Focus of the Month
May 2016
Contextualisation
This month our focus is on contextualisation.
Traditionally, context has been used:
• as a motivator at the start of a topic
• to add questions at the end of a topic
• as an application of the mathematics
However, it can be also used:
• to help students make sense of the topic
• as a source of mathematics
• in answering learners’ questions
Sources to inspire you
MEI has produced a number of resources that
provide ideas for using building context into your
lessons.
A particularly useful source is the
contextualisation toolkit that we developed for
teachers with funding from the DfE. Although
intended for use with post-16 students working
towards re-sitting GCSE Mathematics, the ideas
provided can also be used
encourage younger students
by helping them to see the
relevance of maths to the
workplace. At the heart of the
toolkit is a grid that maps the
content of GCSE
Mathematics to a number of
different context areas,
providing a rich variety of
practical applications of
specific maths topics.
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We have also developed a series of video clips to support the Education and Training
Foundation’s Maths Pipeline Programme. These were accompanied by a set of guides to support
vocational teaching practitioners in embedding maths:
•
•
•
•
Construction and the built environment
Hospitality and catering
Hairdressing and beauty therapy
Health and social care
Together they provide plenty of inspiration for contextualising maths at KS3 and KS4, as well as
for post-16 Functional Skills and GCSE resit.
Whilst intended for post-16 students working towards re-sitting GCSE, the ASDAN Short
Course in Mathematics, developed by MEI, provides a wealth of activities and investigations
for learning maths in context.
If you have students involved in work experience, whether it’s at KS4 or KS5 then you might
like to take a look at our guides on Integrating work experience and maths learning.
Realistic Mathematics Education uses realistic situations to develop mathematical
concepts. Some useful resources are:
• Using realistic Mathematics Education in UK classrooms
• Realistic Mathematics Education as a way of solving problems
• Some examples
Integral, MEI’s online resources designed to support
teaching and learning, includes many excellent
resources which make use of context to frame
problems.
• Finance – for GCSE.
• Integrating Maths Problem Solving – maths within other A level subjects.
• Core Maths - all Core Maths is context based.
More information on Integral, including free samples and subscription rates, is available on
our website.
There are also ideas about using
context in the paper produced by MEI,
GCSE Mathematics retake for
vocational students.
There are four pipes leading into a well. The
1
1
first fills the well in a day, the second in of a
1
2
3
1
day, the third in of a day and the fourth in of
a day.
4
5
There are lots of other sources of
If they are all filling the well together how long
contextualisation of maths available on
will it take?
the internet, but beware of pseudo
contexts. A pseudo-context is one that
at first sight looks as though it refers to
real-life, but is not actually a realistic problem to pose.
When presented with such a use of context, students are likely to ask, “Who would want to
know this?”
These can easily put-off students. For more information about pseudo contexts,
take look at the introduction to our contextualisation toolkit.
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Professional development
MEI will be delivering a Contextualised toolkit course at
the National STEM Centre in York on 20-21 June. The aim
of this course is to develop contextualised resources for
use in the classroom. This course attracts ENTHUSE
funding and most of the course fees can be reclaimed by
state schools and colleges.
MEI’s annual conference offers the opportunity for
mathematics teachers and enthusiasts to share, explore,
discuss and evaluate ideas for the classroom. Sessions
cover a wide variety of topics, ensuring that there is
always something for everyone, regardless of
specification.
Presentations and handouts from past MEI annual
conference sessions include ideas for using context in
mathematics. Some examples are:
• Developing contextualised resources for post-16 GCSE Mathematics
• The pros and cons of teaching context in the teaching of mathematics
The MEI Conference 2016 features many sessions on Core maths, and also includes a
session on using real context in GCSE lessons.
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