Special Initiatives in Mathematics and Science Education
Ireland has a number of mathematics and science initiatives at the primary and post-primary levels. The informal sector includes contributions from business and industry, professional organizations, foundations, social enterprises, science centers, teachers, volunteers, and government agencies. Activities include local school projects, exhibitions, science festivals, Science Week, Maths Week, and competitions at local, regional, national, and international levels. It is worth noting that many of the initiatives in Ireland that are in place to promote science receive both public and private funding.
Centers such as The National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics, Science Teaching and Learning at the University of Limerick, the Eureka Centre at University College Cork, and the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Teaching & Learning at Dublin City University, among others, are examples of third level institutions that work closely with teachers and students to research good practice in science education and provide professional development. The Junior Science Support Service was set up to support the implementation of the 2003 post-primary syllabus and has now merged with the Professional Development Service for Teachers. It aims to promote student-centered learning and investigation, assist teachers to work together effectively in schools, and help teachers to integrate ICT in science teaching and learning.
At the primary level, the Discover Primary Science and Maths Programme is part of Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme, which aims to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among students, teachers, and members of the public. The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Primary Science Fair and British Telecommunications (BT) Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition provide a public forum for primary schools across Ireland to showcase STEM projects, receive feedback from experts in the field, and learn from viewing other projects at a major exhibition. Other programs include the Mathletes Challenge, renamed LearnStorm in 2016, which uses the Khan Academy’s free online learning platform, the RDS STEM Learning Programme, a professional development program for developing teachers’ conceptual and pedagogical knowledge of mathematics and science, and the Intel Mini Scientist Exhibition.
At the post-primary level, there are a number of special initiatives which support science education. For example, STEPS is an Engineers Ireland program that encourages primary and post-primary students to explore the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while promoting engineering as a career choice. Discover Sensors, a program managed by Science Foundation Ireland, has worked closely with 120 teachers in 35 schools, trialing practical inquiry-based science teaching and learning tools and techniques, and incorporating learning assessments. Scientific inquiry is popular with students, as evidenced by the growing popularity of events such as the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, and SciFest. Both science festivals are Irish initiatives that encourage active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning. Participation in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition grew from 230 students, in 1963, to nearly 1,200 students in 2015. Participation in SciFest has grown from more than 1,600 students from 100 post-primary schools, in 2008, to 3,600 students from 239 schools, in 2014.
The John Hooper Medal for Statistics Competition has recently been introduced, an annual competition that is open to all post-primary schools. It is awarded by The Central Statistics Office for outstanding projects in statistics. Maths Circles is an initiative designed for post-primary students to encourage problem solving, investigation, and discovery. Maths Eyes is an initiative designed for both primary and post-primary students to encourage them to see mathematics in the world around them.