Mathematics mastery is an approach to mathematics education which is based on mastery learning in which most students are expected to achieve a high level of competence before progressing. This technique is used in countries such as China and Singapore where good results have been achieved and so the approach is now being promoted in the UK by people such as schools minister Nick Gibb. Chinese teachers were brought to the UK to demonstrate the Shanghai mastery approach in 2015. A trial was made in the UK with about 10,000 students of ages 5–6 and 11–12. In one year, test scores indicated that the students were about a month ahead of students in schools using other approaches. This result was considered small but significant.
The National Association of Mathematics Advisers has highlighted five issues in understanding this approach.
- Variation in the methods promoted by different organisations
- The extent of differentiation
- The content of the curriculum
- The amount of practise and repetition
- The choice and use of textbooks