Half maths teachers 'not qualified'

Almost half of post-primary maths teachers are not qualified in that field, new research has shown.

These “out-of-field” maths teachers are mainly qualified to teach science and business rather than maths. They tend to be assigned to teach ordinary level maths for non-exam years as well as foundation level and resource teaching, the study found.

The research was based on a survey of principals and maths teachers across the State by Dr Maire Ni Riordain and Dr Ailish Hannigan at the University of Limerick.

The report found the high proportion of out-of-field maths teachers is one reason for the poor performance of students in maths and the low uptake at higher level.

Only 16 per cent of Leaving Cert students sit the higher-level paper, the lowest figure for any honours subject.

The report highlights a divide because the qualified teachers are generally assigned to mathematics in exam years. Out of field teachers are concentrated in early years of the junior cycle where "students attitude and abilities need to be nurtured" the report said.

Specialist teachers should be employed at junior and resource levels to lay a foundation for further study, the report said. Nearly two-thirds of students who sit higher-level maths at Junior Cert level drop to ordinary level for the Leaving Cert.

“This highlights a significant divide in post-primary schools between students who are taught by qualified mathematics teachers and those who are

taught by out-of-field teachers of mathematics, with younger and weaker students most often taught by out-of-field teachers," said Dr Hannigan.

The authors recommend that postgraduate qualifications in mathematics teaching be introduced for these out-of-field teachers .

Three-quarters of the unqualified maths teachers said they would avail of a qualification if it was provided.

"Given that teacher recruitment is at a standstill, the first response to the finding has to be to focus on the teachers we have in the system and on supporting their work” Dr Anne Looney, CEO, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) said.

Younger teachers are less likely to be qualified to teach maths than older teachers “so the situation will not improve over time without intervention by appropriate agencies,” Dr Ni Riordain said.

Just 40 per cent of maths teachers aged 35 or under had a teaching qualification in mathematics compared to almost two-thirds of those over 35. Over half of the principals surveyed said it was difficult to find suitably qualified maths teachers.

The may be because maths gradates now have more appealing opportunities available in finance or computing and the report recommended that a recruitment drive should be launched to attract mathematics graduates into teaching.