Centre of Excellence in Mathematics

Objective:

To create mathematics learning culture across the school.

Rationale:

Mathematics is generally seen as a difficult subject and there is a fear of mathematics .This phenomenon is referred as ‘Math anxiety’ as “a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance”.

Research studies indicate that highly anxious math students will avoid situations in which they have to perform mathematical calculations. Unfortunately, this also impacts the learning in other areas.

The scope of School Mathematics

Mathematics study in school start with topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change; it also expects to understand patterns and use them. Such mathematical learning builds the foundation for further studies and is linked with science, social science and applied mathematics.

Mathematical Learning

With the appropriate pedagogy, the principles of mathematics can be learned at an early age. Preschoolers can comprehend the majority of principles underlying counting. By kindergarten, children use counting in a more sophisticated manner by adding and subtracting numbers. As they grow they abandoned the early methods and replaced with a more refined and efficient strategy; children begin to perform addition and subtraction mentally at approximately six years of age.

When children reach approximately eight years of age, they can retrieve answers to mathematical equations from memory, they acquire these basic mathematical skills and are able to solve more complex mathematical problems with more sophisticated training. This learning process continues throughout the school life.

It is very important for a teacher, to understand age appropriate requirements, specific transition and make changes in teaching learning process.

HRCPL Model:

A unique way to institutionalize the mathematics learning in school

We at HR Consultants Pvt. Ltd. had helped many schools in India and abroad to design and establish educational systems and curriculum mapping. Over the period we developed special interest in Mathematics and started working on how to remove the fear of mathematics and deepen the mathematical understanding in true sense.

In this concept - Centre of Excellence in Mathematics we will work with school at least for three years and help them to institutionalize the mathematics learning in a scientific way.

It has 5 major components:

• Maths Curriculum Mapping: This module refines the curriculum for all grades and sets clear learning indicators aiming the broader goals of mathematics. Later in a small group mathematics teachers will be oriented about each of the grade specific learning indicator and its significance.
• Teacher Education: In this module we train teacher in a work-shop mode on pedagogy of mathematics. Three workshops will be conducted to understand the pedagogy for different age groups.
• Maths Club: In this, we will actually set the Maths Club or Re-structure the existing Maths Club with well defined procedures and activities for all grades.
• Scientific Assessment: This module deals with establishing Assessment systems, both, formative as well summative. We will work on the assessments tools including question paper structure etc for each grade covering the span of entire academic year.
• Student Workshop: We will have workshop for students one in first term and other in second, primarily clarifying that Mathematics learning is a real fun. This will help to reduce the psychological pressure and also the maths phobia.