TOP 5 IN EACH CATEGORY
Maths
Shanghai
Singapore
Hong Kong
Chinese Taipei
South Korea
Reading
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
JapanSouth
Korea
Science
Shanghai
Hong Kong
Singapore
Japan
Finland
SOURCE: PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT
When it comes to maths, S'pore students have a
blast
Singapore teens rank No. 2 in the subject in a survey of around 510,000 students from 65 countries and territories. We find out how teachers here are making mathematics fun
Reports by KOH HUI THENG
2 times 2 is four, 2 times 3 is six. Most of us of a certain age 1earnt maths like this - by rote.
No wonder some of us hated the subject.
But today, Singapore teens rank No: 2 in the subject among 65 countries and territories in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2012 released yesterday, and are among the top 5 when it comes to enjoying the subject.
Mrs Cynthia Seto, master teacher in mathematics at the Academy of Singapore Teachers, and Miss Gayatrl Balakrishnan, senior curriculum specialist (mathematics) at the Ministry of Education's curriculum planning and development division, give some examples of how teachers are making maths fun.
GEOMETRY ON THE COMPUTER
Teachers are using technology to make lessons more interactive.
For example, rather than being told about the different geometrical shapes, stUdents can look at them on school computers.
They learn to identify an isosceles triangle (a triangle with two equal sides) by pulling and dragging the shapes and changing the orientation on the computer. When two sides remain equal despite being manipulated in different ways, that is the isosceles triangle.
BUS SCHEDULES AND COMMON MULTIPLES
Previously, teachers asked students to list the common multiples (numbers into which each number in a given set can be divided with zero remainder) in class.
Now, real-life examples such as bus timetables are used to teach it.
Students are told when buses leave the interchange. They are also told the minimum and maximum frequency for two service numbers, for instance, five minutes and six minutes respectively.
They are then asked if the two service numbers would meet on the route, an indication of the common multiples for both frequencies. Students can check for other combinations by changing the frequency timings.
OF DISCOUNTS, GST AND PERCENTAGES
Students solve problems involving discounts and the goods and services taX (GST).
For instance, teachers may get students to compare different deals in advertisement brochures to see which option gives the best value for money.
The students have to justify the decisions they make.
MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
Students have to explain how they would park cars, given a limited amount of space.
Should they be placed horizontally, vertically, or any combination in between?
The students have to discuss and analyse why they prefer a certain option.
SPREADSHEETS AND SHOE SIZES
Traditional way: Memorise the formula for the average, mean and mode.
Now, students look at spreadsheets after they collect data of, for example, their classmates' shoe sizes.
From the information, they have to look for patterns that woUld tell them what the most common shoe size is.
They may also role play by considering what sizes they would stock up on if they ran a shoe shop.
How we ranked
The report card is out.
And Singapore docked a superstar performance in mathematics at the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development coordinated.
Pisa tests a 15-year-old student's ability to apply skills and knowledge in maths, science and reading to real-life problems.
The tests began in 2000 and are administered every three years.
Singapore came in second in maths, behind Shanghai - we were first in the computer-based maths section and second in the paper-based section.
Our 5,546 students from all 166 public secondary schools and six private schools performed ahead of 63 other participating countries and territories.
A Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesman said the participation of a minimum of 150 schools was needed to meet Pisa sampling requirements.
"MOE decided to have all 166 of our public secondary schools take part in the study rather than to exclude a small number of scnools."
China did not take part as a whole country, but was represented by high-performing cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The second-place mathematics showing is the same as 2009, when Singapore volunteered to take part in Pisa for the first time.
For Mrs Cynthia Seto, master teacher for mathematics at the Academy of Singapore Teachers, the results showed "our students are motivated by the interesting strategies and real-life examples that teachers use... so they acquire thinking and problem-solving skills".
What's heartening for educators like her is the confidence and motivation that students had for maths: 77 per cent sald they looked forward to the lessons - compared to the 36 per cent average.
Seven in 10 of Singapore students also said they do maths because they enjoy it, while less than 4 in 10 of their global peers felt the same way. Singapore ranked fourth overall in student's confidence in the subject.
Our students also improved in reading and science, coming in third for both tests. In 2009, Singapore students were ranked fifth in reading and fourth in science.
Our students are adept at applying knowledge and skills in solving real-life problems
Mathematics
Name of Task: Sauce
Apply ratio concept in daily life situation
You are making your own dressing for a salad.
Here is a recipe for 100 millilitres (mL) of dressing.
Salad oil: 60 mL
Vinegar: 30 mL
Soy sauce: 10 mL
How many millilitres (mL) of salad oil do you need to make 150 mL of this dressing?
Answer: .............. mL
CAN YOU SOLVE THIS? An example of a maths question in the test.
I made probability "work in my favour
COMMENT
KOH HUI THENG
HATE Mathematics? No, not at all.
But I bear little. love for the subject.
Yes, I'm a maths dunce. Though I passed the O levels.and A levels, my failures during common tests, preliminaries and final examinations were often spectacular. Think No. 1 in reverse order.
Long-suffering teachers tried, unsuccessfully, to make algebra and algorithms entertaining.
Alas, relations wlth my favourite teacher, Mrs Ng, broke down when I notched up 8 out of 100 in Additiona1 Maths in Secondary 3. ·
It was an all-time low in the school's history, she bellowed at me. How can a student from the top class turn in such a travesty?
Meek as a lamb, I promised to repent.
CATCH NO BALL
"Send me for tuition," I pleaded with my dad.
Remedial classes, cram school and private tuition - I had them all.
But as my eyes glazed over the numbers on a page, I was forced to admit to my equally, hopeless classmate: "When it comes to Maths I catch no ball."
Every June holiday, 1 trudged to and from extra lessons while classmates travelled abroad and lived it up.
Where natural affinity failed, hour after hour of drills managed to knock some semblance of knowledge into me.
I knew all the formulas by heart, Pythagoras' theorem and more.
But it was the people, like Mrs Ng, who made me look forward lo lessons.
She never knew, but each time I stared at her in rapt attention, eyes agog, I was keeping count of how often her spectacles slid down her formidable hooked nose.
Hand on heart, I loved her for letting me win the bets that unsuspecting classmates placed.
They never found out about the intelligence work I undertook before betting on how many times she pushed up her glasses.
From Mrs Ng, I realised the value of hard work and research.
I learnt how to make probability work in my favour.
Confidence followed as the loose change piled up. It didn't matter that I was making big bucks from a loose screw (somewhere in her spectacle frame).
Salvation came at the A levels. Against all odds, I managed a distinction and turned my back an anything numerical.
"No more maths, ever. Woo hoo!" I told myself then.
Until this report came along, that is.
News, The New Paper, Wednesday, December 4 2013, Pg 2-3
shanghai ftw!