Toh, Tin Lam

2021, Toh, Tin Lam, Choy, Ban Heng

This book contains 11 chapters from various experts all over the world on mathematics education. It provides different perspective of how to establish connection within mathematics and beyond. The ideas are from different authors internationally and is practice-oriented, based on empirical studies conducted by the various authors. This is a good illustration of linking theory with practice.

2021, Toh, Tin Lam

In this paper, the Singapore school calculus curriculum at the upper secondary and the pre-university levels is examined in the light of the Singapore mathematics curriculum framework. Three key features of the calculus content are discerned: (1) an intuitive approach to calculus supported by the use of technology; (2) an emphasis on techniques; and (3) an emphasis on procedural over conceptual knowledge. Following that analysis, a review of the performance of a group of pre-university students on selected calculus tasks in a calculus survey prior to and after their learning of pre-university calculus is discussed. The students’ performance in the survey shows that many students did not visually identify calculus concepts that were studied procedurally. They demonstrated a lack of conceptual understanding of the calculus procedures. This study suggests that the partial calculus knowledge acquired in the early upper secondary levels might not necessarily facilitate the acquisition of a more complete concept at the pre-university level. Furthermore, the students’ procedural knowledge of calculus did not seem to develop their procedural fluency or flexibility.

2021, Toh, Tin Lam, Cheng, Lu Pien, Lim, Lee Hean, Lim, Kam Ming

In this chapter, we discuss the comics package we have developed to teach lower secondary school statistics of the mathematics curriculum. Most people would think that comics for classroom instruction can at most stop at arousing students’ interest in the subject, especially among the low-attaining students. However, we assert that using comics in teaching lower secondary statistics can introduce the students to much of the statistical processes within contexts that are meaningful to students, invite them to engage in higher order thinking tasks in order to develop their critical thinking ability. We also discuss snapshots of how one teacher enacted the statistics lessons based on our comics teaching package, and two teachers’ response to the comics package.

2021, Toh, Tin Lam

This chapter discusses how Singapore strives for excellence in mathematics education in various ways. The chapter begins with the importance that Singapore has placed in identifying and developing its mathematically talented students for the prestigious mathematics competitions. Simultaneously, local mathematics community attempt to popularise mathematics competition among more interested student population and even attempt to align mathematics competition with the school curriculum, so as to benefit more student population in a variety of ways. The chapter continues to discuss the notion of mathematics competitive activities to include mathematics research and real-world problem-solving in order to identify and nurture a much wider group of mathematics talents among the Singapore students. At the systemic level, various attempts to develop and stretch our talents are emplaced, such as the Gifted Education Programme and the Integrated Programme. Within the curriculum structure, much has been done to provide differentiated instructions for students from primary to preuniversity education. This will culminate in the imminent subject-based banding, which will be implemented in full scale in the near future.