RISK at IOE | The TURS Project

The aim of this project was to enhance the teaching of risk in secondary school science and mathematics by developing teachers’ inter-disciplinary knowledge, and supporting them to motivate students' learning about risk.

Although risk is a core topic in the English National Curriculum for science and mathematics, there has been a lack of systematic research on the pedagogy of risk. We worked with four pairs of science and mathematics teachers from different schools to co-develop decision-making scenarios, drawing on both personal heuristics and probabilistic reasoning involving the modelling of socio-scientific issues. Through this development process we were able to gain insight into teachers’ own knowledge about risk, and how they think about the teaching and learning of risk. The scenarios, supporting materials and research papers are available on this website. 

We did not seek to provide teachers with ready-made tools or approaches to teaching risk, but to use their experiences of working on modelling tools and tasks to develop a deeper understanding of the pedagogy of risk, with potential for later development into tools and activities aimed at classroom use.

The achievements of the research were as follows:

1. An elaboration of pedagogical principles of teachers’ knowledge and understanding in working with scenarios involving risk-based scenarios.

2. One complete decision-making scenario, Deborah’s Dilemma, within a software environment that incorporates expressive tools; the scenario was designed as a development tool for teachers, but has also been shown to be usable with students in prompting discussion about personal values and assessing risk probabilities and impacts.

3. Additional scenarios involving risk-based dilemmas for teachers to develop in the classroom.

4. Dissemination activity: Deborah’s Dilemma was presented as part of a professional development workshop for science and mathematics teachers on interdisciplinary working, jointly organised with the National Science Learning Centre, the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, and the Nuffield Curriculum Programme.  An end-of-project conference held at the Wellcome Trust in London featured a report on our research alongside lectures on risk from distinguished speakers Professor David Nutt of Imperial College, and Professor Robin Millar of York University. Video records of the workshop and conference are available on this website. We have given papers at national and international conferences, and have developed these for academic publication.

The Project Team

Dr Dave Pratt is Professor of Mathematics Education at the Institute of Education. His particular research focus is on the relationship between technological tools and mathematical thinking. In particular, using a design research methodology, he has developed a number of microworlds to support research and learning in knowledge domains such as probability, mechanics and geometry. He supervises a large group of doctoral students whose research is deepening understanding of the potential and limitation of technology in learning situations.

Dr Ralph Levinson is Lecturer in Science Education at the Institute of Education. He has run many professional development courses on the teaching of socio-scientific issues, including international workshops at the National Science Learning Centre. His particular research interests are in the teaching of controversial socio-scientific issues; citizenship, the arts and sciences; and explaining science in the classroom. He was the co-author of the ‘Valuable Lessons’ report, published by The Wellcome Trust, on the teaching of controversial issues and is leading a research project into the teaching of historical, ethical and philosophical aspects of science. He has published widely on the teaching of socio-scientific issues, and has appeared on Teachers’ TV as a consultant on the teaching of issues in biomedical science.

Dr Phillip Kent was a senior research officer at the Institute of Education, 2001-2010. He has researched mathematics education at secondary level, undergraduate level, and in workplace and vocational/professional learning. He is a specialist in the research and design of novel mathematical learning environments, using technologies such as computer algebra systems and spreadsheets, and in recent work, physical microelectronic devices.

Cristina Yogui was a part-time volunteer researcher for the project. She has a background in education, and holds an MA in Mathematics Education from the Institute of Education. Before this project, she worked for several Brazilian publishing houses as an editor of mathematics textbook series, and of mathematics content for science teaching materials. She has also worked in primary and secondary schools in Brazil and the UK.

Dr Ramesh Kapadia is a Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Education, a specialist in statistics and probability education, and former Her Majesty's Inspector for Mathematics.