Every learner counts: Learning mathematics across the curriculum

In the 21st century, mathematical confidence and functionality are considered to be of crucial importance to individuals and to national economies, which is reflected in national policies, as well as in the status of international performance comparisons such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2009) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA), n.d.), which compare educational systems and outcomes for participating countries. However, as a subject specialist in another subject, you might well think you simply can’t afford the teaching time to deliberately embed mathematics in your lesson. In this chapter we try to show how, by being aware of how your subject harnesses mathematical thinking, even if only in low-key ways, you can support learners in making confident and informed use of that – but we also encourage you to keep talking to the teachers of mathematics in your school, so that they become more aware of what your learners are meeting and when. That way, learners can begin to make meaningful connections across the curriculum, and enhance their grasp of, and interest in, your own subject.