Let’s Think Conference 2017

This year’s conference will focus on how pupils can be taught to think better, with a particular emphasis on reasoning across English, maths and science. The conference will take place on 7 July 2017 at York St John University. Visit blog.yorksj.ac.uk/ltss to find out more and register your interest.

Become a Let’s Think Accredited School

Is your school committed to Let’s Think as a teaching approach for all staff? We are now offering schools the possibility to apply for formal accreditation as a Let’s Think school. Accredited Let’s Think schools may be asked to host courses, to run local and regional networks and partner other schools starting to implement Let’s Think. Please contact info@letsthink.org.uk if you are interested.

Let’s Think Network Groups

The Let's Think in English Networks meet once a term. There are two secondary and one primary networks that meet at King's College London and also networks in Hampshire and Norfolk. The October network meetings focused on sustaining and embedding Let's Think in English, bridging from LTE lessons and the latest updates on GCSE grade boundaries.

The Let’s Think in English Network is for trained schools and supports embedding and sustaining the LTE programme. The LTE Network offers ongoing professional development for teachers, leaders and schools. At present over 130 schools are part of the LTE Network. Annual membership costs £150 per school.

The Let’s Think Maths Network meets once a term at UCL Institute of Education, London. This group of experienced Let’s Think practitioners explore new lessons, engage with research that connects Let’s Think with what is known about learning more broadly and deepen their understanding of Let’s Think through reflections on practice and lesson design activities. The next session is on 16 March from 4-6pm. Annual membership of the network costs £100.

Schools involved in these networks also receive new lessons (primary, KS3 and GCSE) as they become available.

Recent research

The report into our London Schools Excellence Fund Let’s Think Maths and English project has now been published. Evidence from a range of sources demonstrated that Let’s Think made a significant difference to teacher confidence, and skills, pupil learning, the development of Let’s Think lead teachers and lead schools. The professional development model was a significant element of the project’s success, for example the use of simulation lessons; and giving teachers time to reflect on teaching and learning with colleagues.

A recent paper from Tonga found that the introduction of Let’s Think Maths, or CAME (Cognitive Acceleration in Maths Education) for Year 8 and 9 students made a significant differences to students’ self-regulation, motivation and mathematics achievement. Finau, T., Treagust, D.F., Won, M. and Chandrasegaran, A.L., 2016. Effects of a Mathematics Cognitive Acceleration Program on Student Achievement and Motivation. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, pp.1-20.

This study replicates recent research in Australia with CASE in which low socio-economic students in regional Western Australia made significant cognitive gains, with concomitant improvement in the national science test results:

Oliver, M., Venville, G. and Adey, P., 2012. Effects of a cognitive acceleration programme in a low socioeconomic high school in regional Australia. International Journal of Science Education, 34(9), pp.1393-1410.
Oliver, M. and Venville, G., 2016. Bringing CASE in from the Cold: the Teaching and Learning of Thinking. Research in Science Education, pp.1-18.
Venville, G. and Oliver, M., 2015. The impact of a cognitive acceleration programme in science on students in an academically selective high school. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 15, pp.48-60.

News

The Maths Association annual conference 2017 runs from 7-9 April in Surrey.

Cambridge University has a great website on metacognition, which you may find useful.