Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
MEI Conference 2012
www.acme-uk.org
What is ACME?
• Established in January 2002 by the Royal Society and the
Joint Mathematical Council with the explicit backing of all major
mathematics organisations
Mathematical Needs
• Supported by the Department for Education, the Royal Society, the
Wellcome Trust, the Gatbsy Charitable Foundation and a range of other
organisations across the STEM landscape.
• ACME is an independent committee hosted at the Royal Society
Roger Porkess
• Current chair: Professor Stephen Sparks FRS
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
ACME’s work
Aims
• ACME provides a two-way channel between the
mathematics community and the Government and its
agencies on mathematics education policy issues in English
schools and colleges.
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
•
Responsive:
– Responding to consultations
– Providing advice
•
Proactive:
– Setting out position papers and policy reports on issues of current and future
interest in mathematics education
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Mathematical Needs
• The Mathematical Needs of Learners
• Mathematics in the Workplace and in Higher
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Methodology for the Needs of Learners
•
Collating evidence from research and reports
•
Meetings with policy makers, classroom teachers and leading academics in
mathematics education
•
Seminars and workshops exploring key aspects of good mathematics learning and
teaching
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Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
www.acme-uk.org
Summary of mathematical needs of learners
Proficiency in Mathematics (1)
• To be proficient in mathematics, ...
Learners need:
• To learn mathematics well, ...
• Procedural recall: accuracy and fluency in familiar routines
• To engage successfully in lessons, ...
• To develop procedural, conceptual and utilitarian aspects of mathematics
together
• Learners also need ...
• The ability to interpret and use representations
• A range of mathematical knowledge and experience
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Proficiency in mathematics(2)
www.acme-uk.org
The Workplace and Higher Education
Learners also need :
ACME Leads
Dr Jack Abramsky
Dr Roger Porkess
Professor Alice Rogers
Senior Researcher
Assistant
Huw Kyffin
Sabrina Paneels
Funding
The Clothworkers Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation
• Strategies for problem-solving and hypothesis-testing, including working
with current digital technology
• Mathematical reasoning
• Appreciation of the purpose and usefulness of mathematics, and
willingness to use it.
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Higher Education Methodology
•
•
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
15 Universities chosen
– By group: 5 each from Russell, 1994, University Alliance, Million+ and
Unaffiliated
9 Courses
– Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Accounting, Computer Science, Biosciences,
Psychology, Criminology, Sociology
www.acme-uk.org
Higher Education: Key questions
•
What are the course entry requirements in mathematics?
•
What mathematics does a course need if it is to achieve international standard?
•
What mathematics (including statistics) do students need if their are to be
successful in their university course?
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Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Mathematics Entry Requirements
GCSE C
GCSE B
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
•
The differences in entry requirements for degrees with the same title raises
questions.
– Are these really the same subject?
– Are all the degrees consistent with international standards?
•
Why has this situation arisen?
A Level A
Chemistry
GCSE C
www.acme-uk.org
Requirements and Course content
Computer Science
None
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
GCSE B
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Key findings from Higher Education
Workplace methodology
Number of people entering higher education each year who would benefit from recent
experience of post-GCSE mathematics
•
25 companies chosen
– By sector
– By size of organisations
•
Multiple interviewees chosen:
– Type of job (9 categories)
330,000
www.acme-uk.org
Number of such people supplied by the school/college system
125,000
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Workplace : Key questions
•
How has the jobs profile changed in recent years?
•
What general mathematical skills are needed by those in employment?
•
What are the particular mathematical needs for particular areas of employment?
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Jobs: changing profiles
In the workforce there is a steady shift towards jobs
with higher skill levels
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Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
Jobs: changing profiles
Fewer jobs
1982
Elementary
Skilled Trades
2012
More jobs
1982
4.5m
2.8m
Managers
2.7m
4.9m
4.4m
2.8m
Professionals
2.0m
4.0m
Admin & clerical
3.9m
3.4m
2.4m
4.9m
Transport &
machines
3.0m
2.2m
Associate
professionals
Sales
1.6m
2.7m
Personal services
0.9m
2.9m
•
To be effective employees need to have studied mathematics at a higher level than
they will actually use in the workplace
•
Many employees have difficulty in applying the mathematics they know
•
Employees have difficulty in communicating mathematical ideas
•
Many people lack basic skills in mathematics (and literacy)
2012
www.acme-uk.org
Important areas of mathematics in the
workplace
Mathematical modelling
Use of software packages and coping with problems
Costing (including allocation and disputes)
Performance indicators and the use of ratios
Risk
Quality control and statistical process control
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Key findings from the workplace
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
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Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Recommendation 1
Policy on mathematics post-16 should ensure that a large majority of
young people continue with some form of mathematics post-16
www.acme-uk.org
Recommendation 2
A wider curriculum and provision than exists at present should be
developed in order to ensure that all young people are well placed to
benefit from their studies in mathematics.
Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
Recommendation 7
Additional courses should be developed for the post-16 cohort, so as to extend
the current provision to cover the full range of students both in terms of their
career aspirations and also their prior attainment in mathematics.
The major elements in such new courses should include statistics, problemsolving and working with mathematical models.
Sufficient time also need to be allocated for study and assimilation of
fundamental concepts.
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Advisory
Committee on
Mathematics
Education
www.acme-uk.org
For more information or to send your
views
• To read ACME’s publications and to sign up to our
newsletter:
– Website: www.acme-uk.org
• Email: acme@royalsociety.org
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