Teacher: On the best results from this year’s math test – this is wishful thinking

Graduate Gant wants to start studying aeronautical mechanical engineering in the fall. To enter a complex technical specialty, you must be good at physics and mathematics. For the latter, today’s boy can breathe more freely because he has already obtained the results and is happy with them. Although the percentage of those who passed mathematics is higher this year, Vilnius University

“In fact, I did much better in math than I expected, he was a super teacher with us. Although there was a week or two left until the exam, he still pushed us as hard as possible. So the results are up to expectations. With the Lithuanians, maybe I had a bit of bad luck, the results were lower than I expected, ”said Gantas Morozovas, a graduate of the Engineering Lyceum of the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.

According to the boy, the pandemic situation and distance learning just required much more effort.

“In my case, distance education, like some poles, got into the wheels, so there were a lot of difficulties, especially at the beginning. Of course, at the beginning, with the help of the teachers, with all kinds of advice from friends, we managed to extend that level to distance education ”, said the graduate.

Gant was left alone with the results of the physics and English tests. Then it will be clear whether future plans will be successful.

“There is excitement because you are beginning to think that maybe I was wrong in one place or another,” he said.

This year, more students passed the math test than last year. It did not exceed 15 percent, and last year there were twice as many failures. Gym math teacher Žiežmariai says that this year’s math test tasks are different from last year.

“In the past, there was some kind of rebound, the goal was to surprise the children. Now those who have learned have accomplished more. Whoever, let’s say, is easier to learn or imitates learning, has lower results ”, commented Vytautas Silvanavičius.

According to the teachers, the tasks were favorable and appropriate even for those whose learning is not focused on this subject.

“At first, homework was already optimistic compared to last year’s homework. Homework is more accessible to children, more understandable, more homework of this traditional nature. For weaker students, it was like a lifeline to survive, which resulted in a lower percentage, but to get 100, 90 points was a task that had to be worked on ”.

According to the National Education Agency (NSA), the best math and Lithuanian test scores were determined by several factors: First, that they could only be taken after receiving positive annual evaluations, which was not the case before.

“Second, this year, apparently, in schools, the graduates themselves paid more attention to the subject itself, to their learning,” said Vidmantas Jurgaitis, a representative of the NSA.

This year, the students also passed the Lithuanian language better. More than 8% of those who survived Last year it was almost 11 percent. Slightly more failing compared to 2020 are chemistry and computer science. However, among the centuries they pass these exams more than last year.

The Minister of Education, Science and Sports Jurgita Šiugždinienė is convinced that the good results were determined by the comprehensive assistance of educational institutions to graduates.

“Various organizations have been involved in helping graduates, including professional associations, and some universities have provided free assistance and advice to graduates. The intervals between exams were really enough to prepare for this year and be even stronger.

In addition to the important, graduates have returned to counseling since March and since May 1. I could learn through contact, ”said the minister.

J. Šiugždinienė also praised the graduates.

“We managed to focus during the difficult period and the results are not really bad.”

The math results are an illusion

However, VU professor R. Norvaiša says that it is necessary to look at what knowledge was assessed. He said on his Facebook account that “illusory education is the price that society as a whole pays for the visibility of high achievements.”

“If we look at the knowledge that we tested, it is difficult to compare why those tests were different and the tasks were different. But from a statistical point of view, it is certainly possible to compare, but I would like to say this: when I saw the exam homework this year, I had no doubt that the result would be what we have. That it will be much better than last year ”, assured the mathematician.

They asked me if those tasks were much easier. R. Norvaiša commented that he would prefer to talk about complexity.

“Lightness is a subjective concept and complexity is how much a task reflects a certain level of knowledge, a level of thinking. In that sense, those tasks were straightforward compared to last year. I’d say last year’s intellectual surprise test had more than this year.

This year, those tasks weren’t so unexpected. Most of them have apparently already been addressed or very similar ones have been addressed. So it was possible to predict such an outcome. “

When asked whether school mathematics teaches children creativity or more about how to learn to solve problems that have already been solved, R. Norvaiša said it is worth asking what the purpose of such mathematics is.

“What do you teach us through mathematics? An alternative to what I would call mathematical competence and what is needed in everyday life is to reveal the details of mathematical thinking. What does this mean? In other words, it is the development of critical thinking in the context of mathematics ”.