School Mathematics Project
Encyclopedia
The School Mathematics Project is a developer of mathematics textbooks for secondary school
s, based in Southampton
in the UK
.
Now generally known as SMP, it began as a research project inspired by a 1961 conference chaired by Bryan Thwaites at the University of Southampton
, which itself was precipitated by calls to reform mathematics teaching in the wake of the Sputnik launch by the Soviet Union
, the same circumstances which prompted the wider New Math
movement. It maintains close ties with the Collaborative Group for Research in Mathematics Education at the university.
The SMP is now a registered charity, and continues to publish textbooks in association with Cambridge University Press
for GCSE
and both AQA
and Edexcel
A-level exams. It also publishes a popular educational comic called "Mathematical Mike and his Dog Dingle."
The computer paper tape motif on early educational material reads "THE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PROJECT DIRECTED BY BRYAN THWAITES".
O O O O O O OO O O O O OO O O O O O
O O OOOO O O O O OO O O O O O O O
0 0 0 0 OO O O OO O O O O O O OOO O O O OO O
···································································
O OO OO OO OOO O O O O OO O O O O
O O OO OO OO OOO OOO O OO O OO O O OO OOO OO O
THE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PROJECT DIRECTED BY BRYAN THWAITES
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, based in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Now generally known as SMP, it began as a research project inspired by a 1961 conference chaired by Bryan Thwaites at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, which itself was precipitated by calls to reform mathematics teaching in the wake of the Sputnik launch by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the same circumstances which prompted the wider New Math
New math
New Mathematics or New Math was a brief, dramatic change in the way mathematics was taught in American grade schools, and to a lesser extent in European countries, during the 1960s. The name is commonly given to a set of teaching practices introduced in the U.S...
movement. It maintains close ties with the Collaborative Group for Research in Mathematics Education at the university.
The SMP is now a registered charity, and continues to publish textbooks in association with Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
for GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
and both AQA
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
AQA is an Awarding Body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications. AQA is a registered charity and independent of the Government...
and Edexcel
Edexcel
Edexcel, a UK company, is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards, and is wholly owned by the private-sector Pearson PLC, a UK-based media and publishing conglomerate. Its name is a portmanteau word derived from the words "educational" and "excellence"...
A-level exams. It also publishes a popular educational comic called "Mathematical Mike and his Dog Dingle."
The computer paper tape motif on early educational material reads "THE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PROJECT DIRECTED BY BRYAN THWAITES".
O O O O O O OO O O O O OO O O O O O
O O OOOO O O O O OO O O O O O O O
0 0 0 0 OO O O OO O O O O O O OOO O O O OO O
···································································
O OO OO OO OOO O O O O OO O O O O
O O OO OO OO OOO OOO O OO O OO O O OO OOO OO O
THE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PROJECT DIRECTED BY BRYAN THWAITES