The PISA Report has shown a trend that was not unknown in Spanish classrooms: the loss of level in basic knowledge such as mathematics and reading comprehension. Although the pandemic had a devastating effect on all schools in the world (to a lesser extent in Spain), the decline in the performance of this learning came from before. President Pedro Sánchez, who will meet today with the State School Council, has announced a reinforcement plan for these subjects that involves working in small groups within the classroom (doubling or co-teaching), extracurricular classes for those who are furthest behind and teacher training.
The first two measures address the impact immediately and the third, which the Government plans to compensate with an economic supplement, wants to mitigate a deeper and more systemic problem: the quality of teaching.
In a survey that the Catalan Societat de Matemàtiques passed on to its members after learning that Catalan students had lost 31 points compared to 2015 (one and a half years), it was observed that 75% were not surprised by this result. They responded with a string of arguments: that students pass the course without achieving the minimum skills, that there is no motivation to learn and there is a lack of respect for the teacher, that there is a lack of resources to address diversity in the classroom (from those with more difficulties even those with high performance), that there is a lot of bureaucracy to deal with and there is a lack of professionals from other professions in schools, that hours of mathematics have been lost in the new curricula (about which there is disorientation). And they stressed that there is a lack of teachers who master the subject and know how to explain it well, with confidence. At all stages, from the little ones to university.
The problem of mastering the content occurs more in primary school, while the difficulty of teaching mathematics in a classroom with different students occurs in secondary school. Furthermore, there is a lack of mathematicians, who as soon as they graduate go to technology, and secondary school teachers are from professions that have seen different mathematics (economists, physicists, biologists, engineers). There is little didactics in these degrees and not much in the secondary school master's degree either. And there are no specialties in this matter.
“Mathematics education begins in kindergarten and primary school. If young people who want to be teachers arrived at the Faculty of Education with a good level of mathematics, perhaps the few hours taught in the didactics degree would be enough,” argues the president of the Catalan Societat de Matemàtiques, Montse Alsina. “The problem is that they come with a low level, even with a bad relationship with mathematics,” she adds. “And this will have an impact on how that teacher will transmit them, with insecurity and without enthusiasm.”
In Catalonia, teacher candidates must pass a personal aptitude test that evaluates logical-mathematical competence. They are knowledge of a maximum of 4th year of ESO (to allow them to be presented to those in vocational training). Between half and a third of those who apply do not pass it. Even so, a drop in the level of fundamental knowledge has been noted in recent years. Berta Barquero, associate professor at the UB, is coordinator of these tests. “The problem is that later, during the degree, they only have 18 credits out of 240, dedicated not to mathematics but to mathematics teaching.”
And they begin to teach classes (70% of what they are going to teach is mathematics, language and science). And they arrive at a time of generational change (the baby boom teachers are retiring) and of curricular change, towards competency learning. “If they do not follow training, they will basically feel insecure transmitting it,” explains Alsina, who is working with the Department of Education to find solutions to this situation.
Furthermore, anxiety regarding this subject plays a fundamental role and this is already detected at the age of 9, a feeling that undermines self-confidence: “I am not good for this.” In Spain, according to PISA, almost half of them find this subject stressful.
It's not better at school. In the basic skills of the last year, the decrease in knowledge was greater in ESO (11 points difference compared to the primary level). Almost a quarter completed compulsory education without reaching the agreed minimum. In PISA, of the six levels, Catalan students passed the first three, related to foundations, but not the three higher levels that have to do with how knowledge is mobilized (how it is applied, how problems are solved, how it is argued).
There are those who attribute it to the methodology. The debate is polarized between those who defend “monumentalist” teaching, of pure transmission of knowledge, and competency learning that relates operations to the student's reality and is focused on solving problems. For Alsina, there should be a balance. “When you go out to a game, you have had to train, do push-ups and shoot at the goal many times. And that is not contradictory to playing the game and looking for a strategy.”
For Barquero, there is a lack of evidence-based research, a closer connection between the university and schools, with the appropriate conditions. “Doctors would not apply a treatment if there were no research, protocols, practice....”
The Department of Education has analyzed the PISA tests and the basic competencies, identifying common failures. In primary school: numbering and calculation, space-measurement and relationships. In secondary school: calculation and percentage, space-measurement, connections between figures and graphic representations as well as problem solving.
Joan Cuevas, general director of Education, explains that training, materials, resources and support from the Ministry will be offered to the centers to achieve their objectives. In addition, changes are being worked on in teaching and in the secondary school master's degree.
Finally, they hope to present a specific mathematics reinforcement program. “It is based on close accompaniment to the student, classes with small groups working on different aspects, with two teachers. And feed back to the student on a weekly basis,” Cuevas announces. The program, which includes more staff, will be voluntary for the centers.
