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Promoting maths

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  1. Promoting maths Dr Vivien Easson more maths grads East London

  2. Aims of the project • Improving students’ perception of maths • Changing the ways that schools, colleges and universities interact • Helping students find out about options • Raising awareness of the importance of maths, its role in careers, and its links to other subjects • Encouraging under-represented groups • Increasing the number applying to take maths further (to A-level or degree)

  3. London East region • Based at Queen Mary University of London • Working in four London boroughs • Barking and Dagenham • Hackney • Newham • Tower Hamlets

  4. Maths at Queen Mary: 1 • Situated in East London, one mile east of the City • Had an increase in numbers of undergraduates by 60-70% from 2003-2007 • Current goal is to improve quality while maintaining numbers (operating at or just above capacity)

  5. Maths at Queen Mary: 2 • In 2006/07 the School had 666 undergraduates, with • 18% Indian • 17% White (combined) • 14% Chinese • 14% Pakistani • 12% Bangladeshi • 11% Asian (other) • 6% Black African • 8% other / refused to say

  6. Full time undergraduates, UK Figures from HESA Steady increase in maths Steady decline in statistics

  7. The perception challenge • “mathematics is perceived by many students as being hard, boring, not relevant to their future and not leading to employment” • Smith Report (2004) • QCA (2006)

  8. Our team at Queen Mary • Vivien Easson (maths subject) • Zia Rahman (maths careers) • Jenny Allam (admin) • Supported by staff, postgrads and undergrads in the School of Mathematical Sciences (low time-commitment!)

  9. Five different types of obstacles • Many school pupils in East London speak a language other than English at home • Parents may not be confident in maths • Pupils may have little idea how technology, culture or other subjects depend on maths • Careers advice is often weak • Mathematics department facilities at some universities may lag behind other departments and business premises

  10. Possible approaches • Language barriers / parental skills: work with Ocean Maths Project who specialise in getting parents involved • Provide alternative role models through use of SEAs and student ambassadors • Find ways of connecting maths to a wide variety of applications and of getting this message into the classrooms • Help departments campaign for better facilities

  11. 32 events delivered so far… • Putting together careers info and supplementing the work done by the maths/physics outreach officer at Queen Mary • Finding ways to enrich the maths curriculum which engage more than just the top 5%

  12. Sample activity: Air Miles • Curriculum: travelling salesman problem • Found in AQA and Edexcel Decision Maths modules in AS/A-level but also accessible at GCSE • Takes 25-30 minutes

  13. What’s the Point of…? • In the London region we’re starting to produce this series of leaflets • Aiming to cover many topics in KS4/KS5 • Will be available to download and print out for free from the web

  14. The technology gap • Interactive whiteboards are standard in schools, though some are not fully used • The two main sixth form colleges in Hackney and Tower Hamlets have plasma screens displaying the day’s main events • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX3VmDgiFnY

  15. Keeping up with the engineers • Professional engineering bodies like the Institute of Mechanical Engineers have been involved in outreach for years • Maths has had a lot of outreach work, but generally by individual volunteers • This project is a positive step because it provides funding for full-time workers in addition to universities’ own officers

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