Making maths count: The Chevron-Scitech partnership transforming the classroom

As NAPLAN approaches, the troubling trend of Australia’s declining results in maths is back in the spotlight. Sadly, less than one in five Australian students who are behind in Year Three manage to catch up and stay on track. The widening achievement gap in maths puts the future educational progress of the remaining 80 per cent of these students at serious risk, highlighting the urgent need for targeted support and intervention.

Evidence continues to suggest that increasing math anxiety among primary-aged students is contributing to poor performance and lower engagement in the subject. Scitech and Chevron Australia are addressing this through Lighthouse Maths, a teacher training program that is changing how maths is taught in WA classrooms.

Scitech’s Manager of Learning Futures Inette Henn said the program focuses on giving teachers the tools they need to transform traditional maths lessons into highly engaging learning experiences, where students build the confidence needed to take on challenging problems and put their learning into context.

“As part of an evidence-based lesson structure, students work in small groups to explore different ways to solve the same problem, with the real challenge being the need to justify their approach to their teacher and peers at the end,” Ms Henn said.

“This builds critical skills like reasoning, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, creativity and resilience in students, while making it easier for teachers to identify and address the gaps in student knowledge.

“From what we’ve seen, this forms the foundation for eliminating maths anxiety in the classroom and helps students to develop a deeper understanding of maths, while lessening the load on teachers.”

The Lighthouse Maths approach is backed by cutting-edge research from Australia, the UK, Canada and the US. And it’s getting results— over the last four years, students in the program are achieving an average of seven months of additional learning beyond the expected yearly growth.

For teachers, the professional development component is a major shift. Through online modules, workshops, coaching and networking sessions, they’re learning how to bring problem-solving to life in the classroom. In 2024 Chevron Australia’s funding underpinned the delivery of the program to 15 schools across the State.

Roseworth Primary School teacher Jaimel Barrett said the program has completely changed the way she teaches maths.

“I now focus on asking questions that get students to explain and demonstrate their reasoning,” she said.

Teachers in the program have reported a 52 percent increase in student engagement in maths, alongside an astonishing 91 per cent increase in their students’ capacity to apply problem-solving and reasoning techniques after participating in the program.

For more information on Scitech’s professional learning programs for educators, visit their website.