Chapter 1 outlines the existing literature and key terminology surrounding evidence-based methods within education; including Precision Teaching (PT), the Say-All-Fast-Minute-Every-Day-Shuffled (SAFMEDS) strategy, and Direct Instruction (DI). Chapter 2 provides some additional context and justification with regards to the research methods we employed throughout this thesis. Here we also detailed the aims for the proceeding empirical chapters.

Chapter 3 details a cluster-randomized controlled trial assessing whether ongoing support from a researcher is necessary to yield the best outcomes from a teacher led SAFMEDS mathematics intervention. Following teacher training, we randomly allocated 33 schools to receive three in-house implementation support visits and ongoing email contact with a researcher. The remaining 31 schools received no implementation support following the same training. The results indicated that low-intensity support from a researcher has a positive effect on children’s ability to recall addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts fluently (Mathematics Fluency and Calculation (MFaCTs): Grades 1-2, d = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.39; MFaCTs: Grades 3-5, d = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.43).

Previous quantitative studies have built up an evidence-base in support of using the SAFMEDS strategy in schools to promote fluency development across the curriculum. Yet, limited research has assessed the social validity key stakeholders associate with using the SAFMEDS strategy in schools. Using qualitative methods, Chapter 4 outlines teachers’ and children’s views on the SAFMEDS strategy. In study 1, we disseminated an online survey to teaching staff (N = 55) who had attended SAFMEDS training in North Wales. Their responses revealed five themes relating to the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a teacher led SAFMEDS program in schools: (1) factors that promote progress, (2) factors that limit progress, (3) impact of competition, (4) confidence, and (5) inherent advantages of the SAFMEDS strategy. In study 2, we present data from interviews with children (N = 26) who had previously engaged with a SAFMEDS mathematics intervention program for at least one academic year. These transcripts revealed five further themes relating to the social validity of the strategy: (1) enjoyment, (2) data, (3) sense of achievement, (4) skills, and (5) home use.
XLP are a London-based charity who initiated a literacy and numeracy program (XL-LAN) in 2016. This program aimed to support young people from some of the most deprived areas in London to develop their basic literacy and numeracy skills through the SAFMEDS strategy. XLP recruited the expertise of researchers at Bangor University to help train, support, and develop the program. Chapter 5 outlines the process of this collaboration, the key results from the pilot scheme, and some recommendations for future practice. We analyzed the children’s (N = 263) in-session SAFMEDS data over the duration of their involvement with the program. The results indicated that children make session-by-session progress when they use the strategy, and this progress appears to be more stable for literacy skills compared to numeracy. We also identified some differences in the children’s performance progress at the level of supervision/provision. Following interviews with children who had been involved in program (N = 38), we identified five themes relating to the social validity of the program: (1) procedure, (2) improvement, (3) revision tool, (4) home use, and (5) withdrawal from class.

Chapter 6 outlines a feasibility study evaluating the effectiveness of an instructional fluency approach (combining DI and PT approaches) to teach addition skills in a pupil referral unit. This study focuses on the progress of five boys who had been excluded from mainstream education. Over six school weeks, a researcher worked through a commercially available DI program (Corrective Mathematics) and randomized fluency practice sheets with each child on a one-on-one basis (adhering to PT methods). The results suggested that this intervention approach can help remediate early mathematics skill deficits and appears to be of most benefit to children who attend and engage with sessions regularly.

Chapter 7 provides an overview of chapters 2 through 5, highlighting some of the strengths, limitations, and applications of this research. We also present some ideas for future research in this field.