Second Marshall Cavendish Singapore Mathematics Global Forum 2011

Plenary Session
Average Learners, High Achievement: The Case of Mathematics Learning

Dr Yeap Ban Har
Principal, Marshall Cavendish Institute

St Edward School, Florida
Da Qiao Primary School, Singapore

Average Learners
High Achievement
International Studies

Students in Singapore have demonstrated high achievement and positive attitude towards mathematics.
In Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, about 40% of Singapore’s 4th and 8th graders are in the Advanced International Benchmark (the international average is 5% and 2% respectively).
1995
2003
2007
International
5
Advanced
38
41
38
Grade 4
26
High
70
74
73
67
Intermediate
89
92
91
90
Low
96
98
97

Average
Hong Kong
Singapore
S. Korea
Taiwan
TIMSS
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies
Grade 8
Advanced
2
40
31
45
40
High
15
70
64
71
71
Intermediate
46
88
85
86
90
Low
75
97
94
95
98
Junyuan Secondary School, Singapore

TIMSS
Grade 4 1995
Grade 8 1999
Advanced
38
42
High
70
77
Intermediate
89
94
Low
96
99
Fuchun Primary School, Singapore

TIMSS
Grade 4 2003
Grade 8 2007
Grade 4 1995
Grade 8 1999
38
40
Advanced
38
42
73
70
High
70
77
91
88
Intermediate
89
94
97
97
Low
96
99
Fuchun Primary School, Singapore

The attitude index for Singapore students in TIMSS is also relatively high compared to other high-performing countries.
Also, the majority of students in Singapore opt to study mathematics in Grades 11 and 12 when they are no longer required to.
Marsiling Secondary School, Singapore

Attitude
Achievement
Singapore
71
41
Grade 4
Hong Kong
67
40
Taiwan
50
24
Japan
62
23
Kazakhstan
89
19
England
62
16
Russia
80
16
International
72
5

Attitude
Achievement
Taiwan
37
45
Grade 8
S Korea
33
40
Singapore
60
40
Hong Kong
47
31
Japan
30
26
Hungary
30
10
England
40
8
International
54
2

High achievement was not a given. In 1960, among 30 615 candidates who sat for the first Primary School Leaving Examination, 45% of the candidates passed.
Keon Ming Public School, Singapore

Average Learners
High Achievement
Focus of School Mathematics

Wellington Primary School
rationale
The rationale of teaching mathematics is that it is “a good vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence”.

Thinking Schools Learning Nations
This initiative was introduced in 1997. Since then Ministry of Education in Singapore has been injecting various initiatives into the system. These initiatives are intended to give schools the impetus to refine their programs to include the development of generic competencies.

National Examination
Singapore has six years of compulsory primary education. The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is conducted at the end of this.

Singapore Examination & Assessment Board

A restaurant had the same number of apples, oranges and pears at first
After 38 pears, some apples and oranges were used, there were 90 fruits left.
Number of Apples
Number of Oranges
Number of
Pears

There were twice as many apples as oranges left
Number of Apples
Number of Oranges
Number of
Pears
38

There were twice as many apples as oranges left.
The number of pears left was 15 fewer than the number of apples left.
Number of Apples
Number of Oranges
Number of
Pears
90
38
15

There were twice as many apples as oranges left.
The number of pears left was 15 fewer than the number of apples left.
5 units = 90 + 15 = 105
105 : 5
= 21
Number of Apples
Number of Oranges
Number of
Pears
90
38
15
Number of pears = 21 + 21 + 23 =65
Number of oranges used = 65 – 21 = 44

Archipelschool
De Tweemaster – Kameleon
The Netherlands

Average Learners
High Achievement
Pedagogy

Math in Focus

Pensar sin Limites (Spanish Edition)

Maths Champion (Indonesian Edition)

Primary Mathematics (Standards Edition)

My Pals Are Here! Mathematics (Second Edition)
Princess Elizabeth Primary School, Singapore

St Edward School, Florida
Initial Concrete Experience
Subsequent Pictorial Representation

Eventual Symbolic Representation

Average Learners
High Achievement
Critical Factors

Direction
Curriculum That Focuses on 21st Century Skills
Archipelschool De Tweemaster – Kameleon,
The Netherlands
King Solomon Academy,
London
High School Attached to Tsukuba University.
Japan

Push
National Examination
Bukit View Primary School, Singapore
Pathlight School, Singapore

Support
Textbooks & Professional Development
Primary Mathematics (Standards Edition)
Keys Grade School, The Philippines
Lesson Study at Da Qiao Primary School, Singapore

In-service Professional Development in The Philippines
In-service Professional Development in Chile
Pre-service Teacher Education in Singapore

Synopsis
Singapore's mathematics education has attracted international attention because of the high performance of its average learners. This plenary lectures explains what school mathematics should focus on, how the subject can be taught to make it accessible and useful to all learners, and what the critical factors are in supporting an education system where its average learners have high achievement. The speaker show how Singapore has used international research literature to benefit its students.
PCF Kindergarten PasirRis West, Singapore

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Second Marshall Cavendish Singapore Mathematics Global Forum 2011

by Jimmy Keng on Oct 03, 2011

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Second Marshall Cavendish Singapore Mathematics Global Forum 2011 — Presentation Transcript