Thinking in Ordinary Lessons: What Happened When Nine Teachers Believed Their Failing Students Could Think Mathematically

This paper is about improving mathematics achievement among the lowest attaining students in some mainstream secondary school through focusing on thinking in ordinary lessons. The research is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (grant numbers 01-1415 & 02-1424) and involves three academics and nine teacher-researchers. A research perspective has been taken throughout the project. In this paper we report on the commonalities which emerged from the teachers' varied practices, and the creation of ways to interrogate mathematical tasks. (Contains 1 table.) [For complete proceedings, see ED500859.]