Nuffield Curriculum Centre

Maths issues

Use of maths - a model for the future?

news.bbc.co.uk

The Adrian Smith Inquiry makes many positive references to the Free-standing Mathematics Qualifications and the AS Use of Maths.

Current post-16 provision
‘Making Maths Count’ picks up on many of the same issues that led us to support the development of Free-standing Maths Qualifications and the AS Use of Maths. The report reminds us of the very low proportion of students in England that progresses to a level 3 qualification in maths. In 2002, for example, only 41 000 (6.5%) of the age cohort of 564 000 students started an AS Maths course.

The Inquiry explains that it has taken a lot of interest in the Free-standing Maths Qualifications which were developed to fill serious gaps in maths provision post-16.

Overall numbers of students taking FSMQs are reported to be small but growing fast – from 2000 candidates in 2001 to over 6000 in 2003.

The inquiry team has come to the conclusion that action is vital to provide challenge and motivation for those who need and want to continue the study of maths post-16.

Promoting and developing FSMQs and the AS Use of Maths
The report notes that there is insufficient awsareness of the FSMQs and AS Use of Maths. It accepts that these new qualifications have much to offer and would like to see an energetic campaign to get them more widely adopted.

The report also raises the possibility of developing a level 2 Use of Maths Qualification devised along the lines of the AS programme.

Application of number
The report is pretty gloomy about the AoN key skill and is dismayed by the lack of coherence between the key skill and the FSMQs. The messages coming through to the Inquiry team about key skills were overwhelmingly negative.

According to the report, there are all sorts of problems with the key skill: the nature and provision of the teaching is unsatisfactory: the mathematical content is too narrow; the definition of the levels is misleadin. Level 3 AoN, for example, is only a small subset of the level 2 end of GCSE Maths.

Application of number is disliked by students and leads to a qualification of little or no value. According to the report, people were generally much more positive about the potential of FSMQs to impart worthwhile, transferable skills.

Models of progression
The report offers a range of new curriculum models for maths in the 14-19 age range. The favoured model includes courses in the application of mathematics which would be based on the philosophy and pedagogy pioneered by the FSMQs and the AS Use of Maths.

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