Being Number Confident

• #UKEdChat session 602
• Being number confident can decrease stress across a lifetime
• A shift in culture is needed to support those less confident with numbers.
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Number confidence is a huge issue at any time, but during a cost of living crisis, the problem is compounded. Without number skills, one may have an incomplete view of decisions that need to be made. From whether to fix your energy bill or remain on the price cap, to having a clear idea of your budget and spending, a grasp and confidence of numbers can make a huge difference, both in the outcome and in the stress getting there.

These kind of decisions are not only the preserve of adults. While the magnitude of choice for our young people may be on a different scale, the skills remain largely the same, and a lack of understanding of numbers in the wider world beyond the classroom can lead to poor outcomes, especially as our young people move into their relatively financially independent teenage years.

Research shows again and again the humans are bad at estimating many things, from imagining big numbers, allocating the right amount of time or resources to a task (climate change mitigation anyone?). Getting a better sense of ‘ball park’ figures can help a great deal, even if the precise numbers are unknown.

In this #UKEdChat session, which took place on Thursday 19th May 2022 at 8pm(UK), we discussed how all teachers can support the development of number confidence, how maths can be taught in all subject areas, and how learners can develop a better number sense.

Questions

1. How do you think having or not having maths confidence impacts on your daily life?
2. What cross-curricular maths skills have you helped the develop in your classroom?
3. In your opinion, what is the biggest barrier to developing real world number confidence?
4. What good practice have you seen to promote number confidence?
5. How can schools support the communities they are in to develop number confidence, especially in light of the cost of living crisis?
6. How can technology support improved number confidence?
7. What further training would you like to be able to support learners more with number confidence?
8. What can be improved at the school level to improve number confidence for all learners?

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