Israel

Special Initiatives in Mathematics and Science Education

After a decrease over several years in the rate of students majoring in mathematics and the sciences, the Ministry of Education has set objectives with the goal of increasing the number of high school students choosing to major in scientific disciplines and advanced mathematics, especially considering these majors may lead students to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professions. Additional efforts are being made to help low achieving students in mathematics who may be at risk of dropping the subject to complete the basic level of 3 learning units. The main initiatives in science and mathematics education implemented in lower secondary and secondary schools are as follows:

• Science and Technology Future Professionals (Atuda Madait-Technologit)²⁰—Begun in 2011, this program aims to attract students at the lower secondary level to advanced science, technology, and mathematics studies beginning in the seventh grade, with a view to promoting excellence in these subjects and increasing the rate of students taking 5 units of mathematics and science and technology by the end of secondary school. During the 2014–2015 school year, the program was implemented in approximately 25 percent of lower secondary schools in Israel. Additional instructional hours in mathematics, physics, computer science, and robotics are allocated for students in the program, beyond the compulsory science and technology and mathematics hours in regular classes. Students explore additional topics beyond the compulsory curriculum, and study topics within the curriculum in depth. Teachers in this program participate in workshops designed to help them with the extended curriculum, and schools are equipped to provide additional laboratory activities. At the secondary level, students in the program are expected to study advanced mathematics at the 5 unit level and major in two subjects within science and technology (i.e., physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, or biotechnology). To help students succeed in the program, additional hours are allocated for learning in small groups.
• Make the Most of Their Potential and Promote Excellence in Mathematics (Mitzui ve-Metzuyanut)²¹—Implemented in 2010 in the majority of lower secondary schools, this program aims to meet the needs of students at the two ends of the achievement spectrum. In addition to their regular classes, advanced students participate in one to two additional hours of mathematics instruction dedicated to enrichment activities beyond the regular syllabus. These activities are designed to enhance motivation and promote interest in the field of mathematics and lay a foundation for studying advanced mathematics at the 5 unit level in secondary school. At the other end of the spectrum, students with difficulties in mathematics, who may be at risk of dropping the subject in secondary school, are assigned to the Make the Most of Their Potential program. In this program, students work in small groups, and teachers dedicate special efforts to addressing their difficulties in mathematics, extending their base of mathematical knowledge, and strengthening their sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence to prepare them for studying basic mathematics at the 3 unit level in secondary school.
• The National Plan to Strengthen Mathematics (Latet 5 or 5 Pi 2)²²—Established in 2014, this national program aims to increase the number of students who choose to study mathematics at the 5 unit level in secondary school. The program is carried out in collaboration with nongovernmental organizations and experts from academia, and includes allocating additional instructional hours for students at the 5 unit level to study in small groups (during the academic year and in summer courses); promoting activities among school principals, mathematics teachers, and students that highlight the importance of learning advanced mathematics; establishing a forum for policymakers, representatives of high tech and industry, and experts in mathematics education for discussing ways to promote interest in mathematics; establishing professional communities and special workshops for mathematics teachers to provide professional development and support; recruiting high quality candidates to attractive career change programs; and creating an incentive for students to take the 5 units mathematics matriculation examination—i.e., counting their test scores as an advantage in the university admissions process.