Aims
The aims of all courses in group 5 are to enable students to:
- appreciate the multicultural and historical perspectives of all group 5 courses
- enjoy the courses and develop an appreciation of the elegance, power and usefulness of the subjects
- develop logical, critical and creative thinking
- develop an understanding of the principles and nature of the subject
- employ and refine their powers of abstraction and generalization
- develop patience and persistence in problem solving
- appreciate the consequences arising from technological developments
- transfer skills to alternative situations and to future developments
- communicate clearly and confidently in a variety of contexts.
Internationalism
One of the aims of this course is to enable students to appreciate the multiplicity of cultural and historical perspectives of mathematics. This includes the international dimension of mathematics. Teachers will address this aim by discussing relevant issues as they arise and making reference to appropriate background information. For example, teachers will encourage students to discuss:
- differences in notation
- the lives of mathematicians set in a historical and/or social context
- the cultural context of mathematical discoveries
- the ways in which specific mathematical discoveries were made and the techniques used to make them
- how the attitudes of different societies towards specific areas of mathematics are demonstrated
- the universality of mathematics as a means of communication.
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