Discover the Unknown in Mathematics Erasmus Project

Project Title

Discover the Unknown in Mathematics

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Discover the Unknown in Mathematics (DITUM) was a project where students and their teachers made mathematics seen and taught in a new light. The focus was to encourage teachers to teach in a more motivating way by aid of students. The goal was to decrease gender-based underachievement, create new peer-to-peer learning methods and give a perspective how maths act in everyday life. There is sometimes low self-esteem among students when studying maths which relates to other learning difficulties too. By giving new ideas and opportunities for participants, institutions, teachers and the most important students, we created a toolkit to help reduce early school leaving. Our project worked as a company so there was entrepreneurship as a tool, but also a career choice for some of the students. The use of the entrepreneurship was a result from other European Union funded Erasmus+ project where good practises had been formed.

DITUM put a very valuable school subject as a spearhead for new type of learning, available to every partner and beyond. The students used their everyday tools and platforms to create new learning methods, for example maths in everyday problem-solving, social studies and artworks. We also used existing specialists from worklife to explain how a school subject from classroom turns into a fascinating career choice. For those not seeking an academic career in other institutions, our project gave ideas how mathematics is an essential part in economy and in running business, as well as a tool in many professions. Finally, at the end of the project all our products are given to any willing to use them. There is eTwinning for visitors, EU database and open sources such as Youtube available to all.

Our group consisted of five partners. The main coordinator was a medium-sized school in Finland. Spain and Germany are big schools with lots of different age groups. Bulgaria and Italy are classical schools, and the Bulgarian is specialized in math studies. All the partners have had experience from previous projects, and all have certain special added value for the project. Therefore we expected good and ambitious results, which were then reached, according to the evaluation of teachers involved.

In DITUM, we had checked the existing curriculum, which is almost similar in each country. Our idea was to change local curriculum into a student-friendly direction. When Europe is struggling with political problems, this kind of cooperation gives positive image in local, regional and also in national level of what advantages Erasmus+ program can offer. All the partners have good contact for dissemination, and our dissemination plan is carefully planned to have impact for example in national maths teacher union (Finland). Without funding there is no chance to start project like this one, but after funding the results are alive and free for all.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 127635 Eur

Project Coordinator

Lauttakylän lukio & Country: FI

Project Partners

• IES Álvarez Cubero
• Istituto Statale di Istruzione Secondaria Superiore “Terra di Lavoro”
• Gesamtschule Volksgarten
• PROFILIRANA PRIRODOMATEMATICHESKA GIMNAZIYA “AKADEMIK NIKOLA OBRESHKOV” – BURGAS