Widening access to advanced mathematics: Teachers’ perspectives on the impact on secondary school teaching

In Ireland, mathematics is a core subject at secondary school and is chosen as a subject by almost the entire school leaving population. It can be taken at two levels: ordinary level and higher level (HL). In 2012 an incentive to increase participation at HL was undertaken by the Irish government. This incentive came in the form of bonus points (towards gaining access to their chosen university programme) to anyone who achieved 40% or above in this examination. It is the only subject (out of 53 offered) in which bonus points are awarded. The incentive was successful in that it doubled participation within ten years. The impact of this incentive on teachers however is the focus of this research. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the extent of the demands placed on teachers of advanced mathematics, both in the quantity of material they are required to cover and the depth they are expected to reach, all while managing larger class sizes and greater diversity in students’ mathematical abilities. This study is highly relevant to an international readership, as it explores how incentivising participation in a secondary school subject, and the resulting rise in student numbers and broader range of ability levels, can profoundly affect the teaching of the subject. The teachers interviewed in this study reported difficulty balancing larger, more diverse classes with the demands of a challenging syllabus and described how lesson pacing slowed to accommodate students with lower prior attainment, limiting time for deeper learning opportunities.