''Integrated mathematics'' is the term used in the United States to describe the style of
mathematics education
In contemporary education, mathematics education, known in Europe as the didactics or pedagogy of mathematics â is the practice of teaching, learning and carrying out scholarly research into the transfer of mathematical knowledge.
Although rese ...
which integrates many topics or strands of mathematics throughout each year of secondary school. Each math course in
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
covers topics in algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus. Many countries around the world, except the United States, follow this type of curriculum.
In the United States, topics are usually integrated throughout elementary school up to the seventh or sometimes eighth grade. Beginning with high school level courses, topics are usually separated so that one year a student focuses entirely on
algebra
Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics.
Elementary a ...
(if it was not already taken in the eighth grade), the next year entirely on
geometry
Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...
, then another year of algebra (sometimes with
trigonometry
Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies. T ...
), and later an optional fourth year of
precalculus
In mathematics education, precalculus is a course, or a set of courses, that includes algebra and trigonometry at a level which is designed to prepare students for the study of calculus. Schools often distinguish between algebra and trigonometr ...
or
calculus
Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...
. Precalculus is the exception to the rule, as it usually integrates algebra, trigonometry, and geometry topics. Statistics may be integrated into all the courses or presented as a separate course.
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
began using integrated math curricula in the 1980s, but recently returned to a traditional curriculum. A few other localities in the United States have also tried such integrated curricula, including Georgia, which mandated them in 2008 but subsequently made them optional. More recently, a few other states have mandated that all districts change to integrated curricula, including North Carolina, Illinois, West Virginia and Utah. Some districts in other states, including California, have either switched or are considering switching to an integrated curriculum.
Under the
Common Core Standards
The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what Kâ12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the concl ...
adopted by most states in 2012, high school mathematics may be taught using either a traditional American approach or an integrated curriculum. The only difference would be the order in which the topics are taught. Supporters of using integrated curricula in the United States believe that students will be able to see the connections between algebra and geometry better in an integrated curriculum.
''General mathematics'' is another term for a mathematics course organized around different branches of mathematics, with topics arranged according to the main objective of the course. When applied to primary education, the term ''general mathematics'' may encompass mathematical concepts more complex than basic arithmetic, like number notation, addition and multiplication tables, fractions and related operations, measurement units. When used in context of higher education, the term may encompass mathematical terminology and concepts, finding and applying appropriate techniques to solve routine problems, interpreting and representing practical information given in various forms, interpreting and using mathematical models, and constructing mathematical arguments to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems.
[{{cite web , url=http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/general-maths-a-and-r-stage6-from2012.pdf , title=Assessment and Reporting in General Mathematics Stage 6 , access-date=1 September 2013]
References
Mathematics education