1. Dr Nicola Walshe University of Cambridge
Another quantitative revolution? Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods in geography teaching
Dr Nicola Walshe
University of Cambridge

2. Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Rationale
There is a clear Government focus on improving the numerical literacy of its population, particularly in schools.
Quantitative methods content are significantly increased at A Level and GCSE examination specifications from 2016.
Quantitative methods are not well integrated in the geography curricula (e.g. RGS, 2013).
Geography teachers lack confidence in their knowledge of quantitative methods, especially geospatial technologies.
What are we doing in response to this as Geography teacher trainers?

3. Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Aims of the project
To understand what trainee understandings of quantitative methods are (and their perceptions of them)
To explore how we can develop these understandings both as individuals and teachers of Geography
To consider how interdisciplinary work with maths trainees might be able to support this.

4. Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Project outline
Work with mentors
Exploration of new specifications – emphasis on quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary session with the maths trainees
Development of exemplar targets and training activities for in school
Session on the European I-Use project and the use of statistics in the classroom with Iain Palot in June
Questionnaires
Ongoing use of GIS
Questionnaires & Interviews

5. What are quantitative methods?
Quantitative methods include, but are not limited to, data manipulation, presentation and analysis, visualisation, mapping, cartography, statistics, GIS, modelling etc. (RGS, 2013)
Producing information about the world using numerical and statistical techniques and models. These ... reduce complex phenomena down to neat information that can supposedly be used to make generalisations and reach ‘objective’ conclusions.
Quantitative methods are research methods that are numerical, “objective”, positivist, including statistical analysis. Methods collecting data that you can count.

6. GIS? Trainees’ previous experience of quantitative methods University
Examples:
Statistics packages e.g. Minitab & SPSS
Multiple regression modelling
T-Testing, Mann-Whitney U Test, mean, mode and median
University
Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range and standard deviation
Significance tests, such as Chi-squared, Spearman’s rank, Mann-Whitney U test and T-test
Lines of best fit and correlation on graphical representations
Measurement, measurement errors and sampling
School
GIS?
A platform with which you can perform quantitative data analysis

7. Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Introduction to Core Maths
Maths task

8. Search for information, not for answers!

9. Example questions How many times round the world is that?
What exactly does “1 million base miles flown” mean?
How many journeys might that have been?
How many years did it take to amass this many air-miles?
How long has been spent in the air?
How many actual miles have the planes flown?
How many plane-delays might have been experienced?
What is the total cost of the tickets?
What is the carbon footprint of this flier?

10. GIS Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Introduction to Core Maths
Maths task
Introduction to how quantitative methods are used in Geography
GIS

11. Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Introduction to Core Maths
Maths task
Introduction to how quantitative methods are used in Geography
Statistics task on sand dune ecology

12. Sand Dune Data Analysis
Distance along transect
Height Ph
Moisture level
Infiltration rate
Temperature
Wind speed
Plant cover
Plant species
Explore the patterns and relationships in this data in your inter-disciplinary groups. Try to experiment with at least one of Spearman Rank or Chi-Squared.

13. Sand Dune Ecology

14. Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary work with mathematicians
Introduction to Core Maths
Maths task
Introduction to how quantitative methods are used in Geography
Statistics task on sand dune ecology
Discussion of how we might develop this collaboration within school

15. Developing trainee understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary working with the maths trainees – what did they learn?
I do have a good knowledge of statistical methods, it just needs refreshing
How broad quantitative methods are, including GIS
Although the equations look complicated, it is not as difficult as it seems at first
Information about Core Maths
Geographers use maths and statistics a lot - I didn’t know that
Geography gives good practical example of the use of maths
A Level Geography uses a lot of maths which I did not come across until late at university

16. Developing trainee understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary working with the maths trainees – what did they particularly enjoy?
Refreshing my understanding of statistics
Showing the mathematicians how Geography can be used to apply maths
The aeroplane task
Working with the maths / Geography trainees
Learning new statistical techniques
Using real world data
Seeing what GIS can do
I learnt a lot about Geography

17. Developing trainee understanding of quantitative methods
Interdisciplinary working with the maths trainees – what did they take into the school context?
We should collaborate more in school - geographers should take pupils to collect raw data, and mathematicians should support them with statistical tests.
We should discuss links between subjects more with students
Instead of boring statistical data that are given to students to work on, I could use geographical data instead
I should think more about what students might already know when they come into maths lessons
It might be a good idea to say hello to the geography teachers in the staff room

18. Trainees confidence with using quantitative methods?
Before the
training
After the
training

19. Developing trainee teacher understanding of quantitative methods
Final reflections
Our trainee teachers have a clear background in quantitative methods – they need
Pedagogy
Confidence
Importance of involvement of mentors
Value of interdisciplinary work in University and Schools
Embedding good practice during training year