Among the critical and pivotal elements in tackling the major and continuing challenges to improve skills and increase productivity, are the persistent problems associated in mathematical capability. Low levels of numeracy and functional numeracy including among adults who wish to enter employment continue to be a problem. These problems have been highlighted over many decades by innumerable commissions, reports and research papers. A multitude of causes have been identified including: • Gender issues • Low levels of motivation • Bad previous learning/teaching experiences • The perception amongst learners that mathematics is intrinsically difficult • The impact of negative parental, societal
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The Importance of Statistical Literacy
Dick Evans reports on efforts to improve statistical literacy amongst the population. It is now an unquestioned and accepted fact of life that we live in a world dominated by science and technology and that this inevitably requires a workforce and members of society in general to be more scientifically literate and numerate. Employees are required to possess higher levels of the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and a greater capability in the use of IT. This is coupled with the wider skills for employability namely: team working, problem solving and managing their own learning and development. People leaving education
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA
Richard Evans is the Chairman of the CIPHE’s Education and Training Group. In this issue of ETM, he gives his view on how the industry is perceived. Lights, camera…action! This article attempts to explore the influence of the mass media on society’s perception of technical professions such as plumbing and on technical education and training in general. Too often the media promotes negative images and attitudes of these subjects. As we all know, they can have a real impact and influence both positively and negatively on the way people, particularly the young, understand and perceive key issues. In general, the
The Importance of Workplace Mathematics
Questions continue to be raised about the teaching and learning of mathematics in schools and colleges and the levels of participation in the subject post-16. Questions continue to arise about its purpose and centrality in the schools national curriculum and the introduction of functional mathematics in vocational awards. In addition, concerns are being raised about the quality and quantity of students entering further and higher education to study courses that require mathematics such as plumbing. We live in a technological society based on mathematics and science, so it is concerning that schools, colleges and universities continue to turn out students
The Invasion of the Management Gurus
We live in the age of management gurus and all the theories that flow from them. Many of the ideas and theories being foisted on colleges are transient and of dubious value and yet this country seems to be increasingly obsessed with them. The latest one is PFI — the Private Finance Initiative which aims to get industry to invest in college buildings and services. I get a letter a day from gurus and consultants promising to take the load off my mind. I already have a file of 40 to 45 letters from firms offering PFI services. I fear
The Knowledge Society
The professional organisations of today were founded tn the growth of societies dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in previous centuries, as our resident historian Dick Evans explains The foundation and development of learned and professional organisations representing science and technical disciplines is a fascinating story in its own right, but a study of their history also identifies many similarities with the evolution of technical and scientific education. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, both science and technology were in rapid transition and these disciplines had to fight hard to gain recognition and a place in the education system Before
The Learning College
Colleges and other institutions of learning are not necessarily ‘learning organisations’. Dick Evans explains. In the 1980s, many businesses began to move towards becoming ‘learning organisations’. Interestingly, institutions of learning, colleges, universities, and training providers, which should perhaps have been in the vanguard, are only now beginning to follow suit. The development of the learning organisation idea is founded on the assumption that learning pays, not just for the individual but also for the organisations to which they belong. Even though the development of the learning organisation concept has been occurring over the last two decades, its definition and operation
The Mathematics Problem
THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS AND NUMERACY AT ALL STAGES OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING CONTINUES TO CAUSE CONCERN IN MANY COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. DR RICHARD EVANS DISCUSSES IN DETAIL, IN THE FIRST ARTICLE OF A TWO PART SERIES. The teaching of mathematics and numeracy, at all levels of education, is one cause of concern in many countries in Europe, and Malta is no exception. The problems precipitate a series of worrying issues namely: A generally negative perception of these subjects amongst learners in school, college and university. Low participation levels post 16 in subjects that
The Mathematics Problem [Part 2]
DR RICHARD EVANS CONTINUES TO EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT CAN CAUSE DIFFICULTY WHEN IT COMES TO UTILISING MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS WITHIN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT. IN THE SECOND PART OF THIS FEATURE, THE FACILITATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IS DISCUSSED. In (part one of this article](/2011/04/the-mathematics-problem) (published in the April/May 2011 issue), I identified some of the problems related to mathematics and numeracy in our education system. However, perhaps it is too simplistic just to view the negative perception towards the subject in terms of a series of causes and effects. If the problem is
The Maths Problem
Dick Evans continues his analysis of training needs and skill shortages with a look at the world of numeracy. The Government has three distinct strands for its educational agenda, namely standards, skills and widening participation. A large number of reforms and initiatives continue to be introduced to realise these important elements of the wider agenda to develop a culture of lifelong learning and to raise the competitiveness of the workforce in this country. A number of these reforms and initiatives include: Reforms to the national curriculum, including more rigorous testing of pupils throughout their school lives. The introduction of programmes