The School of Mathematics and Statistics is keen to develop links with teachers, to improve the quality of both secondary and tertiary mathematics education and ease students' transition between them.
The School operates a visiting teaching fellow program, which allows teachers to spend a semester or a year in the School in a lecturer/tutor capacity. For information, contact the Director of First Year.
We run a series of Online Professional Development Courses, aimed at Australian high school mathematics educators who want to enhance and strengthen their understanding of some important mathematical theories and their applications to the modern world.
The School of Mathematics and Statistics endows maths prizes for local high schools. For information, please contact the Head of School.
Undergraduates, postgraduates and alumni of the School of Mathematics and Statistics are available to visit high schools to speak at careers expos and similar events. For information on this, contact Susannah Waters (Project Officer, School of Mathematics and Statistics).
The School appreciates the difficulties school students and teachers face. It is of course a trying time for students doing the HSC, and it is also difficult for teachers who are trying to prepare the students for the HSC - and not just prepare them to do well for the HSC, but also to adequately prepare students for their further tertiary studies. Mathematics, in particular, is somewhat special. Mathematics is an important subject that lies at the basis of many other subjects in Science, such as Engineering and Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and others. Mathematics is also one of the only fields where the knowledge is cumulative and somewhat hierarchical, so it is important to adequately prepare students.
Good mathematics skills and knowledge are essential for ensuring success in these other fields. How, then, can teachers help their students maximise their mathematics skills and knowledge?
Even though first year University-level mathematics courses do not have any formal high school prerequisites, students may struggle without at least 3 units of HSC-level mathematics. Many of the first year subjects assume knowledge of this level of mathematics. For students who did not take this level of mathematics in high school, the School of Mathematics and Statistics offers bridging courses through January and February.
First of all, it is important for students to know that they should take maths. Guidance for students who want to end up studying some of the Science subjects mentioned above should stress the importance of mathematics. Only through taking mathematics can an understanding of mathematics be fostered.
However, for especially talented students who have an interest in mathematics, a talented students program is available. Run by the School of Mathematics and Statistics, the Talented Students program is geared to a faster pace, and has an emphasis on harder problems. A guideline for entrance into this program is approximately 180 for 4 unit mathematics in the HSC level, or a high 80 mark in MATH1141. Entrance details are given in the first lecture.
There are other avenues to encourage students in Mathematics, such as the UNSW School Mathematics Competition with the chance to win prizes and certificates of recognition for work in solving a set of problems designed to test mathematical ingenuity.
Teachers can also encourage students by distributing our information on careers in mathematics. Some role models can be found among our alumni.
For information on the School and its programs, email: ug.MathsStats@unsw.edu.au.
Bridging courses
Even though first year University-level mathematics courses do not have any formal high school prerequisites, students may struggle without at least 3 units of HSC-level mathematics. Many of the first year subjects assume knowledge of this level of mathematics. For students who did not take this level of mathematics in high school, the School of Mathematics and Statistics offers bridging courses through January and February.
Learn more
Talented students program
For especially talented students who have an interest in mathematics, a talented students program is available. Run by the School of Mathematics and Statistics, the Talented Students program is geared to a faster pace, and has an emphasis on harder problems. A guideline for entrance into this program is approximately 180 for 4 unit mathematics in the HSC level, or a high 80 mark in MATH1141. Entrance details are given in the first lecture.
Learn more
UNSW School Mathematics Competition
There are other avenues to encourage students in Mathematics, such as the UNSW School Mathematics Competition with the chance to win prizes and certificates of recognition for work in solving a set of problems designed to test mathematical ingenuity. If you need more information, Bruce Henry of the School of Mathematics and Statistics will be glad to answer any queries you may have.
Learn more
School visits
An academic can visit your school to do a presentation(s) to students or staff.
Presentations are designed to be fun and entertaining. They can cover beautiful but simple ideas involving numbers and shapes.
Presentations about how things work can also be arranged. For example, how encryption, GPS, CT scans, Google search, error correction or JPEG work; all using only basic high school mathematics.
Talks can be undertaken in a normal class room setting or in a more 'hands-on’ group activity setting.
Presentations to schools outside of Sydney can be undertaken using Skype.
Interested high school teachers should contact Dr Randell Heyman or Susannah Waters.
Email us
Resources for high school students
Some mathematical links
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) coordinated the TIMES project, targeting school mathematics education. Teacher content modules are available as well as a career guide.
The Australian Mathematical Society has current job listings, while their career profiles page has interesting profiles of several mathematics graduates and their careers.
This American Mathematical Society page has lots of links including various problem pages. One is to The Art of Problem Solving site.
The International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics (ICE-EM) Mathematics Australian Curriculum series is now available from Cambridge University Press. Several members of the School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW were involved in the development of these textbooks, which span years 5 to 10.
