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Georgia

The Mathematics Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

Mathematics is regarded as one of the most important subjects in Georgia, and it has received significant attention from policymakers and schools. This is reflected in different aspects of national policy (e.g., the development of Olympiads, competitions that encourage talented students to learn mathematics and science, in 2008).

The introduction to the national curriculum states that its main purpose is to support every constituency involved in general education—including teachers, students, parents, textbook authors, and educational managers—in planning and implementing the learning process effectively.6 The national curriculum describes the requirements that must be fulfilled by students for the successful completion of every grade and presents these in the form of outcomes and relevant indicators.

Since the adoption of the Law on General Education in 2005, the curriculum has been changed several times, with the most recent revision being effective for the period 2011–2016. The curriculum in effect during the administration of TIMSS 2015 prescribed the following general aims for mathematics:

  • Develop students’ thinking abilities
  • Develop abilities for deductive and inductive reasoning, supporting opinions with relevant arguments, and analyzing phenomena, facts, and events
  • Master mathematics as a universal language of science and as a description of the universe
  • Understand the role of mathematics as a significant component of human culture
  • Prepare students for subsequent professional careers
  • Acquire the mathematical knowledge necessary for completing daily tasks and develop the skills needed for the practical application of this knowledge

Mathematical competence includes mastering mathematical concepts and procedures, as well as acquiring skills for applying them when solving problems, and developing communication abilities essential for obtaining and providing information through mathematical language and methods. As such, mathematics education aims to develop reasoning, communication, application and modeling, and problem solving skills as well as to form positive attitudes toward the subject. To reflect this, the national curriculum in mathematics is divided into four domains: Numbers and Operations; Geometry and Spatial Reasoning; Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics; and Algebra. Although these domains are interrelated and cover knowledge and skills to be acquired at school, the division of mathematics into domains should not be confused with the division of mathematics courses. Domains merely help to outline the range of materials to be taught and highlight what should be given special consideration at different stages of the learning process.

The four domains encompass the following content:

  • Numbers and Operations—Numbers, their uses, and ways to present them; operations on numbers and numerical relationships; estimation and approximation of quantities; and quantities, measurement units, and other uses of numbers
  • Geometry and Spatial Reasoning—Geometric objects, their properties, relationships, and constructions; measures and methods of measurement; transformations and symmetry of figures; and coordinates and their uses in geometry
  • Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics—Data sources and data collection methods; ways of organizing data and means of data representation; summarizing numerical characteristics of data; probabilistic models; and sampling methods and numerical characteristics of samples
  • Algebra and Patterns—Sets, mappings, and functions and their uses; elements of discrete mathematics and their uses; algorithms and recursions; and algebraic operations and their properties

Apart from more general aims, the curriculum defines specific objectives to be achieved within each domain at every level of general education—primary (Grades 1 to 6), basic (Grades 7 to 9), and upper secondary (Grades 10 to 12). Exhibit 1 outlines the objectives for each mathematics domain in Grades 4 and 8.

Exhibit 1: Mathematics Domain Objectives, Grades 4 and 87

Educational
Level		 Domain Objectives
Grade 4 Numbers and Operations Represent whole numbers in decimal notation; add, subtract, multiply, divide, and compare numbers; recognize simple fractions (1/2, 1/3, 1/4) and compare them; use and convert between different measuring units; use arithmetic operations to solve practical problems
Geometry and Spatial Reasoning Develop skills essential for describing and constructing geometrical figures; find components of geometric objects and their relationships; classify figures in terms of their attributes

Recognize figures based on verbal descriptions and create graphical models
Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics Become acquainted with elements of descriptive statistics, including ways of collecting, organizing, and interpreting qualitative and discrete quantitative data
Algebra and Patterns Develop skills needed to recognize correspondence and relationships between quantities

Learn to build and solve simple algebraic expressions
Grade 8 Numbers and Operations Represent rational numbers in decimal notation or using fractions; calculate using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; compare rational numbers; analyze various properties of numbers including operations of square or cubic root
Geometry and Spatial Reasoning Use Cartesian coordinates to find unknown magnitudes of a given geometric shape; calculate area of planar shapes by subdividing into simple shapes or by completing to a simple shape; complete a missing step in a geometric proof
Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics Gather data and organize it in tables or charts; convert data represented in one way into another graphical form; build simple sample spaces; calculate simple probabilities
Algebra and Patterns Recognize linear relationships between magnitudes; solve systems of linear equations with two unknowns; solve linear inequalities and interpret the results geometrically using the number line; solve word problems by writing linear equations

The national curriculum also prescribes methods for organizing instruction, homework, summative and formative assessments of student progress, and rubrics.