effective teaching of able pupils In the primary school: the findings of the oxfordshire effective teachers of able pupils proJectProviding effective challenge for able pupils is a problematic area for many schools. In 1998, an unpublished OFS 'TED report, submitted to the House of Commons Education and Emplayment Select Committee, identified it as a key issue in 20% of primllry schools and a significant number of sec:ondary schools. In the following yetU, the Stlect Committee's report 'Highly Able Children' esftlblished thRt many teachers were unsure ahout how to provide chtzllenge for able pupils. It was noted, hOWtVer, that good practice and expertise did exist in a minority of schools and that much could be learnt .frum them. The purpose of The Oxfordshire Effective TtiiChers of Able Pupils Project WIJS to identify some of the teachers who were thought to be creating effective chtzllenge and to examine their practice, with a vitw to identifying successful strategies. The project, funded by the National Primsry 'frust, had two main aims.• To identify the repertoire of strategies used in effective teaching of able pupils; • To work towards a pedagogical understanding of the effective teaching of able pupils.
Previous ResearchOne of the objectives of the research was to identify good practice from current research literature on teaching able pupils and then consider the extent to which this was matched by the teachers in the sample. Unfortunately, there has been little research 158, Gifted Education lntenrational on able pupils in UK primary schools, a deficiency which might both be a cause and a consequence of the low priority accorded to this group. We were able, however, to draw on international studies and also on more recent books advising teachers on ways of improving their provision for able pupils in the classrooms.
This discussion group aimed to use a work-in-progress project as an example to fuel discussion of curriculum coherence and the importance of the relationships between curriculum, context, and implementation. These are major considerations influencing curriculum development at national and international levels. Our example was the framework being developed by Cambridge Mathematics for presenting and organising the domain of school mathematics in a form that emphasises connections and interdependencies between learners' mathematical experiences, and the different routes that can successfully facilitate learners' development mathematical understanding.Two themes stood out strongly in both sessions. The first had to do with the importance of finding ways of communicating design, design methods, and research methods that can drive productive collaboration among researchers, administrators, policy makers, and teachers during framework development. Focal points for communication with one group of stakeholders might not provide critical information needed for another to engage. Consideration of the priorities and needs of each group in the collaborative process can help to make the final result more useful for all groups, and consequently more likely to be put to use and refined.Some specific features of a curriculum framework were identified as having the potential to benefit collaboration around emerging curriculum frameworks, and the subsequent quality of those frameworks. Framework design and documentation should be able to:
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