The Mathematics Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
The Integrated Curriculum for Primary School was in effect for students assessed in TIMSS 2015. At the primary level, this curriculum is organized into four learning domains in mathematics: Numbers, Measurement, Shape and Space, and Statistics.3 For each domain, the learning outcomes are arranged progressively, giving teachers a framework for planning lessons according to student ability. Both the primary and secondary mathematics curricula emphasize the integration of mathematical processes, i.e., problem solving, reasoning, communication, connections, and representations. By the end of Grade 4, students should be able to do the following:
- Numbers—Perform mathematical operations and solve problems involving whole numbers up to 100,000; compare, express equivalent fractions, and add and subtract proper fractions with denominators up to 10; write decimals, convert fractions to decimals, perform mathematical operations, and solve problems involving a maximum of two decimal places; and write values, perform mathematical operations, and solve problems involving money up to RM10,000 (RM, Malaysian Ringgit, is the national currency)
- Measurement—Understand time, including the 12 hour system, perform mathematical operations, and solve problems involving units of time and the calendar; measure length, mass, and volume of liquid in metric units; calculate unit conversions; perform mathematical operations; and solve problems involving length, mass, and volume of liquid
- Shapes and Space—Identify two- and three-dimensional shapes; calculate perimeter, area, and volume; and solve problems involving perimeter, area, and volume of squares, rectangles, cubes, and cuboids
- Statistics—Extract and interpret information from pictographs and bar graphs
The mathematics curriculum at the lower secondary level (Grades 7 to 9) is organized into three interrelated learning domains—Numbers, Shapes and Space, and Relationships. For each domain, topics are listed from the most basic to the most abstract. By the end of Grades 7 to 9, students should be able to do the following:
- Numbers—Understand, perform computations, and solve problems involving integers, fractions, decimals, and percentages; understand, perform computations, and solve problems involving negative numbers; understand and solve problems involving number patterns and sequences, such as multiples and factors; and understand, perform computations, and solve problems involving squares, square roots, cubes, and cube roots of numbers (using calculators where appropriate)
- Shapes and Space—Understand basic measurements involving length, mass, and time, and estimate and solve problems related to basic measurements; understand and solve problems involving polygons, lines, and angles and the Pythagorean theorem; perform geometrical constructions using straight edges and compasses; use scales, plot Cartesian coordinates of points, and solve problems involving coordinates, such as the distance between two points and midpoints in a Cartesian plane; determine the locus of points that satisfy given conditions, including the intersection of two loci; identify parts of a circle; draw a circle given its parameters; solve problems involving circumference, area of sectors, and area of circles; understand, use, and solve problems involving the concept of congruency and similarity; understand and solve problems involving the concept of isometric transformation (translation, reflection, and rotation); identify and solve problems involving geometric properties of prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones, and spheres; understand nets and construct models of solids using nets; and understand and solve problems involving surface area and volume of prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones, and spheres
- Relationships—Understand and solve problems involving algebraic expressions; write, formulate, and solve problems involving linear equations, including simultaneous equations; solve linear inequalities, including simultaneous linear inequalities with one unknown; draw graphs of functions; understand and solve problems involving ratio and proportion; collect and organize data systematically; understand measures of central tendency (mean, mode, and median); and represent and interpret data in pictograms, bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts, and solve related problems