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Last weekend, second year maths students at Castleknock College in Dublin were busy studying the Leinster-Munster rugby match on television.
They took down the number of scrums and line-outs won and lost, and they counted penalty kicks. They later collected the information on Excel spreadsheets and analysed them in class.
At other times, the maths students in Castleknock might be carrying out surveys of punctuality in different classes in the school, or finding out which is the most popular computer game console.
It's all part of Project Maths, the practical, hands-on approach to the subject, which is being piloted in 24 schools across the country.
Instead of processing dry statistics from text books, students are being encouraged to use real life situations for their work.
Next year, the first phases of Project Maths will be introduced in the Junior and Senior cycles in every second level school in the country.
It is the latest attempt to improve our less than stellar performance in a subject that has caused much fretting in education circles.
Its arrival is being billed as one of the most radical changes in the second-level syllabus in recent years.
Employers and academics have for long been concerned that Irish students underperform in the subject with only 16pc take-up of the subject at Leaving Cert Higher Level.
The authoritative international education survey PISA (The Programme for International Student Assessment) shows that Irish students perform well in literacy tests, but poorly in tests of numeracy and problem-solving ability.
In recent years a consensus has emerged among teachers and education researchers that the maths taught in Irish schools is too abstract and formal, with little emphasis on its practical application.
Many students have little understanding of the principles which they are learning by rote in class. The aim of the new syllabus is to make the subject more relevant to students.
Castleknock College teacher Colin Townsend broadly welcomes the changes to the syllabus, but believes there are flaws in its implementation.
According to Mr Townsend, it is a real change to the approach to teaching where students are simply told "here's the rule, learn the rule, apply the rule".
"The students are not spoon fed. They have to investigate different scenarios, using cases from real life, and understand what is happening.
"So far, I have found the syllabus really engages students.
"In the past, students would have been given statistics from a book and asked to draw up charts.
"If you ask them to use a real life situation, such as a rugby match, it helps them to understand the subject.''
Mr Townsend, who is president of the Dublin branch of the Irish Maths Teachers Association, says Project Maths is receiving mixed responses in the profession.
The simultaneous introduction of the syllabus at Junior and Leaving Cert levels is causing concern among some teachers.
"I think it would have been much better if the Government had introduced it in first year only," says Mr Townsend.
"It will be difficult for fifth years next year, because they will not have used the course in the Junior cycle. They will not have the continuity."
Another concern for teachers is that the new syllabus will require considerable resources, which may not be available in all schools.
"I think you would need a good broadband connection on a data projector in order to get on to decent websites,'' says Mr Townsend. "There are also other materials that teachers will need.
"Another concern of mine is that some of the questions on the syllabus are a bit wordy.''
Teacher Eileen Scanlon is ASTI representative on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the body which devised Project Maths.
"The 24 schools taking part in the pilot have received top class resources, and most of the teachers I have talked to are very happy with it. "The task now is to make sure these resources are available in all second level schools," she says.
She understands concerns that the simultaneous introduction of the syllabus at Junior and Senior Cycle could cause difficulties, but believes the change is justified.
"There was a feeling that there was a need for a radical change in the maths syllabus in order to keep pace with our modern way of living.
"If it was only introduced in first year, the change would be much too slow.''
Many students and teachers will be wondering whether Project Maths actually makes the subject easier, and leads to a growth in the number of students taking the subject at higher level.
"Although it is a major change I don't think there will dumbing down,'' says Mr Townsend. "I would not say it is easier at all.
"In terms of time and commitment, it requires just as much effort, both by students and teachers.''
Maths Week, which starts on Saturday, is one of a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the subject and boosting its popularity among students.
Organiser Eoin Gill say: "It is very common to hear people say they can't do maths when it may not be true.
"There are a lot of pre-conceptions about it. Everyone can do better if we can break this cycle of fear.
"Maths underpins a whole range of activities including engineering, science and financial services," Mr Gill adds.
"It is widely recognised these are the areas, which we will need to develop if we are to build a smart economy, and maths will play a crucial part in that.''
Irish Independent
