Using the 5Rs approach to improve GCSE Maths attainment
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN91964936 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN91964936 |
- Submission date
- 10/11/2022
- Registration date
- 14/11/2022
- Last edited
- 11/11/2022
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Funding regulations (2014/15) mean that full-time students aged 16-19 with a grade 3 or below in GCSE maths must continue studying GCSE maths as a “condition of funding” of their education. Maths resit challenges are two-fold, impacting on both students and colleges. Recent surveys by the Association of Colleges identified pressures caused by maths resits as one of greatest concerns for colleges (AoC, 2018b) and vacancies for maths teachers as the fourth most difficult to fill (AoC, 2022). In 2019, only 21.5% of those aged 17 taking GCSE maths achieved a grade 4 or above (Ofqual, 2019). While students may understand the importance of reaching a grade 4 or above in maths, students have reported feeling like a ‘failure’ for not achieving this level and of finding maths difficult to understand (Playfair, 2019). This has potential knock-on effects such as lower confidence in maths, lower motivation and less engagement in (and outside of) maths lessons. Thus, the aim of 5Rs is to RE-Vision, that is to view maths concepts in a different and therefore more understandable way, to heighten a sense of achievement, motivation and confidence.
Who can participate?
Post-16 education providers in England are eligible to take part in the trial. This includes FE colleges, Sixth Form colleges, School Sixth forms and UTCs. Settings are eligible to participate if the following criteria are met: They have a minimum of 15 students aged 16-19 re-taking GCSE maths in the year 2021-2022 (Cohort 1) / 2022/2023 (Cohort 2) and expect this number to stay constant or rise in 2022-2023 (Cohort 1) / 2023/2024 (Cohort 2). GCSE students are enrolled by September 2022 (Cohort 1) / September 2023 (Cohort 2) for the full academic year.
What does the study involve?
Settings who sign up to the trial will be allocated to either the control group (business as usual) or the intervention group. Those allocated to the intervention will receive initial online training via a webinar delivered by Julia Smith, developer of the 5Rs programme. A maximum of five teachers per setting will be allowed to participate. The training will outline the method and theory behind the intervention and will take place in September 2022 for Cohort 1 and then September 2023 for Cohort 2). This will be followed by a further two training days, one at the beginning of each of the following two terms, which will incorporate a review of the previous terms’ delivery, identify new resources and approaches, address problem-solving for longer questions and consider remote learning in more detail. A helpline will also be available for further support for teachers throughout the academic year. Teachers should be able to start using the 5Rs model in the classroom after the first training day. Additionally, students will have access to various online resources via the Padlet application to facilitate their study both inside and outside the classroom.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The possible benefits of taking part are for settings to improve overall maths GCSE resit grades. For teachers, they will learn a new way to teach maths using the 5Rs approach. For students, a possible better chance at achieving a grade 4 or above for their maths GCSE resit. There isn't thought to be any possible risks of taking part but the IPE will explore any unintended consequences of the trial.
Where is the study run from?
The study is being evaluated by the University of York (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
December 2021 to December 2024
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Louise Tracey, louise.tracey@york.ac.uk
Contact information
Principal Investigator
University of York
Department of Education
Heslington
York
YO10 5DD
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)1904 328160 |
|---|---|
| louise.tracey@york.ac.uk |
Scientific
University of York
Department of Education
Heslington
York
YO10 5DD
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-5908-0282 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)19044 328104 |
| erin.dysart@york.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial with random allocation at the setting level |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | School |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Using the 5Rs approach to improve GCSE Maths resit attainment, a two-armed cluster randomized control trial: 5Rs Efficacy Retrial, Evaluation Protocol |
| Study objectives | The central aim of the trial is to evaluate the impact of 5Rs on GCSE maths attainment for students aged 16-19 who are resitting GCSE maths to try to achieve a grade 4 or above. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 02/02/2022, University of York Department of Education Ethics Committee (University of York, Department of Education, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK; +441904 328160; education-research-admin@york.ac.uk), ref: Z4855807 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | The impact of 5Rs on GCSE maths attainment for students aged 16-19 who are resitting GCSE maths |
| Intervention | Post-16 education providers in England are eligible to take part in the trial. This includes FE colleges, Sixth Form colleges and School Sixth forms, Settings will be allocated to either the intervention or act as a control (teaching as usual), using minimisation by type of setting and number of students. The intervention will be implemented in settings through normal maths lessons over a 1-year period (in two cohorts: cohort 1 - 2022-2023, cohort 2 - 2023-2024). Those allocated to the intervention will receive initial online training via a webinar delivered by Julia Smith, developer of the 5Rs programme. A maximum of five teachers per setting will be allowed to participate. The training will outline the method and theory behind the intervention and will take place in September 2022 for Cohort 1 and then September 2023 for Cohort 2). This will be followed by a further two training days, one at the beginning of each of the following two terms, which will incorporate a review of the previous terms’ delivery, identify new resources and approaches, address problem-solving for longer questions and consider remote learning in more detail. A helpline will also be available for further support for teachers throughout the academic year. Teachers should be able to start using the 5Rs model in the classroom after the first training day. Additionally, students will have access to various online resources via the Padlet application to facilitate their study both inside and outside the classroom. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | GCSE maths attainment is measured using GCSE maths raw score (converted to Z score for analysis) at baseline and endline (1 year) |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. GCSE maths grade is measured using GCSE (9-1) as a binary measure i.e. achieving a grade 3 or below, or grade 4 or above, at baseline and endline (1 year) 2. Exam attendance rates are measured using student attendance at each of the exam sessions at endline 3. Attitudes towards maths is measured using an adapted Attitudes Towards Maths (ATMI) (Tapia & Marsh, 2000), at baseline and endline (7 months) |
| Overall study start date | 01/12/2021 |
| Completion date | 31/12/2024 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 16 Years |
| Upper age limit | 19 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 80+ post-16 settings. Maximum of 6400 (80 settings of 80 pupils) recruited to the evaluation - anticipated 3700 will be included in the analysis |
| Key inclusion criteria | Settings are eligible to participate if the following criteria are met: 1. They have a minimum of 15 students aged 16-19 re-taking GCSE maths in the year 2021-2022 (Cohort 1) / 2022/2023 (Cohort 2) and expect this number to stay constant or rise in 2022-2023 (Cohort 1) / 2023/2024 (Cohort 2) 2. GCSE students are enrolled by September 2022 (Cohort 1) / September 2023 (Cohort 2) for the full academic year |
| Key exclusion criteria | Settings will not be eligible if any of the following apply: 1. They operate roll-on roll-off recruitment of students 2. They or their staff have previously been trained in, or used, the 5Rs programme, including accessing the 5Rs materials available on the AQA website. AQA have agreed to check potential participants against their records and will confirm whether or not they have been previously involved (data protection regulations do not allow the researchers direct access to this information). 3. They were involved in the 2019-2020 trial and were in the group that received the 5Rs programme (those settings that followed teaching-as-usual – the “control group” – will be eligible for 2022-2023 (Cohort 1). Those who were selected as a control group for 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 will not be eligible to minimise dropout. |
| Date of first enrolment | 03/02/2022 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/08/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
London
WC1A 1HU
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Charity
5th Floor, Millbank Tower
21 – 24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)204 536 3999 |
|---|---|
| info@eefoundation.org.uk | |
| Website | https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03bhd6288 |
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
- Alternative name(s)
- EducEndowFoundn, Education Endowment Foundation | London, EEF
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/05/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned peer reviewed publication to be available through the EEF website. |
| IPD sharing plan | The current data sharing plans for this study are currently unknown and will be made available at a later date. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol file | version 1.2 | 11/11/2022 | No | No |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
Trial's existence confirmed by Unversity of York.
