Curriculum changes to maths and science are not adding up to success

A push for students to learn mathematics and science by engaging in ‘real world’ problem-solving activities has sparked widespread concern.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive David de Carvalho.

A push for students to learn mathematics and science by engaging in “real world” problem-solving activities has sparked widespread concern, with experts questioning why a national curriculum review would support an educational approach associated with poorer results.

Problem solving and inquiry activities are at the centre of a revised national curriculum for schools, which aims to reverse declining academic outcomes.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive David de Carvalho said the emphasis on problem solving would “ensure our young people know how to apply their knowledge to solve real world problems”.

However, education experts have raised concerns that an emphasis on problem solving unwittingly preferences an inquiry-style approach to learning, whereby students direct their own projects and learn by doing, over explicit teaching.

Maths teacher and author Greg Ashman said although maths was effectively “all about solving problems”, the evidence was clear that students did not learn best by engaging in problem-solving activities.

He pointed to data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment, which linked inquiry learning activities with poorer performance.

“The approach where students are asked to solve problems they do not yet know how to solve, is typical of inquiry learning where teachers are meant to be a guide on the side rather than a sage on the stage,” Mr Ashman said. “It is this approach that has a record of over 100 years of failure.”

Centre for Independent Studies education research fellow Glenn Fahey said it was concerning that the proposed maths and science curricular were supporting “evidence-free approaches”.

“Inquiry-based approaches have been repeatedly debunked but have an ugly habit of creeping into curriculum,” Mr Fahey said. “This will hurt, not help, students.”

However, Mr de Carvalho said problem solving was at the core of the curriculum in Singapore, whose students consistently topped the global education rankings, including PISA. Australia has fallen in the PISA rankings — in maths, science and reading.

“What we’re talking about is taking mathematics concepts, teaching students to really understand them and grasp what is underlying those concepts, and them being able to recognise when (they can be) applied in solving real world problems,” Mr de Carvalho said.

Former ACARA curriculum director Fiona Mueller said Singapore had higher expectations of students regarding their mastery of foundational maths knowledge.

“So students are able to tackle so-called real world problems with greater confidence,” Dr Mueller said. “People are rightly concerned about such a shift here when it is clear the fundamentals knowledge and skills are not being acquired.”

Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute director Tim Marchant backed the changes.

“Adjusting the curriculum to focus on problem-solving is crucial to improve their skill sets and deliver students that are able to take knowledge and apply it to solve challenges,” Professor Marchant said.

But Mr Fahey said some more challenging content appeared to have been removed from the curriculum. “All signs on maths content point to a watering down, not a revving up, of rigour,” he said.