Why children for Singapore sabi maths well well?

Singapore don achieve di top global ranking for mathematics, reading and science performance among school students for di Pisa tests for 2022.

Di kontri don historically dey veri successful for mathematics in particular, and much of di credit dey attributed to di distinctive way wey dem dey teach di topic.

Wetin be Singapore Maths and why e dey so successful?

Pisa (di Programme for International Student Assessment) na ranking system of 15-year-olds' educational standards, wey di Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) bin introduce.

For mathematics, one of di three main topics of Pisa 2022, 15-year-olds for Singapore bin score 575 points compared to average of 472 points across di 81 participating kontris.

Singapore authorities believe say mathematics education plays important role in equipping pipo to tink logically and analytically, so from a young age, Singaporean pikin dem dey learn how to develop critical mathematical processes such as reasoning, communication, and modelling.

Di nation characteristic approach to teaching mathematics dey commonly known as Singapore Maths.

Na Singapore Ministry of Education originally develop am for di 1980s for dia public schools.

Di method shift im focus from memorising to having deeper understanding of wetin dem study, and dem don widely adopt am in various forms around di world in recent decades.

How Singapore Maths dey work?

E get two core ideas wey underlie di Singapore Maths method: Di Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach (CPA) and di notion of mastery.

CPA no dey unique to Singapore Maths and na American psychologist Jerome Bruner develop am for di 1960s.

E dey based on di idea say pikin dem or even adults fit find mathematics difficult sake of say na abstract.

So CPA dey introduce abstract concepts in a tangible way, and e go kon progress to more complex subject.

"For Singapore Maths, pikin dem dey always do somtin concrete," Dr Ariel Lindorff tell BBC. Lindorff na Associate Professor of Education for di University of Oxford.

"Dem fit get cubes for addition and put dem togeda. Dem fit do somtin pictorial. Dem fit get some images of flowers wey dem put togeda, or pipo or frogs or somtin wey dey easier to relate to and easier to navigate dan just numbers."

CPA dey provide a way of understanding maths through dis different representations.

Once di pikin demonstrate say dem get solid understanding of di concrete and pictorial stages of mathematical problem, den dem go progress to abstract stage learning.

"Di Singapore Maths method no depend on memorisation," Dr Lindorff tok.

Di notion of 'mastery'

Another pillar of di Singapore Maths method na di notion of "mastery" - di idea say evri student for class move forward togeda, ensuring say nobodi dey left behind.

For example, wen pikin dem learn certain topic such as addition, some fit grasp am more quickly dan odas.

However, instead of moving dose students on to entirely different subject, dem go give dem additional activities wey dey related to di same topic to deepen dia understanding.

"Dis no mean say evri one gatz stop and wait until each student catch up," Dr Lindorff tok.

"Di idea na if some pikin dem get very good understanding of addition, di teacher no go move dem on to subtraction but instead give dem sometin wey go extend di addition concept a little further."

Dis activities fit dey work on bigger numbers or different formats.

So pikin dem wey get beta understanding go still solve di same kain problems as di rest of di class but dem go do am for different way.

For Singapore Maths, e dey important to let di students perceive mathematics as important and approachable.

"Di idea be say evri one dey capable of doing mathematics and evri one suppose dey able to master dat concept to some degree," Dr Lindorff tok.

"Some fit dey faster, some fit dey a little bit deeper in wetin dem understand... We often tink say some pipo get maths and some no just get am - dis no be wetin I believe truthfully, and dis no be somtin wey underlie Singarpore Maths either.

Shey Singapore Maths fit work elsewhere?

Di method dey already in use in a number of oda kontris, such as di US, Canada, Israel, di UK and many more.

But Dr Lindorff believe say di success of Singapore Maths method dey closely related to di educational culture, di context and di history of Singaore.

"I no tink you fit take di method and drop am for oda kontris," she tok.

"Singapore get interesting and unique history, and na veri small place. Tinkin about educational change for Singapore dey different to tinkin about change for di UK or di US."

She also point out say teachers for Singapore get brighter career prospects and beta support compared to oda kontris. She add say di attitude of Singaporean pikin dem towards mathematics education also na determinant factor for di success of Singapore Maths.

"Wetin pipo tink be di benefit of learning mathematics and wetin be di point of am," she ask.

"Shey na just to solve some questions for homework or na about problem solving for dia lives?"