Research School Network: Maths Skills in Science Using the Check, Adapt (and Recheck) Approach

It can be disheartening to watch pupils struggle with a calculation that they could complete successfully in a mathematics lesson. Yet this is a common challenge in science classrooms.

Applied mathematics plays a significant role in physics, with around half of the marks in GCSE Combined Science physics arising from mathematical skills. The challenge for science teachers is not simply teaching content, but helping pupils understand and apply the mathematical processes required to answer questions effectively.

Ultimately, we want pupils to achieve the outcomes they need for their chosen futures while developing a secure foundation in science.


Why teach maths skills explicitly?

Physics contains a substantial amount of mathematical content, so pupils need regular opportunities to practise calculations. However, many struggle to identify the correct equation, rearrange formulae, convert units or apply their knowledge to unfamiliar contexts. Scientific questions often require pupils to combine several skills at once, which can make them difficult to access.

Teaching these skills explicitly takes time, but it is essential.

In any classroom, pupils will be at different stages of understanding. Some will be ready for greater challenge, while others may rely on copying worked examples or following their peers without developing genuine understanding. Meeting these varied needs can feel increasingly difficult.

The Education Endowment Foundation’s Check, Adapt approach provides a useful framework for responding to this challenge. While many teachers already use similar strategies, applying them deliberately and systematically can improve learning and help teachers respond more effectively to pupils’ needs. 

Check: Understanding where pupils are

The first step is understanding what pupils have learned so far. Mini whiteboards are a particularly effective tool for checking understanding during science lessons. Within seconds, teachers can gain valuable insight into pupils’ thinking and identify misconceptions before they become embedded.

A quick scan of the room can reveal who is confident, who has become tangled in calculations, and who may need additional support. It also allows teachers to provide immediate verbal feedback and adapt their teaching in real time.

If most pupils are struggling, it is important to pause and address misconceptions immediately rather than waiting until the next lesson.

For example, if 70% of the class answer incorrectly, pupils may have:
– selected the wrong equation;
– rearranged the formula incorrectly;
– substituted values into the wrong positions; or
– confused units.


Adapt: Responding to pupil needs

Once misconceptions have been identified, teaching can be adapted accordingly.

Rather than moving on, the teacher might:
– model the calculation again using a worked example;
– narrate the thinking process explicitly;
– highlight common errors; and
– provide a second example using different values.

If some pupils are still struggling while others are successful, targeted scaffolds can help bridge the gap.

A structured calculation routine might include:
1. Write the equation.
2. Substitute the values.
3. Rearrange if required.
4. Calculate.
5. Add units.

Meanwhile, pupils who are secure can be challenged with more complex questions that require deeper scientific reasoning rather than simply repeating routine calculations.


Recheck: Has the adaptation worked?

Checking understanding should not stop after the adaptation.

A second calculation or follow-up question can help determine whether the support has been effective.

Can pupils now complete the calculation accurately? Have misconceptions been addressed? If not, further adaptation may be needed.

This continual cycle of checking, adapting and rechecking helps ensure that pupils make secure progress rather than simply appearing successful in the moment.


Bringing the approach together

One of the challenges of teaching calculations in science is that questions are rarely straightforward. Pupils may need to extract information from text, convert units, rearrange equations and sometimes use the answer from one calculation to complete another. These are complex, applied skills that need to be carefully built over time.

The Check, Adapt, and Recheck approach acts as a useful reminder of the strategies that support pupils most effectively.

Teachers can use their knowledge of the class, common misconceptions and classroom dynamics to decide which adaptations will have the greatest impact. Planning for likely misconceptions in advance also makes responsive teaching more efficient.

When teaching maths skills in science, it is important to slow the process down and give pupils time to develop understanding.

Over the course of a physics qualification, pupils will encounter numerous equations and increasingly complex applications of mathematical reasoning. Teaching the process explicitly, checking understanding carefully and adapting support when required helps pupils develop confidence alongside competence. 

Conclusion

Developing mathematical fluency in science does not happen overnight. It requires careful planning, responsive teaching and sustained opportunities for practice. By using the Check, Adapt, and importantly Recheck approach, teachers can identify misconceptions early, provide targeted support and help pupils build secure understanding.

Over time, this should not only improve attainment but is also likely to increase pupils’ confidence, enabling them to approach scientific calculations with greater accuracy, independence and resilience.

Ali Banks has been a teacher of science for 19 years and is lucky enough to work with trainee teachers and ECTs at Notre Dame High School. Loves cats and roller skating. Should not be on roller skates!