Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
In Ontario, teachers in Grades 1 to 6 are not required to be subject specialists in mathematics or science. Teachers in Grades 7 to 10 are prepared to teach all subjects, but also may be qualified as mathematics or science specialists. To teach mathematics or science in Grades 11 and 12, teachers must have a specialist qualification in their respective subject. In Grades 11 and 12, teachers may teach mathematics and science by mutual agreement with the school principal without holding specialist qualifications.
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
The Ministry of Education evaluates, approves, and provides textbooks for teacher and student use in Ontario classrooms. Textbooks approved by the Ministry must support at least 85 percent of the curriculum expectations for the subject area. All textbooks that meet Ministry requirements are placed on a central list from which schools and school boards select textbooks that meet their local needs.
The Ministry of Education does not prescribe compulsory laboratory materials, equipment, or time allocations for science education. In mathematics, the appropriate use of manipulatives is strongly encouraged.
Use of Technology
In Ontario, there is an increasing emphasis on integrating technology as a part of the teaching and learning process.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provide a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support student learning in mathematics and in science and technology. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate multiple technologies (e.g., interactive whiteboards, graphing calculators, ministry-licensed computer software, scientific probeware, and laptop and netbook computers). The Ministry has developed and tested the effectiveness of some interactive Web-based lesson sequences on hard to teach and hard to learn topics, such as fractions and integers. The Ministry also has launched the 21st Century Initiative to support the acquisition of technology and the provision of professional learning for educators.
The Ontario Ministry of Education supports online learning as well as blended learning, which combines online learning and face to face instruction. Ontario has a Homework Help program, which provides online tutoring in mathematics for students in Grades 7 to 10. French-language students in Grades 1 to 12 have access to SOSDevoirs, a free service to help with homework.16,17