About the project

The main goal of this project is to improve students’ logical-mathematical intelligence, thus effectively contributing to the reduction of underachievement in Mathematics and the improvement of related skills such as mental mathematics, logical reasoning, problem-solving and the ability to think in abstract ways. However, we also intend to actively work towards the improvement of teachers’ profile and experience, by offering them certified training within short-term joint staff training events with proper follow-up and monitoring to enhance teaching within such areas.

By doing so we expect to simultaneously work in the spheres of students and teachers to boost their motivation and focus, thus training their persistence, work and resilience in face of real-life problems and situations. Hence, although we specifically aim at the development of mathematical competences, we believe that, through this project, we are providing, both teachers and students, with the tools they need to be more successful in the future, at professional and personal levels.

We also aim at the improvement of students and their families’ expectations towards Mathematics, thus ensuring they are less biased when dealing with it. By creating more engaging strategies to develop such skills in students from early age, we intend to produce a digital/paper portfolio of good practices concerning the development of logical-mathematics to be shared and disseminated to other teachers, schools, at national/international level, thus enlarging the range and impact of our project.

Students will work in their classes to improve their logical-mathematical skills, but will also be encouraged to work cooperatively with younger/older students, their families and communities, by teaching/tutoring each other, by participating in competitions and organizing activities aimed at this in their communities. By doing so, we expect to raise, both students and teachers’ motivation and to create strategies that will make the teaching-learning process more engaging.

This project should be carried at a transnational level as the improvement of the logical-mathematical intelligence is a common need and concern within all the partners. PISA 2015 main results in Mathematics show that most partner countries are within or below the average of OECD countries (Portugal, Italy, Lithuania and Hungary) which is not the case of Poland and Norway (OECD, 2016:5).

However, according to studies carried out, Polish students have results below their national level (2014, nat.average - 68% and school’s - 61%; in 2015, national’s- 61% and school’s - 53%); Portuguese students have been achieving lower results, although most of them are still above the national average (2014, nat. average - 56% and school’s - 73%; in 2015, the nat. average - 60% and school’s - 68%; in 2016, school’s average was only 56%); the Hungarian school has found out that, despite their efforts, irregular improvements can be registered in their students' performances in this field in the last 3 years (2013 the level was at 1497 out of 2000; in 2014, 1475; and in 2015, 1593).

On the other hand, Lithuanian school eliminated negative results from 2014 to 2016 and raised their students' level of skills in Mathematics to 76%. Italian school is currently changing their teaching of Mathematics by developing units targeting skills within real life situations where students solve real-life problems by applying their knowledge in Mathematics. Norwegian partner school hasn't got results on national exams in Mathematics as students do them after the end of primary education. However, according to PISA 2015 results, we believe this school, along with Lithuanian and Italian schools who have been making a very interesting journey to improve students’ logical-mathematical skills may become role models or, at least, introduce important aspects to reflect upon in terms of teaching and learning Mathematics to primary-school students.

Although we expect to develop a common framework among the partner schools, we will also come up with activities aiming at exploring our specific features, both at cultural, economic and social contexts while keeping the same goal in mind. Parents will be invited to share their life experiences about the way they acquired such competences, highlighting how useful these are in their daily-lives.

Thus, the goals of the short-term exchanges of pupils (March 2018; March 2019), are sharing the results of activities and analyse their impact in the school communities. We also expect students to provide feedback concerning the improvements in Mathematics teaching as teachers will be offered training and follow-up monitoring several months prior to these exchanges.