Maths at the beach? Expert’s bold plan to take STEM lessons into nature as part of national curriculum overhaul
Identifying mathematical patterns in nature is the secret to make primary schoolers fall in love with maths, one expert says as the government plans major curriculum reforms.
As the federal government prepares to overhaul the nation’s public school curriculum, a groundbreaking proposal suggests the solution to re-engage young learners in maths could lie beyond the classroom walls.
Southern Cross University early childhood education lecturer Dr Chris Speldewinde is advocating for outdoor learning to become a cornerstone of the revised learning framework, after his prior research uncovered the profound educational benefits of bush and beach kinder.
Last month, Education Minister Jason Clare announced the federal government would improve the maths curriculum in the first three years of school under a suite of reforms to enhance the country’s public education system.
The changes would see a back-to-basic shift in maths education and improved resources for teachers, in a bid to set students up for future success.
As discussions about the revised maths curriculum get underway, Dr Speldewinde suggested policy makers consider integrating nature-based learning into the improved syllabus.
He said hands-on experiences in nature – such as analysing patterns on a fallen tree or counting shells on the coast – would not only transform how primary school students engage with maths but come with a raft of other educational benefits.
“There is just so much math out in nature … you can look at something like a big fallen tree out in a park and there’s counting and patterns,” he said.
“Children can measure things using hands or sticks, so the opportunities to learn maths in a bush or a beach setting are almost endless.”
Dr Speldewinde said learning outdoors could also provide children with “hands-on learning in real time”.
“Young children can actually get that perspective and that sense of ‘hey this is how a triangle looks’ or ‘this is how a circle looks’,” he said.
“They look at it and they can experience it, which is so rich for them. And on top of that, it also makes maths fun.”
Back in the classroom, new research by 3P Learning has found as little as 15 minutes of Mathletics per week has the potential to boost student NAPLAN scores.
The research, based on data from more than 1000 Australia schools, found year 3 students from schools that used the program scored on average 7.6 points higher than their peers who didn’t use it.
As a result, 3P Learning chief product officer Katy Pike has proposed the government also consider curriculum-aligned digital tools such as Mathletics to be part of the solution to improving students’ maths skills.
“Students who engaged consistently with the program achieved significant NAPLAN gains – and the data shows a clear pattern: the more regularly students used it, the stronger their results,” she said.
Mathletics is an online maths program aligned to the Australian curriculum and includes a range of activities and exercises that adapt to individual student ability levels.
It also provides immediate feedback as students work through content and is designed to be used as a supplement to classroom instruction.
Mathletics product lead Penelope Naidoo said the study’s findings underscore the value of using evidence-based digital tools to improve students’ results.
“Teachers, parents, and students alike are looking for ways to strengthen maths skills, and this study shows that when used consistently, digital platforms like Mathletics can have a real impact,” she said.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) will report back to education ministers in February next year with a scope for the review of the Foundation to Year 2 maths curriculum.
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Originally published as Maths at the beach? Expert’s bold plan to take STEM lessons into nature as part of national curriculum overhaul
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