Whole-school programmes
This section provides some examples of whole-school programmes of problem solving development. Some are based on the cumulative introduction of strategies, whilst others introduce and focus on all strategies from P1. At secondary level, some schools concentrate on revising what has been taught at the primary stages, whilst others use investigation and investigative approaches to foster problem solving skills.
You can also find out about several different models of primary-secondary liaison programmes in which schools have attempted to bridge the gap between P7 and S1, for both pupils and teachers.
Primary
Headteachers and teachers show and discuss their whole-school programmes for developing problem solving. Some programmes feature open-ended enquiry.
Secondary
Teachers at three secondary schools discuss their problem solving programmes and describe different approaches to the subject, most of which are less structured than their primary school equivalents. The Cognitive Acceleration in Mathematics Education (CAME) materials are referred to as contributing to pupils’ development of problem solving skills.
Primary/secondary liaison
A number of imaginative and innovative ways of attempting to overcome the difficulties associated with the transition from primary to secondary school are described. A cluster teacher of mathematics and a mathematics coordinator for a cluster, describe their roles and the improvements that have been made to curricular continuity and cross-sector understanding.