The more maths grads project has united school pupils, teachers, employers and the mathematical sciences community in seeking to ensure that the UK has the mathematical skills it needs for the 21st century.
The three year project has built close relationships with local schools to discover how sustained intervention could affect the aspirations of young people who may never have considered working towards a mathematics-based career. It has worked in three pilot regions (Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and East London), each chosen for its diversity of social and ethnic groupings.
National Project Manager Makhan Singh said that finding out the views of teachers and their students about what really works had been a powerful element to the project. He said, “The resources have been evaluated by teachers and pupils so we know what they liked and what inspired youngsters who went on to do A-level mathematics and or are now considering degrees in the mathematical sciences. And the effects are not just felt in the regions. By liaising across the whole team, we have seen the creation of a mathematics resources directory. We know what works and what doesn’t and we can cascade that to other schools.”
He said that changing the perception of mathematics for the next generation is vital for the UK’s future well being. The project has created a range of new resources for teachers and careers advisers to use. These range from mathematics careers posters to online interviews with people who work in the mathematical sciences. They also include a DVD on how mathematics is used in industry with added teaching resources and also a series of mathematics-based games which teachers can use to motivate pupils.
But, importantly, the project has also been able to channel existing mathematics resources directly to those who want to use them, at the same time analysing feedback from these teachers and students to find out what works.
Figures show that the mathematical sciences are gaining in popularity at both A-level and at undergraduate level. Some of this has been attributed to students returning to the subject after it suffered a massive drop in popularity due to school curriculum changes in 2000. However, there is much evidence to suggest students are now choosing the subject as they see the career opportunities that a mathematical training can offer them.
Professor Peter McOwan, more maths grads regional director for London said, “To really understand the complexity of the world we live in, from credit crunch to contented consumerism, or to possess all the wonderful digital consumer products and services we all want, needs mathematics and a workforce of skilled mathematicians. The more maths grads project has been pulling the mathematics out of the often dark and hidden corners of our world and bringing it into the lives of school children throughout the country.”
more maths grads has represented excellent value for money. In just one academic year it has already engaged with over 11,000 pupils, from over 50 different schools and this year, it hopes to involve many more. The project is running national competitions to share good practice between teachers and also a mathematics photography contest, produces a bi-monthly newsletter and exhibits at major national careers fairs.
Other triumphs for the project include:
- getting people from industry into schools to talk about using mathematics in their careers and tell pupils what sort of salaries they could expect in such jobs
- bringing more young people onto university campus, which can have a huge impact on students who may be the first in their family to consider higher education
- identifying role models that minority groups can identify with, for example, looking to Bollywood for Bangladeshi pupils in the London region.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- more maths grads is a three year project, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It was officially launched in April 2007 and is piloting in the West Midlands (based at Coventry University), in the Yorkshire and the Humber region (based at the University of Leeds) and in East London (based at Queen Mary, University of London).
- more maths grads teaching resources can be found on the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics website (www.ncetm.org.uk/resources) and the Maths Careers website (www.mathscareers.org.uk/teaching_resources.cfm). more maths grads careers resources can be found on the Maths Careers website (www.mathscareers.org.uk/careers_advisers.cfm)
- The project was devised by a consortium of mathematical organisations: the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the London Mathematical Society, the Royal Statistical Society, the Heads of Departments of Mathematical Sciences and the Higher Education Academy – Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research Network. It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
- For further information contact:
Makhan Singh
more maths grads national project manager
E-mail: m.singh.1@bham.ac.uk
Mobile: 07900 137488
Office: 0121 414 8798Caroline Davis
Publicity
E-mail: caroline.davis@lms.ac.uk
Office: 020 7927 0804
