Problem Solving in Mathematics
Problem Solving in Mathematics Conference 2018
On 21st February 2018, CCEA held a ‘Problem Solving in Mathematics’ conference, in the Stormont Hotel. The purpose of this conference was to promote problem solving in mathematics and showcase its importance in relation to education and industry. Those invited were post-primary teachers of Mathematics and other educational stakeholders.
Problem solving is an essential skill for our learners, which simultaneously develops creativity, curiosity and decision–making, as well as developing independent and collaborative learning skills.
The conference aimed to share best practice in embedding problem solving skills in post-primary Mathematics and facilitate discussion in the context of the classroom, employment and 21st Century skills.
Those attending heard from respected commentators from academia and industry about the importance and benefits of problem solving within mathematics.
The conference was opened by Justin Edwards, the CCEA Chief Executive, who talked about why mathematics is more important than ever in relation to 21st century skills.
Justin Edwards - CCEA Chief Executive
On the day we had three keynote speakers:
- Geoff Wake from the Centre for Research in Mathematics Education at the University of Nottingham, who talked about what we need to know when teaching problem solving;
- Seamus Cushley, a director at PwC, who talked about innovation in industry; and
- Rob Eastaway, an author and director of Maths Inspiration, who talked about how to connect problem solving and mathematics to the real world.
You can read more about the keynote speakers and see pdfs of their presentations.
We also held six workshops on the day, these included a mixture of organisations that provided support for teachers delivering mathematics and those that demonstrated how important problem solving in mathematics is to employment:
- Catalyst Inc: Generation Innovation – Problem Based Learning;
- Ipsos MORI: ‘Why do I need to learn that? Will I ever use that in the real world?’;
- Makematic and Bank of Ireland: Problem Solving for 21st Century Skills;
- Mathematics Mastery and Hazelwood Integrated College: Using Bar Modelling To Master Mathematics;
- Qubizm: Izak9; and
- University of Nottingham: Developing Students’ Problem Solving Skills In Your Classroom.
You can read more about the workshops and see available presentations from the day.
CCEA would once again like to thank all those involved on the day and for all of those who attended. Highlights of the conference can be viewed in the video below.