Primary pupils’ attainment in maths is far more influenced by their parents than by their school environment or relationship with their teacher, according to new research.
There is no “significant association” between “positive teacher characteristics” and pupils’ maths achievements, the research by the University of Sussex has found.
In contrast, at secondary level, positive student-teacher relationships were found to be linked to increased maths attainment.
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The paper reads: “The absence of a significant association between school- and teacher-related variables in primary education and maths attainment is surprising.
“Based on the existing literature, it was predicted that a positive school climate, a warm student-teacher relationship, and positive teacher characteristics in primary education would be associated with increased maths attainment.
“These findings suggest that the effects associated with poor secondary education experiences could be more substantial than positive primary education experiences.”
At secondary level, students were more likely to perform better in maths if they felt that their teacher was fair to all their classmates, regardless of gender or ability. However, their perceived quality of that teacher had no significant impact on their achievement.
The study suggests that focusing on student-teacher relationships and perceived levels of teacher “fairness” could be a way of improving maths performance at secondary level.
It says: “In this study, we found that student-teacher interactions...in secondary education had a significant association with attainment.
“These findings imply that one potential focal area for maths interventions could involve improving these relationships and interactions.”
Another finding was that maths attainment was inversely correlated to a sense of school belonging, with high achievers tending to be less happy at school.
‘Improving attitudes towards maths’
The most important school-related factor across primary and secondary pupils contributing towards maths success - and the only significant predictor in primary schools - was children’s attitudes towards the subject.
Primary school children who like maths gain almost a year of learning compared with peers who dislike the subject the most by the time they reach secondary school, the study found.
The study reads: “It appears that improving children’s attitudes towards maths might help improve their attainment.
“This has been achieved by the Maths Counts programme [a key stage 2 programme], however, it is likely that the associated increase in maths abilities prompted by this programme also increases children’s attitudes towards maths.”
Lead author Danielle Evans, researcher in achievement in mathematics at the University of Sussex, said: “This series of studies has shown that parental influence is one of the strongest factors in predicting maths attainment for pupils but it does also highlight the importance for schools and teachers to create positive and fair teaching environments, particularly at secondary schools as students deal with the challenge of transition and the new school environment.”
The research explored predictors of maths attainment at primary and secondary level, focusing on the school climate and children’s attitude towards school, student-teacher relationships, teacher characteristics, attitudes towards maths and perceptions of the maths teacher.
It used the responses of almost 7,000 pupils to the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
