Project Maths is an initiative which involves the complete revision of the mathematics curriculum at junior and senior cycles at post-primary level. Project Maths began in 24 ‘initial’ schools in 2008 and was rolled out, on a phased basis, to all post-primary schools in the country in the autumn of 2010.
Mathematics was the main focus of the PISA 2012 study and a decision was made nationally to administer the PISA 2012 assessment in all of the initial Project Maths schools as results of the mathematics assessment in these schools are of particular national interest. A national questionnaire was administered to all mathematics teachers in schools participating in PISA 2012 in Ireland. A national questionnaire was also administered to mathematics school co-ordinators in participating schools. These questionnaires examined teachers’ views on mathematics teaching and learning in general, as well the implementation of Project Maths.
Analysis of teachers’ views on the implementation of Project Maths, including comparisons of the views of teachers in initial and non-initial schools, has been published in a report entitiled, Teaching and learning in Project Maths: Insights from teachers who participated in PISA 2012 (Cosgrove, Perkins, Shiel, Fish & McGuinness, 2012). Results of analyses of PISA mathematics achievement data in initial Project Maths schools, compared with non-initial schools, will be the focus of a separate report, PISA and Project Maths, which will be published in 2014.
