How to successfully implement the methodology¶
Implementation of the presented project under Polish education circumstances, consultation with the academic community as well as the conducted evaluation allowed us to draw conclusions about the implementation conditions elaborated in the methodology. In order to identify strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats regarding the possibility of implementing the project in school practice, a SWOT analysis of the success of the project was carried out. It was formulated on the basis of the joint experience of the project participants, the analysis of the conditions of the local school environment and the external educational environment. We have identified a number of factors that influence the potential success of the project, understood as the implementation of the methodology developed within the project in such a way that it becomes a permanent element in the classroom. Although SageMath is a very useful tool in high school, it is very poorly popularized. It is clear from the evaluation questionnaires that pupils had not heard of him before. They have not heard of SageMath as well. Our actions under this project are designed to change this situation.
It will not be hard for students to be interested in students because they are embedded in the world of computer and information technology. They do not have any worries about it, they are familiar with new applications. These included interviews, evaluation questionnaires and the experiences of project teachers.
According to an evaluation study, 80% of students rated SageMath very well. Students found the SageMath tools very useful, emphasized SageMath on-line availability, intuitive commands, lots of online resources, help with home-work, advanced learning, and interest development.
However, in order for the student to be able to use the SageMath tools, the teacher should be familiar with the student’s curiosity and motivation to use SageMath. In turn, for a teacher to have the ability to use the tools SageMath, should also be curious, motivated and convinced. Based on the experience of the teachers who took part in the project and who had not heard of SageMath before, we know that they have rated the highly usefulness of SageMath to teach their subject. The interviews highlighted the benefits of SageMath as free software, available online, with the ability to work on their own server, where you can save work, publish materials and evaluate student work. They have recognized the potential of SageMath to use in school and beyond school education, including the ability to: quickly perform multiple-parameter calculations, graphically present results, facilitate understanding of the topic, deepen problem analysis, explore content beyond the curriculum, tools for learner self-education, preparation for the subject competitions. Teachers also considered SageMath a very good tool for formulating generalizations based on a rapid study of multiple input problems, problem solving for many cases, quick validation of solutions, classroom preparation and classroom exercises, workshops and competitions.
But to say so about SageMath, teachers first had to go through the way of learning new software. It is known that “beginnings are difficult” - teachers frequently repeat it to the students. Ultimately, the time needed for SageMath was estimated by teachers to be around 10 hours and they did not find the software very difficult to learn. These statements, reviewed during the evaluation, suggest that the teachers who met SageMath expressed very positive opinions including the belief that SageMath would apply to both their needs and their extra-curricular and extra-curricular activities. And what about the teachers who did not touch the software themselves and only heard about it (for example, directly at the interview)? The case does not look so positive because the unknown does not inspire confidence. Although the attitude of curiosity - about 60% and skepticism - was about 20%, but also a large group of opponents - about 20%. The last ones do not want to spend time on new technologies, they are the supporters of calculations on the paper, they believe that the student will lose interest in the problem, since immediately can have a result. Among curious teachers were people interested in innovation, career advancement, active teaching methods, people worried about losing hours in connection with reform, people wishing to change schools to higher and above all younger ones. So this is the target group of teachers we are trying to reach in our publications, conferences, and dissemination of the results of the project.
An extremely important group from the point of view of the implementation conditions of the project results is also the external educational environment of the teacher. So, firstly, other teachers working in the same school. Among them are science-related teachers, IT teachers, or teachers who, through their participation in training, conferences or self-education, can encourage their colleagues to apply new technologies.
Another circle of the environment is the school’s management, which has a huge impact on motivating teachers for professional development, such as developing their curriculum, developing innovation, participating in training, applying active and innovative teaching methods - using new technology, subject competition organization or individual work of gifted student.
The next very important element are the methodological consultants. As part of their mission, they organize methodological meetings, workshops, consultations, or information carriers, and will certainly be interested in using new technologies from which SageMath is a great example. We took care to invite consultants to the conferences organized under the project. Going forward, we announced our teachers’ training centers. SageMath is definitely worth the price of training and we will be looking forward to it. Many teachers will be interested in such training. Our evaluation studies have shown this. Teachers who heard of SageMath were interested in this tool, asked whether there are courses in this field and admitted that they prefer to complete the course rather than independently learn new software.
A good time to implement our project is the time of reform, which is beieng implemented now in Poland, when teachers are no longer able to sleep peacefully, some will go to another school, others will face new employment conditions, and everyone will face the new program. So you have to be competitive. Good opportunity to dust off old habits, for example in the form of introducing new teaching methods, introducing innovation, creating a circle for “capable” or other activity. So teachers will be interested, there will be a lot of training for computer science teachers, promised by the Ministry of Education, will also regulate increasing the hours for the strict subjects (for computer science in particular), both in primary school and high school. It is a very good perspective to implement the results of this project.
By answering the question, “What conditions must be met to succeed,” we have followed the path that information needs to be communicated about how the road can reach the teacher, and what factors will influence the success of the implementation of the results of our project. We asked the following questions:
Teacher -> Where do you find out information about SageMath? -> popularization of methodology in the media, conferences, other teacher, the offer of the training center, subject methodology, how will you find it worth? -> Show SageMath opportunities, workshops, teacher motivation for activity, openness, encouragement from another teacher or methodology, school management, reform and related change of work, reform and related curriculum changes. How to learn? self-education, demonstration eg computer science teacher, course, conference, publication Where will the classes take place? - if he has access to a computer lab, he / she may use the student’s smartphones? What will he use? -> will choose from the curriculum content, which co-operation with teachers of the subject, innovation, projects, competitions, circle, work with a gifted student, preparing students for the subject competitions.
Headmaster -> Encourage,, Send to the course? Methodology/Subject Consultants-> will they come to the conference, will they popularize? Teacher Training Centers -> Does anybody know about SageMath, will they accept the conference invitation, or will they arrange a course? Ministry of Education -> Will the SageMath deployment be adequate in the network? - yes, the teacher has to implement a compulsory core curriculum, and the extension is planned by himself (possibly in agreement with the subject group) and has hours, because the program is general, the teacher himself develops the content and topics.
Will the curriculum be flexible? Under Polish education circumstances the syllabus is selected by teacher himself (possibly in the agreement with the school subject team). He chooses (for a given subject) a set of ready-made programs approved by the Ministry of Education or he / she develops himself as an author program (only for the approval of the Pedagogical Board at the school). So it all depends on the teacher !!
