Oxford-developed mathematical reasoning programme boosts mathematical attainment among Year 2 pupils

The findings come from an independent evaluation of the Mathematical Reasoning programme, developed at the Department of Education to help 6 and 7-year-olds strengthen their quantitative reasoning and number sense as foundations for mathematical learning and problem solving.

Professors Gabriel Stylianides and Terezinha Nunes, who lead the Mathematical Reasoning programme, said: “We are delighted that the findings from this trial show that young children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can considerably benefit from opportunities to engage in mathematical reasoning.

“They also demonstrate that the Mathematical Reasoning programme can be delivered successfully at scale through online teacher professional development, making implementation both practical and accessible for a wide range of schools. We hope these findings will encourage schools to place mathematical reasoning at the heart of primary mathematics.”

The trial, evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and published by the EEF, involved 238 schools and 6,292 pupils.

Pupils who took part in the programme made, on average, one month’s additional progress in maths compared with pupils receiving their usual maths teaching. Among pupils eligible for free school meals, the average gain was two months’ additional progress.

The programme combines classroom teaching, small-group activities, and computer games designed to consolidate the concepts introduced during classroom teaching.

Over 12 to 15 weeks, teachers replaced one maths lesson each week with a Mathematical Reasoning session, helping pupils develop their understanding of the relationships between quantities and numbers and use this understanding to reason through mathematical problems. Pupils then reinforced their learning through group work and a series of specially designed computer games.

A key feature of the programme is its focus on supporting teachers as well as pupils. Following an earlier evaluation, the Oxford team redesigned the programme’s professional development model, replacing the previous train-the-trainer approach with a fully online programme combining self-paced teacher training with ongoing support from experienced Teacher Leaders. This trial tested whether the programme’s benefits could be maintained when delivered at scale through this new professional development model.

Supporting the programme’s journey from Oxford research to wider impact, Oxford University Innovation (OUI), the University’s innovation partner, worked with the researchers to create a practical route for Mathematical Reasoning to reach more schools. OUI’s Consulting Services team facilitated contracts with schools and funders, helped navigate complex research intellectual property (IP) questions and created a route to market through its CS Enterprise model.

The EEF gave the findings a high security rating, indicating a high degree of confidence in the results. The Mathematical Reasoning programme is already an EEF Promising Programme, having previously demonstrated meaningful, cost-effective improvements in outcomes.

The results also add to evidence that technology and games can support children’s learning when they are carefully integrated into teaching, rather than being used as a standalone solution. The evaluation found that the combination of clear learning goals, teacher training and dedicated classroom time was important to the programme’s effectiveness.

For teachers involved in the trial, the programme also provided valuable professional development opportunities.

Emma O’Connor, a teacher at Northway Primary School in Maghull, said: “The children absolutely loved the programme and it became known as ‘Fun Maths Friday’ in our classroom! They were both engaged and challenged at the same time.”

She also described the teacher training as “really informative and interesting”.

James Puntis, a teacher at St Mary and St Pancras CofE Primary School, said: “It was genuinely one of the most valuable professional development experiences I’ve had and has had a lasting impact on my teaching and approach to mathematics.”

Overall, the findings demonstrate that teaching young children to reason mathematically can improve their mathematical attainment. They also show that a research-based approach to teaching mathematical reasoning can be delivered successfully at scale through an online professional development model that enables more teachers to access high-quality professional learning.

Read the full report.