Mastery, mobility, and mathematics: A case study on service children and the NCETM’s five big ideas

Abstract

This case-based research study examines the implementation of Teaching for Mastery (TfM) in mathematics using the NCETM's Five Big Ideas – Coherence, Representation and Structure, Variation, Mathematical Thinking, and Fluency. The study considers the opportunities and challenges associated with applying TfM pedagogy when teaching mathematics to a diverse pupil group, particularly Service (Army) children. The study uses the concept of policy enactment to explore how teachers interpret and apply these principles within their classrooms. Drawing on classroom observations, teacher interviews, field notes, and work samples, the research investigates the successes and challenges of applying TfM, with particular attention to the needs of Service children who often experience educational disruptions due to family mobility. Teachers working with Service children face additional challenges in maintaining coherence and continuity in learning despite frequent school transitions. This research examines how the structured, deep-learning approach of TfM, underpinned by the Five Big Ideas, can address these challenges while fostering a cohesive and inclusive learning environment. Findings indicate that while the Five Big Ideas promote mathematical understanding and engagement, their enactment is shaped by teachers’ professional beliefs. Teachers are more likely to embed the aspects of TfM that they perceive to have, or are likely to have, a positive impact. Importantly, the analysis also identified two further principles – Community and Context – as essential to effective mastery teaching in this setting. Together with the NCETM’s Five Big Ideas, these form a proposed framework of Seven Big Ideas that reflect both established principles and the lived realities of diverse classrooms. The study highlights the central role of professional development – particularly in strengthening subject knowledge – in enabling teachers to adapt mastery pedagogy effectively for diverse pupil populations. Implications for policy include the need to design TfM support with sensitivity to contextual factors, such as the unique needs of transient military communities. The study concludes with recommendations for further research, including longitudinal studies on the sustained impact of the Seven Big Ideas – especially Community, Context, and Coherence – for Service children, and continued investigation into targeted professional development for mastery teaching.