Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
Exhibit 1 presents the number of instructional hours per week for mathematics and science subjects in Grades 1 to 9.
Exhibit 1: Instructional Hours for Mathematics and Science Subjects, Grades 1–9
| Subjects | Grade Level | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||
| Nature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Natural Science | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Geography | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Geography of Armenia | 2 | ||||||||||
| Physics | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| Chemistry | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| Biology | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| Mathematics | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Algebra | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| Geometry | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
In general, Armenian students do not have subject-specific teachers for mathematics and science in the primary grades (Grades 1 to 4). Beginning in middle school, students have separate teachers for mathematics and each science subject.
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
In Armenia, all schools use the same textbooks, which are selected by the Ministry of Education and Science on a competitive basis. Teachers are allowed to use alternative textbooks in addition to textbooks approved by the Ministry. For practical science coursework, laboratory equipment is used widely for scientific experimentation in addition to other equipment (e.g., models of molecules of different substances, models of physical mechanisms, models of human and animal body parts). During geography lessons, maps, globes, and models of Earth’s surface may be used. Wall posters, tables, formulas, and pictures of famous scientists with accompanying biographies also are used widely for all subjects.
Use of Technology
All schools in Armenia are equipped with computers, and nearly all schools are connected to the Internet. In many schools there is a computer room for instructional use. In addition, computers are used to generate lists of teachers and students, databases, and assessment results. Computers also are used to deliver animated lessons and presentations to students. Computers, the Internet, and modern technologies are necessary tools used in every school to support the development of student abilities.