The Importance of Singapore Secondary School Mathematics

The Importance of Singapore Secondary School Mathematics

Usefulness and Intellectual Development

The significance of studying maths is undeniable; it is an integral part of many industries and has given way to countless modern inventiveness and future innovations. Maths is used to simulate and comprehend real-world circumstances, decision-making and safety (for instance, business analytics, scholastic studies and market inquiry, coding and acknowledgment technologies).

In Singapore, the significance of mathematics education is huge when it comes to giving everyone the experience, capacities, and skills required to intensely take part and exceed expectations in the eventual economy and society. Notably, for those planning to become engineers and scientists making progress on the cutting edge of technologies, a solid mathematical base is fundamental since numerous Smart Nation activities that will affect the quality of life in the future will be reliant on mathematical precision and computational power.

At the secondary level, students continue to uncover their strengths and passions. This is also the last stage in compulsory mathematics education. Everyone has varied needs and preferences for mathematics, with some people only utilising maths for customary life purposes. For these people, standard maths instruction could stop at the secondary level. Then again, others will carry on with their studies and may need to apply math in future lessons. Those aiming to pursue a degree and job in numerous industries must commence learning more advanced maths early, enabling them to get ahead.

Proficiency in secondary mathematics is significantly and positively correlated with a range of skill-related outcomes. Students who score higher in mathematics have significantly higher odds of achieving higher levels of educational attainment and income. The key challenge is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to develop a strong mathematical foundation, and to do this it is important to examine how teachers can impart this knowledge in the most effective way.

 

Effective Learning

 

One of the biggest changes which occurred around the time that mathematics started being included in the secondary mathematics curriculum was the move to a more “practical” approach. The emphasis placed on giving students real-world experience, and the increased number of opportunities for students to participate in hands-on learning, has undoubtedly led to more students excelling in mathematics.

However, while a more practical approach can help to ensure that every student acquires the necessary skills, it does not necessarily follow that a theoretical approach is not beneficial. Research has shown that “mathematics proficiency is significantly and positively correlated with a range of skill-related outcomes, including confidence, task/problem solving, and reasoning.” For this reason, it is important to provide as much opportunity as possible for students to learn and develop their theoretical knowledge. This can be done by spending as much time as possible on problem solving, and reasoning, and providing students with a variety of different tasks to broaden their perspectives.

At Terry Chew Academy (TCA), our Maths Programme is structured for students to learn and develop each Maths concept in depth. This is done through each lesson focusing on a specific concept while building on old concepts with newly learnt concepts to solve problems. It is important that topics are revised at the right times to retain their knowledge. With practice, the student will be able to approach Maths challenges from multiple perspectives effectively.

A Variety of Tasks

Every student is different, and some may learn more effectively through a theoretical approach while others may prefer to see a problem solved step by step.

For this reason, it is important to give students variety in the way in which they are taught. A few examples of this include allowing students to work in groups, posing problems and discussing solutions, giving students access to a wide range of resources, such as books and websites, and allowing students to use technology effectively, such as calculators and computers.

TCA coaches will encourage student participation when discussing questions and solutions. For the ‘quiet’ students, they learn by listening to the discussion first and then joining in after building up their confidence.

Fostering Mathematical Creativity

One of the best things which can be said about the way that mathematics has been taught in Singapore is that it has been uniquely effective in developing the mathematical creativity of its students. This is particularly evident since Singapore has one of the highest concentrations of mathematicians in the world, and that the country is also renowned for its innovation and creativity. Theoretical knowledge alone will not necessarily lead to great accomplishments, it is the way in which this knowledge is applied which truly matters. Through practice and effort, every mathematician has the potential to become great.

This is one of the reasons why Singaporean mathematicians have been responsible for so many significant advances in the field and contributing to so many creative problem-solving ideas. Theoretical knowledge alone does not guarantee mathematical genius, great success, or even personal happiness. These are all things which are inextricably linked and cannot be fully grasped by focusing on only one aspect of a person's life.

TCA math tutors are specially trained to help students develop Critical Thinking in Mathematical Problem-Solving. Critical Thinking focuses on making connections and thinking outside the box, and is an important part of MOE's 21st Century Core Competencies. Students are trained with our research-backed training process to face increasingly tricky and complex cross-topic and unseen problems that are commonly found in examinations.

TCA has developed simple yet powerful tools to help students solve problem sums with greater speed and accuracy. Throughout our training, students are equipped with content mastery, problem-solving strategies and tools that enable them to simplify complicated problems and make them less prone to careless mistakes. To ensure that students are fully prepared for examinations, we conduct Exam Simulations and Peak Performance Trainings to help them be less nervous as well as to perform well during the stressful exam situation.

At Terry Chew Academy, we offer programs from Primary 4 through Secondary 4. Our lessons are updated with the latest school Maths syllabus to ensure ample practice and reinforcement of concepts. TCA mathematics tutors are knowledgeable about the latest school Maths syllabus to help your child and boost their confidence in mathematics. Looking for help in your child’s secondary school mathematics? Come meet the team at Terry Chew Academy to find out how we can help.



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