Mathematics New Lower Secondary Curriculum Syllabus
Mathematics forms a key element of every learner’s education. The Mathematics programme of study emphasises the essential mathematical skills that all citizens need for full and effective participation in civil, social and economic life. The programme of study focuses primarily on the needs of the
majority of learners, some of who may cease formal schooling before the end of Senior Four. It will allow these learners to take a wide range of formal or informal workplace opportunities, or to proceed to other post-Senior 4 programmes.
Prior to the reform, Mathematics, throughout the Lower Secondary years was strongly geared towards the needs of the small minority of learners who might eventually go on to study Mathematics at Advanced Level and beyond. The Mathematics programme in the reformed curriculum takes care of special learning needs. It is designed to ensure that the majority of learners will leave school with a worthwhile,
relevant qualification in the Mathematics that they will actually use in everyday life and work. In their daily life, knowingly or unknowingly, every human being uses and applies mathematical concepts in a wide range of contexts.
Numeracy skills are essential to every aspect of both work and daily life. Mathematics has evolved across all cultures over the years, and it is still developing.
The study of Mathematics develops the learners’ reasoning and logical thinking skills, and its applications cut across all Learning Areas. During the learning process, the beauty of Mathematics and its value in a wide range of contexts are recognised by the learner.
The Lower Secondary Mathematics programme of study focuses on developing mathematical understanding, logical reasoning, problem-solving and analytical thought. The concepts, understandings and skills acquired will help learners to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems, giving them the
flexibility they need to meet new situations as they arise. The learners will be confident with the Mathematics that they use in their day-to-day activities in the home, in the workplace, in
the community, and in society. They will also be ready to participate in civil life, using their mathematical skills to make informed decisions based on a sound understanding of facts, figures and opinions.
The skills and understandings that the learners acquire will be helpful throughout their lives. They will provide the essential mathematical tools required for a wide range of career paths including many of those in the fields of engineering, science or technology.
Teaching and Learning Mathematics
The thrust of the new syllabuses is experiential and towards deeper understanding. The focus in Mathematics is on the development of understanding through mathematical enquiry and rational thought. The syllabus provides learners with a wide range of contexts in which to develop this understanding, and these contexts are designed to engage the interest of the learner and to provide
opportunities to build life-related knowledge, experience and skills. Teachers are encouraged to go beyond the textbooks and provide as many meaningful contexts as possible. The generic skills have been integrated throughout the curriculum and can only be acquired through active approaches.
The role of the teacher is to build on learners’ existing knowledge and experience and to extend that by posing problems to the learners. This makes them think about their own ideas and experiences as well as adding new knowledge and skills to it.
Learners need to interact with real situations inside and outside the classroom. They need to look at pictures or diagrams, examine statistics, or read texts from a range of sources. They need to find out knowledge and ideas for themselves. They should then be expected to express these in their own words,
not those of the teacher, and so demonstrate that they have understood what they have learnt.
In this approach, learners are encouraged to:
- Be responsible for their own learning
- Think for themselves and form their own ideas and opinions
- Become critical thinkers, ready to face new challenges and situations for themselves
- Mathematics is divided into four themes that run throughout the four years of study. The following are the themes: Numbers, Geometry, Measures, Data and probability and patterns and Algebra.
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