Edtech Can Help Maintain Increase In Top Maths Grades

This year, students achieved another set of record GCSE grades, despite disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Top grades rose to 28.9 per cent, from 26.2 per cent last year. There was a particular increase in popularity, pass rates and top grades in GCSE Maths. For this subject, pass rates increased by 6 per cent on last year and resits dropped by an impressive 13 per cent.

Engagement rates and concentration in class may be boosted by students aiming for high grades. However, it also presents challenges. Teachers are under pressure to deliver the best results and support students as they enter an increasingly competitive scramble for top grades and eventually, university places, particularly as UCAS predicts university applications could rise by 40 per cent in a mere four years.

Teachers will need support if they are to manage this pressure and deliver high quality maths lessons. Edtech can be a vital classroom tool here to help mitigate maths anxiety, boost confidence and enable teachers to tailor lessons to the needs of students.

Address maths anxiety

Maths anxiety is widespread, despite high grades and pass rates. Many students and adults alike flippantly claim they are bad at maths, while they would never say they are bad at other core subjects such as English. This narrative normalises negative associations with maths which can contribute to many problems.

When children are anxious about maths, it can cause physical and mental distress which ultimately makes it much harder for them to concentrate and stay positive in class. It can also lead students to poorer performances in standardised testing and school exams, including GCSEs, as they act in accordance with their low expectations.

Additionally, new research shows anxiety can impact a student’s ability to learn new mathematical concepts and procedures in the future, as they are likely to assume they will fail before they even begin the process of learning. This can stop them from excelling in exams, as they haven’t given themselves the chance to engage with complex concepts.

Edtech can provide a fun and engaging route into maths, which helps to combat anxiety. For example, when students learn through online maths games, they can see their abilities growing and strengthening as they move through higher stages and complete tasks.

This visual progression will help prove to a student they have the skills necessary to succeed. Furthermore, it will change the way they view difficult maths questions. Rather than viewing challenges as increasing the likelihood of failure, instead students will see opportunities for growth.

Boosting confidence

Games not only help students engage with and explore maths, but they also provide the much needed confidence boost to succeed in exams. Online games utilise the competitive nature of students to encourage confidence as they build their skills and resilience and learn without fear.

Maths games progress slowly to consolidate learning and ensure students never feel out of their depth. Each ‘level’ in a game will increase in difficulty slightly, so the subject is always challenging and fun. Before students know it, they have grappled with complex maths concepts without feeling frustrated or embarrassed. This measured progression helps to build the self-esteem of students as their ability is constantly being validated and rewarded.

Tracking progress

Games are not only helpful for students; they also save teachers’ time. Data collected from the games students play can be utilised in many ways.

Firstly, this data can help track progress. Teachers will gain an insight into how many students play the games they’ve been assigned, how often they were played, where students stopped playing, where they struggled with answers and topics students found easy.

Tracking progress is important because it can help teachers identify knowledge gaps amongst the class as well as students’ interests, what kind of support each individual needs and which successes classrooms can celebrate. This information can help inform future lesson plans and individualise learning, which in turn can help reduce maths anxiety and boost exam results.

The increase in top maths grades we saw this year is something we can all celebrate, but teachers need support if they are to facilitate a continual rise in high results in the future. Edtech can empower teachers as they deliver high quality maths education to all students, by tackling maths distress, boosting confidence and providing helpful insights to inform lesson planning.

Paul Carter, former teacher, is head of learning content at Mangahigh