Curriculum reform in Irish secondary schools – a focus on algebra

Abstract

Algebra has long been identified as an area of difficulty in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Evidence of this difficulty can be found in Irish secondary level classrooms. Chief Examiner Reports have consistently identified algebra as an area of student weakness in State examinations. In light of poor student performance, and as part of a nationwide reform of secondary mathematics curricula, a functions based approach to teaching algebra has been adopted in Irish schools. It was introduced in September 2011 in place of the transformational (rule and procedure) based approach which was previously used. Through comparing the diagnostic test scores of incoming students in an Irish university in the years before and after the reform, this study finds that the reformed approach has coincided with a decline in students' technical algebraic skills. However interviews with practicing mathematics teachers reveal that this decline is not a direct result of the functions based approach, but rather of a mixture of approaches being implemented in classrooms. Such divergence of approaches can be linked to the common mismatch between the intended curriculum prescribed by policy makers and the implemented curriculum that is actually carried out by teachers in their classrooms.

Willing but Unable? Teachers’ Sense-making of Curriculum-reform Policy in the Early Implementation Stage

“…The way in which the four participants received and made sense of the new curriculum in Zimbabwe seem to challenge the commonly held views that teachers are naturally resistant to change and are not willing to learn new ideas and skills (Fullanand Miles, 1992;McLaughlin and Mitra, 2001;Adams and Jean-Marie, 2011;Prendergast and Treacy, 2017). The main argument presented in this paper is that it is an overstatement to assume that teachers by nature dislike change and are not willing to acquire new knowledge and skills.…”

“…Rarely are policies implemented as written or as intended by their initiators (Ganon-Shilonand Schechter, 2017); however, this has not deterred policymakers from rolling out new reform projects in an attempt to correct the shortcomings of previous reform initiatives. Traditionally, schools are seen as conservative institutions which are difficult to change (Fullanand Miles, 1992;McLaughlin and Mitra, 2001;Adams and Jean-Marie, 2011) and teachers as naturally resistant to reform because to change or to try something new often means to risk failure (Prendergast and Treacy, 2017). As a result, failure to implement reform at school and classroom levels has often been explained in terms of teachers' perceived dislike of curriculum change, school conservatism and/or resource shortages.…”

Developing a quality curriculum in a technological era

“…This lack of implementation as planned is due in large part to conflicts between the principles of a new curriculum and teachers’ existing beliefs and practices about teaching (Orafi and Borg 2009 ). A new curriculum may demand significant shift in thinking and practice which according to Prendergast and Treacy ( 2018 ) leads to concerns among teachers on issues such as the reasoning behind the reform, the implications for classroom practices and students, as well as their ability to implement the changes. Thus, educators may implement the reform with fidelity by following the curriculum as prescribed, adapt the curriculum to the local context while adhering to its core principles, comply with the curriculum by only implementing surface-level changes, co-opt the curriculum to fit with existing practices, or not implement the curriculum at all (Berman and McLoughlin 1976; Tichnor-Wagner et al 2018; both cited in Taguma and Barrera 2019 ).…”

Investigating secondary students beliefs about mathematical problem-solving

“…While the focus of the reformed Irish mathematics curriculum on problem solving has many advantages, this approach to teaching and learning the subject takes more time [27,28]. There have been calls to introduce double mathematics periods to address this issue [29].…”