Mathematics
“Mathematics can be discovered and created.”
Cater for Learner Diversity
S1-6 school-based teaching booklets with elements of CLIL (“Content and Language Integrated Learning”) and e-learning are adopted as the unified teaching resources to scaffold students’ learning and to promote self-directed learning.
- According to their mathematics abilities, all students in each class/group are divided into two sub-groups with differentiated assignments in the booklets.
- In designated junior forms, students will be streamed based on their performances in a previous examination in mathematics. Differentiated teaching strategies and supplementary materials are provided in different groups accordingly.
- In addition to teachers’ instructions and guidance, a reward system is set up to encourage students to solve problems systematically.
Mathematics Programmes for Gifted Students
Students who are relatively stronger in mathematics are invited to attend systematic and advanced training programmes to stretch their abilities. Interesting topics and challenging problems which require higher-order thinking skills are provided in the programmes.
In addition, some groups of students with higher mathematics abilities undergo an “accelerated learning programme”. For example, selected S3 elite students learn part of the Mathematics Extended Part Module 1 (Calculus and Statistics) before they start senior form. This implementation also helps students make informed decisions regarding their elective selections.
Authentic Mathematics
We have been collaborating with the EDB for several years to develop many “Seed” projects in different aspects. Past research topics include “Selfie” and “Rate of Body Temperature Loss”. Having a chance to learn how to apply their mathematics knowledge in daily life during the research process, students will become more interested in learning mathematics.
Game-based Learning
Through playing different interesting games such as origami and jigsaw puzzles, a group of students, or even a whole class of students, can learn mathematics more easily in a relaxing environment. The effectiveness of teaching is also promoted in the use of mathematics games in the sense that students master knowledge and skills. Some extended activities are conducted after class.
Consolidating the Role of Mathematics in STEM
In STEM education, the application of mathematics usually involves statistics and some common probability distributions. Therefore, we strive to put these elements into our current school-based mathematics curriculum. Besides, we also frequently collaborate with other disciplines such as Computer Literacy, Physics and Integrated Science to study how knowledge and skills learnt in Mathematics are instrumental in explorative learning in STEM. For example, when students analyse data obtained from research during science competitions, they can apply their extended knowledge from Mathematics to tackle problems encountered during STEM’s explorative learning.
Making Use of Online Question Bank (OQB) to Promote L&T
Assessment for learning: Having systematically analyzed students’ individual and group performances from several units obtained in the system, teachers can better the learning and teaching approaches in order to raise students’ future performance.
Assessment as learning: Through the system, students can be informed of their own strengths and weaknesses in different mathematics topics in order to explore the approach to raising their performance. OQB can also record the missed questions of individual students, who can then organize such questions for revision.
Off-campus mathematics competitions
Some students have participated and won various awards in the following mathematics competitions.
| Hong Kong Mathematics Creative Problem Solving Competition | Statistical Project Competition for Secondary School Students |
| Mathematics Book Report Competition | Statistics Creative-Writing Competition for Secondary School Students |
| Hong Kong Youth Mathematical High Achievers Selection Contest | Inter-school Fintech Application and Innovation Competition (AI@FinTech) |
| Hong Kong Mathematics Olympiad |
In 2019, Kwok Tsang-in and Chan Ka-yan won the championship as well as “the Best Presentation Award” in the 1st Inter-School Fintech Application & Innovation Competition organized by the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Mensa Society
Mensa International is the largest and longest running organization for high-IQ elites in the world. Our school’s Mensa Society targets students with keen interest in mathematics. Seminars or workshops are organized weekly. With the guidance of teachers, the talented senior form students are guided to hold engaging and challenging activities and share their enthusiasm with their junior form sisters.
Topics studied in the past include:
| 1 Cut ONLY | Infinite Chocolate Bar | Prisoner’s Dilemma |
| Rummikub | Da Vinci Code | Ghost Leg |
| Killer Sudoku | Seven Bridges Problem | Magic Poker Game |
| Corner the Queen | Take 5 | Water puzzle |
Visit Abroad to Extend the Horizon
Students can learn more about how others in different countries are learning mathematics. We visited a prestigious university in Japan, where a professor introduced various fascinating aspects and concepts in topology, such as space, dimension and transduction . Students benefited a lot as they experienced a different learning culture and raised their understanding of, and interest in, mathematical concepts.
Mathematics Week and KTL STEM Hub
Lunch activities are organized to let students learn more about mathematics. The main aim of these activities is to promote students’ analytical minds.
Reading scheme
We work in collaboration with our library to promote students’ reading habits. Book exhibitions are organized regularly where mathematics books and articles of the library are featured. Students can then learn more about some areas in statistics, calculus and trigonometry, which are beyond the scope of the current mathematics curriculum.
Participation in EDB “Seed” Projects
Promoting Experiential Learning
- We have been collaborating with the EDB for several years to develop many “Seed” projects in different aspects.
- Our team members were also invited by the EDB as guest speakers in many seminars to share the results of our “Seed” Projects with the public.
Collaboration with Tertiary Institutes
- We usually nominate students to join workshops organized by tertiary institutions and organize visits to the mathematics departments of some local universities for students to learn more about the importance and application of mathematics in their further study as early as possible.
Promoting Staff Professional Dialogue
- Our team frequently organizes internal professional meetings and lesson studies to share different learning and teaching strategies, analyze data collected in different assessments, study students’ common mistakes, etc.
- In our discussion and mini-lesson study, we strive to promote our L&T effectiveness by identifying a topic, designing a lesson, observing how the lesson was conducted, and appraising the lesson.
Staff Development Day in True Light Family
- Our whole team talked about how our Mathematics Department has been promoting STEM education and e-learning in EDB “Seed Projects”.