Project Maths

What is Project Maths?

In short Project Maths is the name of the new secondary school mathematics curriculum. It was designed with the aim of improving our problem-solving techniques as a nation. It has been developed to coinceide with the structure of the primary school maths curriculum. In primary school the curriculum is split into 5 strands (sections). This is now the case for secondary schools also.

Stand 1: Statistics and Probability
Strand 2: Geometry and Trigonometry
Strand 3: Number
Strand 4: Algebra
Strand 5: Functions

Phased introduction

This new curriculum has been introduced on a phase by phase basis, which has resulted in each year group currently in our college following a slightly different curricula. So how do you know what strands you are studying? Hewre is a graphic that explains the majority of it;

Why the need for change?

This change was deemed a necessary step when the country slipped to 32nd place out of 65 countries in the OECD’s PISA report. This report compiles the result from 3 exams taken by 435,000 15 year olds across the world, one of which is mathematics.

Is it more difficult?

This is not as straight forward a question to answer as you might think. The answer could be both yeas and no. Certain aspects were removed form the old curricula, however we now go into more detail in the topics that remain.

How has the exam changed?

The students are still assessed in the traditional manner of a terminal exam at the end of 3rd and 6th year. Within the exam itself there are now two sections;

Section A – Concepts and Skills:
In this section the style of question is very similar to that of the old curriculum in that the students are asked to simply remember a formula or technique and apply it to the question to get the answer.

Section B – Contexts and Applications:
Within this section mathematical skills are applied to a situation that may arise in lif outside of the classroom and the students must use their understanding of various topics to answer each questions. In this section 1 question could require knowledge from each of the 5 strands, 3 strands or just 1 strand but students must be prepared for this.

For more information on what Project Maths is click here

For specific information on the curriculum click here to visit the NCCA website (we are not 1 of the 24 schools).