Neighbourhood Maths Explorers: Localised Implementation of Project-Based Learning in Year 3 Mathematics

Soh Kay Cheng  [Singapore]

Abstract

To bridge the disconnect between mathematical learning and real-world applications, this study designed the ‘Neighbourhood Maths Explorers’ project-based learning programme based on Singapore's mathematics curriculum. The project guided Year 3 pupils, working in groups, to apply mathematical knowledge such as ‘measurement,’ ‘geometry,’ and ‘data analysis’ within authentic community settings. They completed a series of exploratory tasks, including creating scaled maps of their neighbourhood, compiling statistics on playground equipment composition, and analysing footfall patterns at hawker centre stalls. This paper details the programme's design, implementation, and evaluation, focusing on how authentic, complex contextual tasks transform abstract mathematical concepts into tools for solving real-world problems. Practice demonstrates that this programme effectively enhances pupils' mathematical modelling abilities, data literacy, and insight into their community environment. It shifts mathematics learning from ‘solving problems’ to ‘solving real-world issues,’ fostering positive mathematical attitudes and civic awareness.

Keywords: Project-based learning; Mathematics education; Authentic contexts; Community resources; Interdisciplinary integration

Introduction

Singaporean mathematics education is renowned for its rigour and efficiency. Nevertheless, a tendency persists where students perceive mathematics as an isolated, abstract symbolic system, struggling to establish organic connections between mathematics and the real world. The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum explicitly emphasises developing mathematical reasoning, communication, and real-world application skills. Project-based learning (PBL), as a student-centred approach that acquires knowledge and skills through prolonged investigation of complex, authentic problems, provides an ideal framework for applied mathematical learning. However, the localised implementation of PBL in mathematics, particularly its systematic integration with Singapore's unique ‘neighbourhood community’ environment, remains an area requiring further exploration. This research is grounded in situated learning theory, which posits that knowledge is truly understood only within the contexts in which it originates and is applied. Consequently, the author employs the neighbourhood community—the setting most familiar to pupils—as a ‘living textbook’ to design the ‘Neighbourhood Maths Explorers’ project. This initiative aims to deepen pupils' mathematical understanding and enable them to experience the power and beauty of mathematics through solving authentic problems.

I. Teaching Case Design: ‘Our Bishan Maths Map’ Project

1. Target Learners: Year 3 pupils who have completed foundational units on “Length and Measurement”, “Shapes and Space”, and “Data Handling”.

2. Driving Question: How might we employ mathematical perspectives to “remap” our Bishan neighbourhood and create a “Neighbourhood Maths Exploration Guide” to showcase its mathematical wonders and conveniences to new residents?

3. Core Tasks and Subject Integration:

Task One: Community Surveyors: Groups select a distinctive neighbourhood area (e.g., fitness corner, covered walkway, small park near HDB blocks). Measure using non-standard (paces, arm span) and standard tools (tape measure). Draw a scaled plan (self-determined scale, e.g., 1cm:1m) and annotate key facility dimensions. (Integration: Measurement, Scale, Geometry)

Task Two: Geometric Detective: Within the selected area, locate, photograph and categorise various two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes (e.g., circular paving tiles, rectangular benches, cylindrical railings, conical roofs). Estimate their quantities, calculate the proportion of different shapes, and consider their functions. (Integration: Shape recognition, data collection, concept of fractions)

Task Three: Lifestyle Analyst: Select a food court or bus stop. Record specific events (e.g., customer numbers at a stall, arrival intervals of a bus route) during a fixed period (e.g., 15 minutes). Document findings in a table and present data via bar charts for basic analysis (e.g., ‘Which stall is most popular?’ " Are bus intervals consistent?") (Integrates: data collection, organisation, presentation, and analysis)

4. Project Implementation Process (Two-week duration):

Launch and Planning: Teachers display photographs of the community rich in mathematical elements to spark interest. Distribute project manuals clarifying tasks, safety guidelines, timelines, and assessment rubrics. Groups formulate exploration plans.

Field Exploration: Students conduct measurements, observations, and data collection over the weekend, accompanied by parents. Emphasise safety and etiquette.

Data Organisation and Output Creation: Classroom time is dedicated to data calculation, chart creation, and ‘Guide’ production. The ‘Guide’ must include a map, photographs, data charts, and textual explanations (describing findings using mathematical language).

Presentation and Defence: Host a ‘Neighbourhood Mathematics Fair’ where teams exhibit their Guides and deliver presentations. Address questions from peers and teachers (e.g., ‘How did you ensure measurement accuracy?’ ‘How was this scale chosen?’).

5. Reflection and Assessment: Students complete personal reflection journals, contemplating mathematics' role in daily life and project takeaways. Teachers conduct comprehensive evaluations based on rubrics, considering both process engagement and final outcomes.

II. Teaching Outcomes and Reflections

1. Outcome Analysis:

Deepened Conceptual Understanding: While mapping, pupils tangibly grasped the necessity and precision demands of ‘uniform measurement units’ and ‘scaling proportionally,’ achieving far greater comprehension than through standard exercises. One pupil remarked: ‘Maps aren't “drawn”—they're “calculated”!’

Authentic Development of Problem-Solving and Modelling Skills: Confronted with practical challenges like measuring irregular flowerbed perimeters, pupils experimented with diverse strategies (measuring with string, estimating by pacing and summing steps), undergoing a complete cycle of ‘real-world problem → mathematical modelling → solution → verification’.

Positive Shift in Mathematical Attitudes and Engagement: Pupils began examining familiar environments through a mathematical lens, discovering community order, symmetry, and design ingenuity. Mathematics evolved from ‘numbers in textbooks’ to ‘language around us,’ markedly boosting learning interest and a sense of achievement.

Integration of cross-disciplinary skills: The project naturally incorporated 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, and information literacy, while connecting with social sciences (community awareness) and mother tongue (report writing).

2. Challenges and Countermeasures:

Safety and Management: Detailed off-campus activity safety protocols must be established, with thorough communication and support secured from parents for supervision.

Differentiated Instruction: Task design requires tiered complexity, enabling students of varying abilities to contribute according to their strengths (e.g., measurement, mapping, calculation, presentation).

Time and Resources: The project's extended duration poses challenges to teaching schedules. Teachers must meticulously plan, integrating core knowledge instruction into the preparatory phase.

Conclusion The Neighbourhood Maths Explorers project successfully transformed Singapore's community environment into a vibrant, rich laboratory for mathematical learning. It demonstrates that when mathematical knowledge is closely integrated with pupils' lived experiences and applied to solving authentic, meaningful problems, learning evolves from passive reception to active construction and positive application. This PBL practice not only effectively enhances pupils' core mathematical literacy but also cultivates their observational skills, practical abilities, and sense of community responsibility. It represents a localised innovative attempt to realise the concept of ‘learning mathematics for life’. It provides a replicable model for how primary mathematics teaching can break down classroom walls and connect with the real world.

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