Teacher Problem Solving Course

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) in partnership with the Association for Mathematics Educators of South Africa (AMESA) and Limina will present the Primary Teacher Problem Solving Course online for the first time. The course has been developed by Alwyn Olivier and Dr Erna Lampen. It is a self-paced fully online course. Teachers must commit to work 2-3 hours per week on the course and attend weekly live sessions.

The target audience is grades 4 to 7 teachers,district officials, NGOs or HEI personnel who would like to improve their non-routine mathematical problem solving skills. The course is sponsored by NESTLÉ NESPRAY and is offered free of charge. Applicants must have a teaching qualification.

Dates: The next course will be presented online from 18 July to 31 August 2022. Applicants can apply by completing the online form - https://forms.gle/YoxyeS3dD3f2fEu8A. The closing date for applications is on the 31st of May 2022.

The face to face courses are normally presented on two Saturdays and focuse on the improvement of mathematical problem solving skills. It consists of the following levels:

• Primary (Grades 4 - 7)

  Learning about problem solving (strategies, specialisation and generalisation, induction and deduction). Medium through which the course is presented is through problem solving, i.e. teachers learn to solve problems by problem solving.  The end objective is that teachers will enter and prepare their learners for the South African Mathematics Challenge.

• GET Level 1

  Introduction to problem solving strategies; offered to all teachers who are doing the course for the first time. The course comprises of the Junior First Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem solving strategies.

• GET Level 2

  Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1 or FET Level 1.  The course comprises of the Junior Second Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem solving strategies.

• GET Level 3

  Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1, GET Level 2 or FET Level 1. The course comprises of the Junior Third Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of advanced problem solving strategies including producing a convincing proof or argument to substantiate a certain conclusion.

• FET Level 1

  Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1.  The course comprises of the Senior First Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem solving strategies.

Format:

Teachers will be offered a short course live in any area of South Africa where a group of at least 20 teachers are showing interest in the programme. The course will be spread over two Saturdays at a venue close to the teachers. A training manual will be provided to teachers to support reflection and self -study. Teachers not close to a main venue or those who prefer to do the course at their own time can register for the DVD version of the programme. It is mandatory for all teachers to do GET level 1 first as many of the strategies are expanded in the subsequent levels.

Assessment & Certification:

Assessment will take on the form of a test which will inform the process of awarding Certificates of Achievement.

The teachers will be awarded certificates as follows:

• 50% and above but less than 75% will receive a pass certificate.
• 75% and above will receive a merit certificate.

Attendance of at least one session and a writing of the test will be compulsory to obtain a participation certificate.

All levels are endorsed by the South African Council of Educators and can be used for continuous professional development (10 CPD points per level).