this discussion factors, that have been identified as having a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers, are provided on cards and organisations are asked to sort them into two sets; those which are true or partially true and those which are not true for their organisation.

Further consideration is then given to establish the reasons why a particular event has had a positive, or no, impact.

From the remaining statements the factor, which they think will have the greatest impact on the recruitment or retention of mathematics teachers in their organisation, should be selected and an action plan, which includes a timeline with opportunities for review, established.