1. Overview:

Mathematics is a fundamental subject that helps students from grade 1 through grade 12 understand numbers and calculations, and develop logical thinking skills, thus enabling them to apply their mathematical knowledge to real-world problems.

Beyond cultivating students’ knowledge and understanding of the subject, Vinschool’s mathematics program fosters the development of foundational attributes for teaching and learning, including:

Developing students’ ability to learn and seek knowledge, empowering them to identify knowledge gaps or assess their own progress.
Innovatively equipping students with new knowledge by framing certain content as challenges rather than obstacles and providing assistance in finding solutions to their problems.
Instilling students’ confidence in working with information and opinions, both their own and others’.
Enhancing students’ socio-emotional development and fostering an appreciation for the contributions of their peers through teamwork, a crucial 21st-century skill.
Encouraging active participation and social activities to prepare students to make meaningful differences and contributions.
Motivating students to take responsibility for themselves and to respect others.

Vinschool’s Mathematics program is based on the principles of “Thinking and Working Mathematically,” incorporating meaningful content to foster students’ comprehensive understanding of the subject.

The principals of “Thinking and Working Mathematically” underpin concepts and mathematical skills across all aspects of the Vinschool Mathematics program. When students engage in mathematical thinking and working, they actively participate in their learning. They strive to comprehend ideas and establish connections between various events and concepts. Students who do not employ mathematical thinking and working methods may carry out procedures their teacher shows them; however, they may not understand why the processes work the way they do or what the results mean.

Given the inconsistency in students’ thinking, providing specific examples and expressions will encourage them to think and work with a mathematical mindset. Furthermore, practicing, critically reflecting, and posing questions facilitate students’ progress and enhance the development of their mathematical thinking skills.

“Thinking and Working Mathematically” comprises eight specific characteristics presented in four pairs:

Specializing and Generalizing

Specializing and Generalizing
Conjecturing and Convincing
Characterizing and Classifying
Critiquing and Improving

“Thinking and Working Mathematically”

Specializing: Choosing an example and checking to see if it satisfies or does not satisfy specific mathematical criteria.
Generalizing: Recognising an underlying pattern by identifying many examples that satisfy the same mathematical criteria.
Conjecturing: Forming mathematical questions or ideas.
Convincing: Presenting evidence to justify or challenge a mathematical idea or solution.
Characterizing: Identifying and describing the mathematical properties of an object.
Classifying: Organizing objects into groups according to their mathematical properties.
Critiquing: Comparing and evaluating mathematical ideas, representations or solutions to identify advantages and disadvantages.
Improving: Refining mathematical ideas or representations to develop a more effective approach or solution.

Vinschool’s Mathematics program encourages students to engage in lifelong learning while developing analytical thinking and a comprehensive understanding across various fields. Students become confident in using mathematics and develop skills that can be applied to everyday situations. This program helps students establish a foundation for lifelong learning through:

Curiosity about the world around them and a passion for learning;
Knowledge, understanding, and skills that can be applied to mathematics and interdisciplinary subjects;
Communication with effectiveness and confidence, even in English;
Understanding of personal and local contexts, and global awareness.

Specifically, in the Vinschool Mathematics program, students will:

Engage in creative mathematical thinking processes to generate effective solutions;
Enhance the expression of important mathematical concepts to understand numbers, patterns, shapes, measurements, and data fluently;
Develop various mathematical skills, strategies, and ways of thinking approaches that enable students to describe the world around them and play an active role in modern society;
Communicate solutions and ideas logically through spoken and written language, and employ appropriate mathematical symbols, diagrams, and representations;
Understand that technology provides a powerful means of conveying mathematics, a particularly important method in a world where technology and digitalization are increasingly prevalent.

2. Course Objectives

Responsible Vinsers: Students demonstrate an understanding of mathematical principles that can be applied to real-life issues in a responsible manner.
Creative Vinsers: Students employ creative mathematical thinking to solve new and unfamiliar problems. They can select their favorite mathematical strategies and propose alternative pathways for effective solutions,
Confident Vinsers: Students exhibit confidence and enthusiasm in their mathematical abilities, utilizing appropriate techniques without hesitation, uncertainty, or fear. They engage in posing structured, systematic, argumentative, and analytical mathematical questions, while also presenting findings, defending strategies and solutions, and critiquing and improving the solutions of others.
Engaged Vinsers: Students display curiosity and intellectual engagement to deepen their understanding of mathematics, utilizing the subject to make constructive contributions to society and the economy.
Reflective Vinsers: Students demonstrate the ability to reflect on the thinking process and work logically in mathematics, mastering mathematical concepts and actively developing high-level thinking skills through posing complex questions and making conjectures.