Cardiff University sparks maths enthusiasm in students across Wales
4 December 2024
Cardiff University’s School of Mathematics partnered with e-sgol to inspire maths enthusiasm among Year 5 and 6 students across Wales.
The E-hangu Gorwelion / E-xpanding Horizons initiative, a four-week maths outreach programme, engaged over 400 students a week from schools across Wales, helping them discover the excitement and relevance of mathematics in everyday life.
Developed by Dr Thomas E. Woolley and Efa Maher, a second-year Mathematics, Statistics, and Operational Research (BSc) student, the initiative aimed to ignite a passion for maths among young learners.
Through a series of fun and interactive virtual workshops titled Secrets of the Winning Streak / Cyfrinachau Curo, students explored key mathematical concepts like logic, probability, geometry, and coding theory, while seeing how these ideas can be applied to everyday situations like playing games.
The workshops showcased how maths can make games like rock-paper-scissors, Monopoly, and the lottery more exciting and strategic.
Our goal was to make mathematics both enjoyable and accessible for Year 5 and 6 students across Wales, and we’ve seen how successful that approach has been. The enthusiastic feedback from both students and teachers shows that when presented in an engaging way, mathematics can spark curiosity and excitement.
"It’s been rewarding to witness students not only engaging with mathematical ideas but also discovering their potential for using maths in real-world scenarios.”
Designed to be accessible for both Welsh and English speaking students, the programme was delivered bilingually with two 30-minute sessions held each Wednesday, one in Welsh and one in English.
E-sgol, a Welsh Government funded initiative that enables hybrid learning in Welsh schools, supported the virtual format. Schools across Wales were able to take part in the activity with ease, breaking down geographical and resource barriers.
This project was an incredible opportunity to connect with students from across Wales and share my enthusiasm for mathematics. It’s been exciting to see how the workshops captured the students’ attention, especially as many of them may not have considered maths to be fun or relevant before.
"Being able to present bilingually was an added bonus, as it allowed me to reach an even wider audience and encourage students from all backgrounds to explore the fascinating world of mathematics."
The Secrets of the Winning Streak / Cyfrinachau Curo workshops took place from 13 November to 4 December 2024. The initiative provided a unique opportunity to spark long-term interest in STEM subjects, helping to cultivate a new generation of young learners who see mathematics as both accessible and exciting. The virtual workshops are available to watch on YouTube.
For more information about maths outreach activities at our school e-mail woolleyt1@cardiff.ac.uk