Influences On Pupils’ Mathematical Outcome: A Description Of Challenges

Abstract

Measures of instructional behaviour are specific process indicators reflecting teacher effectiveness. The Mathematics in Primary Schools (MIPS) study poses the question of: ‘How is pupil progress and teachers’ instructional behaviour, within schools, related?’ This is conducted by tracking pupil progress in primary school mathematics from Year 1 to Year 2 and by collating a number of contextual/process variables situated at the pupil/classroom and school levels. The paper, which adopts, a multi-stage, stratified sample involves 1,786 pupils, 99 teachers and 40 schools, within the statistical framework of a 3-level hierarchical linear model. This paper also reports the findings of the pilot study. Although the paper is limited by the inability to use multilevel statistical techniques due to: the relatively small sample size of the pilot study and, the, as yet, unstandardised pupil scores on Maths 6 (NFER), the utility of this paper lies in the description of challenges faced when engaging in school effectiveness research.