An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department
of Education and Science
Subject
Inspection of Mathematics
REPORT
Roll number:
65180T
Date of
inspection: 24 January 2007
Date of
issue of report: 17 January 2008
Subject provision and whole school support
Summary of main findings and recommendations
Report on
the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Mathematics
Subject
inspection report
This report has been written following a subject
inspection in
Subject
provision and whole school
support
The concurrent timetabling of mathematics classes,
within bands at junior cycle and across all class groups at senior cycle, is,
commendably, used to provide optimal access for students to the different
levels of the subject. Those who find Mathematics particularly challenging are
supported through the formation of small class groupings or through
supplementary tuition available on a withdrawal basis. It is noteworthy that
teachers offer additional voluntary lessons to students of all levels in the
final preparation for the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations.
The recent completion of a building project at the
school is allowing the opportunity for the development of a dedicated
mathematics room. The mathematics teaching team will share access to this room,
which will be used to store current and newly acquired resources and will
display information on mathematics-related career and further studies options.
The team is congratulated on undertaking this new project with enthusiasm and
professionalism.
This year has seen the introduction of Applied
Mathematics to the school’s curriculum. The school and the teacher involved are
commended on responding to students’ expressions of interest in this manner.
School management facilitates teachers in attending
continuing professional development courses. In line with good practice,
information and resource materials obtained at such courses are disseminated
among all relevant teachers within the mathematics department. Members of the
mathematics team are encouraged to renew links with the Mathematics Support
Service and the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association (IMTA) as a means of
obtaining continued support and up-to-date information on developments within
the subject.
Planning
and preparation
The mathematics department is coordinated, on a
rotating basis, by a member of the mathematics teaching team. Currently the
position rotates each year, perhaps not making best use of expertise gained
during the settling-in period, and it is therefore recommended that the
co-ordinator’s term be extended to two years.
Formal department meetings take place on a number of
occasions each year, during scheduled time slots and outside of timetabled
hours. Minutes of recent meetings indicate departmental collaboration on the
organisation of class groups, the acquisition of resources to support teaching
and learning and the development of the subject plan. Informal liaison and
discussion among mathematics teachers also takes place on an ongoing
basis.
Good progress has been made on the department plan,
which has been developed according to School Development Planning Initiative
(SDPI) guidelines and includes aims and objectives for mathematics education, a
description of the organisation and timetabling of mathematics classes and
programmes of work for each year group and level. In order to further progress
the commendable work already completed it is recommended that programmes of
work be expanded to include learning outcomes for students, related active
methodologies, where appropriate, and a clear indication of supporting
materials required.
Teachers made individual planning and preparation
materials available during the inspection. Included in these materials were
detailed schemes of work, considerable quantities of student worksheets and
handouts, transparencies prepared for the overhead projector, education plans
for students with special educational needs, extensive teacher notes, and large
banks of test papers, examination questions and solutions. This level of
preparation for teaching is applauded.
As a means of enhancing planning activities, and to
further minimise disruption in the transition of students from first to second
level, it is recommended that members of the mathematics team develop
subject-specific links with sixth-class teachers in feeder primary schools.
Such links could promote mutual understanding of approaches, methodologies and
expectations at each level and should be a valuable exercise for all teachers
involved and, subsequently, for students.
Teaching
and learning
In classrooms visited during the inspection, the
content and pace of lessons were appropriate and in line with syllabus
requirements. Students were, in all cases, attentive and there was a respectful
atmosphere between teachers and students. While teachers engaged principally in
whole-class teaching, high levels of attention were given to individual
students during periods of student engagement with class work.
Traditional-style teaching predominated, with the
teacher presenting work at the board and the students copying down examples or
corrections, or completing written exercises. Given the variety in students’
preferred learning styles, and the fact that understanding is enhanced by
‘doing’, it is recommended that teachers work on developing active learning
strategies and incorporate these more widely in class. The potential of
interactive mathematics software packages should not be underestimated in this
regard.
In a number of lessons, teachers communicated the
day’s learning objectives to the students. This can be very motivating for
students and it can encourage a sense of self-awareness with regard to progress
and achievement in the subject. It is therefore recommended that all teachers
begin lessons by explicitly sharing the lesson objectives and conclude with the
marking off of their achievement.
Assessment
The formal assessment of students’ progress is carried
out predominantly through the administration of class tests and term
examinations. It is commendable that there is widespread use of common test
papers in the mathematics department. First year term examinations at both
Christmas and summer are common, as are those within levels (higher and
ordinary) throughout junior cycle. This practice is continued as far as
possible into senior cycle, including TY. In addition, class tests within year
groups and levels are often common.
Informal assessment of progress includes the marking
of homework and the questioning of students in class. Teachers are encouraged
to further explore assessment for learning strategies, and assistance in
this regard can be obtained from a number of sources, including staff members
in other faculties. A sample of student copybooks examined during the
inspection contained relevant and, in some cases, extensive work, which was
generally well presented and monitored by teachers.
Data on the certificate examinations made available to
the school by the inspector provides valuable information for school management
and the mathematics team. It is recommended that full use be made of such data
for planning and review purposes now and into the future.
Progress is reported, in writing, to parents/guardians
following term examinations. As a commendable additional support for students
sitting the certificate examinations in June, a further report is issued
towards the end of the second term. Feedback is also available to
parents/guardians at parent-teacher meetings, which are held once in the year
for each year group.
Summary of
main findings and recommendations
The following are the main strengths identified in the
evaluation:
·
The school supports high quality mathematics education for its students,
including access to the different levels, through concurrent timetabling
arrangements and the allocation of additional teacher resources in five out of
the six year groups. In addition, a dedicated mathematics room is currently
being developed.
·
Applied Mathematics has, in response to student demand, been added to
the school’s curriculum this year.
·
School management facilitates teachers in attending continuing
professional development courses.
·
The mathematics
department is coordinated, on a rotating basis, by a member of the mathematics
teaching team. Formal department meetings take place on a number of occasions
each year, during scheduled time slots and outside of timetabled hours.
Informal collaboration among mathematics teachers also takes place on an
ongoing basis.
·
Progress has been made on the department plan, which has been developed
according to SDPI guidelines.
·
In classrooms
visited during the inspection, the content and pace of lessons were appropriate
and in line with syllabus requirements. Students were, in all cases, attentive
and there was a respectful atmosphere between teachers and students. While
teachers engaged principally in whole-class teaching, high levels of attention
were given to individual students during periods of student engagement with
class work.
·
It is
commendable that there is widespread use of common test papers in the
mathematics department.
·
A sample of
student copybooks examined during the inspection contained relevant and, in
some cases, extensive work, which was generally well presented and monitored by
teachers.
As a means of building on these strengths and to
address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
·
For some junior
cycle classes, mathematics lessons occur on only four of the five days of the
week. While not underestimating the complexities of timetabling, it is
nonetheless recommended that school management makes every effort to ensure
student contact with Mathematics on each of the five days of the school week
for each of these year groups.
·
It is
recommended that programmes of work be expanded to include learning outcomes
for students, related active methodologies, where appropriate, and a clear
indication of supporting materials required.
·
As a means of
enhancing planning activities, and to further minimise disruption in the
transition of students from first to second level, it is recommended that
members of the mathematics team develop subject-specific links with sixth-class
teachers in feeder primary schools.
·
Given the variety in students’ preferred learning styles, and the fact
that understanding is enhanced by ‘doing’, it is recommended that teachers work
on developing active learning strategies and incorporate these more widely in
class.
·
It is
recommended that all teachers begin lessons by explicitly sharing the lesson
objectives with students and conclude with the marking off of their
achievement.
·
It is
recommended that full use be made of certificate examination data for planning
and review purposes now and into the future.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teachers
of Mathematics and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when
the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and
discussed.