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Maths GCSE's

TheCatWoman

More people have passed thier GCSE's this year than last, well done them. But I was anazed at how many students are doing resits, maybe three or more times and still not passing the required grade. Apparently the more times you try the less likely you are to pass, this says to me that theres something wrong with the way these students are being taught, or they have an undiagnosed learning difficulty? I couldn't pass a GCSE at grade C which was the pass mark then I think they've changed from 1 -5 or something now.

How we all at maths?

How do you think it could be taught differently or better?

Are to many children not being picked up with learning difficulties and do we expect maths to be difficult and allow some children to fail? It seems that difficulties with reading and writing are picked up quite young, why not with maths?

  • in reply to 190E(Taylor’s version)

    I'm not good at exams either. Maths was probably the only one I could deal with in exam form. I really struggled to revise for subjects involving information. I'm so glad I did my GCSEs when coursework was still a big part of it. 

    I don't agree with the current set up. It's a memory test, yes they have to show they can apply what they've remembered but it's not natural to the human brain to expect so much retention of information at once.

  • I got an E in maths a D in science a C in English a pass in performing arts and a merit in ict yet here I am with a buisness plan that includes expenses profit loss margins etc

    i think exams are my downfall 

    revison actually makes me forget stuff and when they say take time to go back over it this makes me stress about taking x amount of time but if I have an exam where I can do it at my pace and submit it and get an immediate your likely to of passed or failed I find it easier like I passed my cscs card first try and hope to pass my ham radio foundation next time and hopefully my theory and driving tests too 

  • A pass is a level 4. So anyone getting levels 1,2 and 3 don't count as a pass. The resit system is ridiculous. If everybody was capable of getting a level 4 then levels 1,2 and 3 wouldn't need to exist. Some people's brains aren't wired for maths, they have strengths in other areas. A lot of the stuff that is taught for maths GCSE is to be honest, not necessary. The problem is not necessarily the way these kids are taught (although it can be) or that issues aren't being picked up early enough but an issue with a 1 size fits all system that doesn't suit all kids. Maths GCSE isn't the right thing for everybody yet the government expects them all to get a 4, it's nonsense. 

    The improvements to be able to teach it the way that would suit these learners is to take away the expectations for them to get a 4 at GCSE and be able to teach them at the level that they are.

    Maths difficulties can be more complex than other learning difficulties. It takes up a lot of different parts of the brain. We also don't seem to be as good at diagnosing dyscalculia than we are dyslexia so that could be a part of it 

    Personally I am quite good at maths. Certainly much better at that than I ever was at a subject like English. I like the fact it is right or wrong. I struggled with interpreting books and writing creatively and similar skills needed for English.

  • Passed my O level maths a year early when I was still only 14. But struggled after that. Managed to get an A levels in maths, but never spent enough time on it. So then struggled at uni in a Mech Eng degree which ha plentiful maths and dropped out. 

    Maths never interested me as it's all too abstract.

  • Well, I'm proud to have achieved a first class honours degree in maths.

    As to the question why many people struggle with it, it's complicated.  One reason, one does well is that one understands it instinctively and can read "between the lines."

    Why do people struggle?  Bad teaching from an early age is one reason, another is that they just don't get it. And some maths is just plain difficult even for experts.

  • TheCatWoman said:
    How we all at maths?

    I did it for 3 years at uni and hated it (physics uses maths extensively and in complex ways) - there is just so much of it it feels like every subject is its own rabbit hole of rules, exceptions and techniques.

    Over 30 years later, I doubt if I could make any use of it now.