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'Project' Maths

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  • 09-06-2018 6:47pm
    #1
    skippy1977
    Registered Users Posts: 284 ✭✭


    Good to see that after millions of euros spent changing the Maths course that they have reverted to setting an 'old course' style paper. Only 1 question on the whole paper with links to the 'real world' (Q7) and nearly every question has a twin on some old course paper. No problem with the Paper but when I think of all the hoops that were jumped through the last few years and all the money that was spent.... to arrive back where we were 10 years ago??


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    #2
    Tristan_
    Registered Users Posts: 38 ✭Tristan_


    Does it really matter what topics are examined as long as the syllabus was taught in the first place?


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    #3
    skippy1977
    Registered Users Posts: 284 ✭✭skippy1977


    I'm not talking about the content of the exam, I am talking about the style of question. Lots of money has been spent on the introduction of a new syllabus designed to "develop the problem-solving skills of students by giving examples of maths in real-world contexts and moving away from the pure maths focus of the previous curriculum."
    My point is that this exam in no way reflects those ideals, or certainly makes no improvements in that regard. Most students have really struggled in recent years interpreting questions and I can certainly understand reverting to a more plainly asked exam. In fact I am all for it as I believe it allows students a better opportunity to earn marks and build a score.
    To go back to your point. I agree it doesn't matter what topics are examined as long as the syllabus was taught. But they have spent huge amounts of money changing the subject and have asked teachers to change the style of their teaching to better enable students to tackle real world based problem solving type questions, and the mark has not been hit in this regard...teachers and students have found this incredibly difficult and the grinds culture in Higher Level Maths is in a frightening place. The only winners here are Grinds Schools who, through lots of repetition of past questions, prepare students for exactly this type of exam...
    Just a little frustrated. What we are doing at Junior Cycle from September is a further dilution of standards we spent years building up and I wonder will we look back in a few years and wonder why we made all the changes we did...


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