The French National Education program places a strong emphasis on mathematics learning. At Shanghai French School, with the guidance of our experienced math teachers, we’ve developed effective teaching methods to inspire our students to love math!
Mathematics are taught intensively from primary school, with this intensity increasing in secondary school:
With our team of twelve experienced teachers, we implement several initiatives each year to promote mathematics:
– Weekly classes in French 📊
– Additional lessons in English and Chinese, according to language streams 🌍
– Various competitions (such as the Castor contest, the Mathematic Olympiads where we just won third prize with our 8th grade student or Algoréa where our 7th grade student is going to participate in the world finals soon) 🏆
– Small group workshops with personalized plans for each student based on their needs 🎯
At LFS, our goal is to cultivate a genuine appreciation for mathematics among our students, allowing them to pursue it at a high level in university. We do not limit ourselves to teaching basic mental calculation skills, although these are important. We encourage them to think mathematically, to reason, and to play with concepts to find solutions.
The idea is that, in their higher education, they can consider mathematical research, which requires much more than just finding the correct answers. Any math-related career will also require collaborative work, where clarity of reasoning is essential for the team.
The Chinese system emphasizes mastery of techniques and mental calculation, producing students with a very high technical level but a slightly less critical thinking approach. In France, math education focuses less on rote learning and more on comprehensive and critical thinking.
MATh.en.JEANS – The Program That Combines Education and Research 🧠🔍
MATh.en.JEANS is a unique program we participate in at LFS! Established in 1989, it exposes students to current mathematical problems in collaboration with researchers, mimicking real scientific inquiry in a school setting. This year, our students presented their work at the annual conference in Pondicherry, India – a key event and an excellent opportunity for 20 of our students!
In our language streams, students benefit not only from additional language classes but also from engaging with the mathematical culture of the corresponding country. Here’s how it translates in our streams:
American International Stream (SIA):
– 1 hour of mathematics in English each week
– Courses on American mathematical culture
Chinese International Stream (SIC):
– 2 hours of mathematics in Chinese each week
– Courses on Chinese mathematical culture
While the general program remains the same across the three languages, the learning methods and expectations slightly differ.
Mathematics in English 📐
In SIA, we prioritize practical experience over written work. The goal is to place students in hands-on situations to apply mathematical concepts to real life.
Our math teacher in SIA admits that her teaching method is not traditional: she draws inspiration from real-world problems to develop students’ critical thinking. She uses logic puzzles and various formats to show the usefulness of mathematics. Two years ago, a student who constantly complained about not understanding the relevance of math ended up loving the subject and is now pursuing a math specialization in university!
Mathematics in Chinese 🧮
Our math teachers in the Chinese strean particularly appreciate the depth and interest of French math teaching. In SIC, they go further by using the French program while incorporating a Chinese approach, especially in calculation methods. This allows students to perfect their vocabulary and understanding of mathematics in China. They explore certain theorems and concepts through the contributions of historical Chinese mathematicians.
Compared to the American and Chinese systems, we use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) very rarely. We prefer to evaluate the student’s calculation process. Each calculation step must make sense. Even if the final answer is correct, an incorrect approach will not be fully valued.
At LFS, we primarily grade students based on the skills acquired in each chapter (such as “Knowing how to convert” for lower levels).
Starting in the 11th grade, students can choose the math option for the baccalauréat. We then focus on the enjoyment of mathematics. The math specialty offers 6 hours of classes per week in 11th grade and up to 9 hours per week in 12th grade with the “Expert Math” option.
Even those who do not choose this option continue to have 1h30 to 3 hours of mathematics per week in high school.
🚀 🎓🌟
Every year, several of our students pursue studies with a strong mathematical component, especially in engineering, with regular admissions to prestigious institutions such as Imperial College or Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.