Project Maths 'will not boost exam results'

Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/08/2012. Project Maths 'will not boost exam results'

Tags: Education And Politics

The government's new Project Maths scheme is unlikely to improve exam results, more than half of all maths teachers have claimed.

A study commissioned by Engineers Ireland revealed 57 per cent of teachers doubt the initiative will have a positive effect, the Irish Times reports.

Project Maths was introduced in 2010 and is designed to prepare pupils for careers in the engineering and science sectors.

However, it seems many in the education sector do not believe it is working, as 84 per cent of the 253 members of the Irish Maths Teachers Association questioned said greater priority needs to be given to the subject.

Principal of CBS James' Street John Devilly claimed the education body needs to look at the Finnish model as a benchmark for maths.

"We need to do something about maths in Ireland and we need to be open to change: change that works," he stated.

Written by Donal Walsh ADNFCR-2163-ID-801425505-ADNFCR

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SchoolDays

(13-08-2012 11:01)

Following up on our news story above that a recent Engineers Ireland survey found more than half of maths teachers believe the new syllabus, at least on its own, will not improve results, another report out today has found that "Leaving and Junior Cert pupils are reacting positively to the controversial new Project Maths syllabus -- but challenges remain"

The report which was produced by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in England was commissioned by the
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to evaluate the impact of Project Maths on student achievement, learning and motivation, and some initial findings are now available.

The report is based on a survey of student attitudes to learning maths, both in general terms and in relation to the new syllabus.

On the new syllabus itself, it found pupils were "generally confident" about using maths to solve problems in real-life situations, which is a key focus of the changed approach.

However, one concern highlighted is that pupils who had been doing Project Maths longest felt less confident about real-life application than those doing it for a shorter time.

View the full article in the Independent by Katherine Donnelly here
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/students-can-see-the-pluses-of-new-maths-syllabus-3197400.html