SMSC in Mathematics

Spiritual development in Mathematics

The study of mathematics enables students to make sense of the world around them and we strive to enable each of our students to explore the connections between their numeracy skills and every-day life. Developing deep thinking and an ability to question the way in which the world works promotes the spiritual growth of students. Students are encouraged to see the sequences, patterns, symmetry and scale both in the man-made and the natural world and to use maths as a tool to explore it more fully.

Moral development in Mathematics

The moral development of students is an important thread running through the mathematics syllabus. Students are provided with opportunities to use their maths skills in real life contexts, applying and exploring the skills required in solving various problems. For example, students are encouraged to analyse data and consider the implications of misleading or biased statistical calculations. All students are made aware of the fact that the choices they make lead to various consequences. They must then make a choice that relates to the result they are looking for. The logical aspect of this relates strongly to the right/wrong responses in maths.

Social development in Mathematics

Problem solving skills and teamwork are fundamental to mathematics through creative thinking, discussion, explaining and presenting ideas. Students are always encouraged to explain concepts to each other and support each other in their learning. In this manner, students realise their own strengths and feel a sense of achievement which often boosts confidence. Over time they become more independent and resilient learners.

Cultural development in Mathematics

Mathematics is a universal language with a myriad of cultural inputs throughout the ages. Various approaches to mathematics from around the world are used and this provides an opportunity to discuss their origins. This includes different multiplication methods from Egypt, Russia and China, Pythagoras’ Theorem from Greece, algebra from the Middle East and debates as to where Trigonometry was first used. We try to develop an awareness of both the history of maths alongside the realisation that many topics we still learn today have travelled across the world and are used internationally.