LC HL Maths Paper 1 'controversy'

am_zarathustra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120731458#Comment_120731458

I'd agree, either have them on the course at JC or get rid of them, otherwise you are half doing them. The 2 hours exam at JC is a killer too, so many one and two line answers just to keep to the time, no real long manipulations. Not that anyone will actually listen.

No teacher is really finishing the course to any real depth in the time allotted, either we need to stream more aggressively or you trim the course and teach really in depth, difficult, abstract concepts from the start and that should sort out that. The only loosers would be the grind schools.

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120731732#Comment_120731732

I think you've got the nail on the head. I wonder is there any school in Ireland where it's not about trying to finish the course.

am_zarathustra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732656#Comment_120732656

It sucks the joy out of it too, even when you get a class that genuinely has a love for maths by the time you get to senior cycle it's gone. Like the spark of joy is still there when something difficult works but the level or work needed and the pressure/conversation around it makes it hard to keep that going. The other subjects I teach just aren't the same, kids might be ambivalent, as they often are, but you don't get the hate and quite a few will love the subject. It's already an uphill battle with a lot of parents just saying they hate maths or aren't able to do it. We rarely hear people almost bragging they can't read.

It's always struck me a touch of arrogance......look how long and difficult we can make it.

rainbowtrout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120731726#Comment_120731726

Well, he went on to show us a geometry question from that year's LC that was 'extremely hard' and most students had 'great difficulty' with, I then commented that this type of question wasn't unusual on the old JC that I did in the 90s and we were able to do them then. 😁 I have no time for this idea that students are rubbish at a topic. They're rubbish at it because they haven't studied it in detail, and we don't make them learn anything anymore. While rote learning doesn't teach lots of different skills, it is good for base knowledge that can be recalled quickly and applied in a question, and while theorems aren't exactly rote learning, working through how the proofs work and understanding the proof is the key to LC geometry.

I showed my physics class last year my JC Maths paper from 1994 (from the repository on the Maynooth website). They were shocked to see the lack of pictures, and they were amazed to see logs on the paper. Given that it doesn't appear at all at LC OL, and most of the more challenging calculus is gone, they are less challenged overall.

Treppen

Once project maths came in I thought parts of the geometry course were stolen directly from Tech Graphics course. I think they should have left it there.

gaiscioch

I'd say the LC Maths examiners should be looking for a raise if the Dept creates more work for them in response to every parental/student whinge:

Students complain to Minister about ‘cruel’ Leaving Cert maths paper

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/07/16/students-complain-to-minister-about-cruel-leaving-cert-maths-paper/

Dozens of sixth years and their parents have contacted Department of Education