Survey Results

 

The full survey results have been submitted for publication and the papers are currently under review. As soon as the papers are published, the survey results will be made available on this page.

In the meantime, highlights from the survey results have shown that:

• At Year 9 (age 13-14) there has been an overall decline in students’ understanding since the mid-1970s in algebra and ratio. There is a more mixed picture for Decimals, where students’ understanding appears to have slightly increased over time for the middle attaining students, although this is in the context of an overall decline.

• Around two thirds of 14 year olds in 2008/9 had difficulty with the most basic ideas of ratio. Around two fifths have difficulty with basic algebra.

• Only 17% of current 14 year olds can identify the correct calculation for the following problem: 22 litres of petrol cost £4.86. What calculation would I use to calculate the price of one litre?

• The proportion of the very lowest attaining students at the end of Key Stage 3 has roughly doubled since the 1970s. This group now constitutes about 15% of the Year 9 cohort. These students have difficulty answering even basic questions about core ideas from the primary curriculum.

If you would like to know more about the survey results, two papers reporting early and partial results are available for download on our publication page.