Thread by @adamboxer1

These are interesting results. If anyone is interested in my thoughts:

~75% of teachers are giving 10 or fewer equations practice questions on average. This is definitely not enough. Why?

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https://twitter.com/adamboxer1/status/1452287730373865481

The most basic equations have three variables, and therefore three forms that need solving (whether you rearrange then substitute or vice versa). You first introduce the equation, and do a worked example. Students should then do one (at least) on mini-whiteboards. >

You should then do another one, but with a desirable difficulty added, like a unit conversion. Not doing this means solving the next equations will be algorithmic and automatic, with students just putting the numbers in and not learning anything. >

Students should then do another one on MWBs (they have now done 2), followed by at least 3 for practice (up to 5 now). You should repeat this for the other forms of the equation, but you can probably go a bit quicker in your worked examples, so maybe >

one new worked example per form, one MWB example per form (up to 7), two practice ones on each new form (up to 11), but by the end of the second form, you should be interleaving the first form. Shown differently, if the three forms are A, B, C, that would be:

A worked example (WE)
A mini-whiteboard (MWB)
AWE
AMWB
A
A
A
BWE
BMWB
B
B
B
A
B
A
CWE
CMWB
C
C
B
C
A
B
C

That makes 20 examples for students to try, and that doesn't even factor in:
- Multi-step
- Search and destroy (practice sets with lots of different equations)
- Word problems
- Homework

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You can almost effortlessly set massive numbers of equations for work at home using @Carousel_Learn - check out the question bank here >

https://twitter.com/adamboxer1/status/1335657102342320135?s=20

Sure, there are some classes that will need far fewer. But most classes probably need a helluva lot more than you'd think, and certainly more than is currently being given.

I also think that actually this poll is underestimating. When I look at resources that people provide on Tes, online, in textbooks...there are *very* few example questions. Normally not more than 5.

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If you'd like to know more:

1) Check out the video I did for CogSciSci on taking a curricular approach to equations achemicalorthodoxy.wordpress.com/2020/08/06/my-…

2) I have like 50 pages dedicated to teaching Equations in my upcoming book, Teaching Secondary Science (blatant plug)

@EmathsUK @mrbartonmaths interested in your thoughts