Comment on ajb blog

[studiot]

I saw this blog by ajb and wondered why it is locked.

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/66103-blog-post-ajb-a-level-mathematics-is-not-equipping-students-with-the-right-skills/page__pid__674786#entry674786

 

Does the site owner not wish the subject to be discussed?

Edited April 30, 2012 by studiot

[Phi for All]

That's just a placeholder post. Not sure why the system places those.

 

Go to the main page, upper right and you'll find the link to ajb's blog under Recent Blog Posts. Or you can go there directly right here.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

There's a link at the bottom there to "Read and comment on the full post". You'll want to follow that.

 

I have blog posts syndicated on the forum so they show up in the View New Content system and are more visible.

[studiot]

Thanks but I am still puzzled.

 

I followed the link and came to a paper entitled

 

"Mathematics in A-Level Science 2010."

 

This is a different subject from ajb's headline since A-Level Mathematics is a different subject group from science.

 

There is Mathematics in many A-Level subjects, besides Science some of which may well not appear in the Science syllabus.

Edited April 30, 2012 by studiot

[doG]

Thanks but I am still puzzled.

 

I followed the link and came to a paper entitled

 

"Mathematics in A-Level Science 2010."

 

This is a different subject from ajb's headline since A-Level Mathematics is a different subject group from science.

 

There is Mathematics in many A-Level subjects, besides Science some of which may well not appear in the Science syllabus.

Following Phi's link I landed here where I found a link to leave a response in the fine print below the post...

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Thanks but I am still puzzled.

 

I followed the link and came to a paper entitled

 

"Mathematics in A-Level Science 2010."

 

This is a different subject from ajb's headline since A-Level Mathematics is a different subject group from science.

 

There is Mathematics in many A-Level subjects, besides Science some of which may well not appear in the Science syllabus.

You'll want to take that up with ajb, then, since that's the report he linked to:

 

http://www.score-education.org/media/10036/full%20maths.pdf

[ajb]

This is a different subject from ajb's headline since A-Level Mathematics is a different subject group from science.

 

There is Mathematics in many A-Level subjects, besides Science some of which may well not appear in the Science syllabus.

 

This is a valid point. The research does focus on the mathematics content of the science A-level courses mentioned, rather than the A-level mathematics course. That said, my impression is that mathematics course at A-level is also not so good at preparing people for degrees. This has come up talking to established university lecturers. May be that should be another topic for another time.

 

Sorry if the title is slightly misleading.

 

And please feel free to comment directly on the blog.

Edited May 1, 2012 by ajb

[studiot]

Good morning, ajb.

 

When I found the comments box on the blog I didn't comment because you have raised a serious subject and the only comment there was non-serious and I think your subject deserves better, even if people not from the UK are (likely) disinterested.

 

I don't think you can view either Mathematics or A-Levels in isolation. Both have changed greatly since there was a coherent structure of education syllabuses forty, fifty or sixty years ago. This structure worked both vertically and horizontally between different types of exam and also linked the requirements of companion subjects to the mutual benefit of all.

 

The late 1970s and 1980s saw an explosion of 'out with the old and in with the new' so that by 1987 I was in the position where I was helping a graduate Civil Engineer with the three dimensional curvature of a large viaduct and I was shocked to learn that under the new deal he had been all the way through school and university without being taught the basic properties of a circle.

 

Last Christmas I was given an interesting present. A book called

 

The O Level Book - Genuine exam questions from yesteryear.

 

It was certainly questions pupils in the 1950s and 1960 were expected to answer.

Edited May 1, 2012 by studiot

[hypervalent_iodine]

!

Moderator Note

studiot,

It would be better if you perhaps transferred your comment to ajb's blog as this is getting slightly aside from your OP.