International Maths Challenge

  Catering for students’ learning needs is something we all aim to do. But it can be challenging. Is it just about differentiation? What is the best way to differentiate? How do we put it into practice? Let’s explore some ideas, strategies and tips. Differentiation When you hear the word differentiation, what do you think of? Ability groupings? Open-ended tasks? Educational consultant Jennifer Bowden from the Mathematical Association of Victoria believes differentiation involves teachers considering “a whole range of different pedagogies … and making choices about pedagogical approaches based on the students that they teach”. In a nutshell it comes down to knowing your students and how they learn, so you can cater for their needs. Find out  what  students know Assessment is key to discovering what your students know – and don’t know! You can assess students to find out what knowledge they have, the concepts they understand and the skills they can apply to tasks. Data from...

From the Fibonacci sequence to the Bell numbers, there is more overlap between mathematics and poetry than you might think, says Peter Rowlett, who has found his inner poet. People like to position maths as cold, hard logic, quite distinct from creative pursuits. Actually, maths often involves a great deal of creativity. As mathematician Sofya Kovalevskaya wrote, “It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul.” Poetry is often constrained by rules, and these add to, rather than detract from, its creativity. Rhyming poems generally follow a scheme formed by giving each line a letter, so that lines with matching letters rhyme. This verse from a poem by A. A. Milne uses an ABAB scheme: What shall I call My dear little dormouse? His eyes are small, But his tail is e-nor-mouse . In poetry, as in maths, it is important to understand the rules well enough to know when it is okay to break them. “Enormous” doesn’t rhyme with “dormouse”, but using a nonsense word preserves ...

  Have you ever struggled with teaching statistics? Do you and your students share a sense of apprehension when data lessons appear in the scheme of work? You’re not alone. Anecdotally, many teachers tell me that statistics is one of the topics they like teaching the least, and I am no exception to this myself. In my mathematics degree, I took the minimum number of statistics-related courses allowed, following a very poor diet of data at school, and carried this negative association into my teaching. Looking back on my career in the classroom, I did not do a good job of teaching statistics, but having had the luxury of spending many years at Cambridge Mathematics immersed in research from excellent statistics teachers and education academics I now understand why! So now, of course, the question has been posed. Why is statistics hard to teach well? In part, I believe that it stems from viewing statistics through a mathematical lens – understandably, given that we are delivering it a...

  Math education outcomes in the United States have been unequal for decades. Learners in the top 10% socioeconomically tend to be about four grade levels ahead of learners in the bottom 10%—a statistic that has remained stubbornly persistent for 50 years. To advance equity, policymakers and educators often focus on boosting test scores and grades and making advanced courses more widely available. Through this lens, equity means all students earn similar grades and progress to similar levels of math. With more than three decades of experience as a researcher, math teacher and teacher educator, we advocate for expanding what equity means in mathematics education. We believe policymakers and educators should focus less on test scores and grades and more on developing students’ confidence and ability to use math to make smart personal and professional decisions. This is mathematical power—and true equity. What is ‘equity’ in math? To unders...

  All a i  lie on the same sheet of a cone with vertex x. The right-hand picture is not true to scale relative to the given numerical example. Credit:  Advances in Applied Mathematics  (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.aam.2024.102741 The summer holidays are ending, which for many concludes with a long drive home and reliance on GPS devices to get safely home. But every now and then, GPS devices can suggest strange directions or get briefly confused about your location. But until now, no one knew for sure when the satellites were in a good enough position for the GPS system to give reliable direction. TU/e’s Mireille Boutin and her co-worker Gregor Kemper at the Technical University of Munich have turned to mathematics to help determine when your GPS system has enough information to determine your location accurately. The research is published in the journal  Advances in Applied Mathematics . “In 200 meters, turn right.” This is a typical instruction that many ha...

Unlock the power of discrete mathematics and its vital importance in the world of the International Maths Olympiad . This insightful article delves into the fundamental principles of discrete math that are essential for success in Maths Olympiad challenges. From understanding algorithms to tackling complex problems, find out how a strong foundation in discrete mathematics can elevate your performance and help you excel in international competitions.

Join us at the International Maths Challenge as we investigate the phenomenon of math anxiety among students, both with and without learning difficulties. Our comprehensive study highlights the challenges faced by these students, especially in high-stakes environments like the International Maths Olympiad . Learn about effective interventions and support systems designed to reduce anxiety, enabling all students to excel in the Maths Olympiad and foster a positive attitude towards mathematics.