TJC Mathematics Department

Our TJC Mathematics Department comprises of 2 units - Mathematics and Computing. Please note that TJC would not be offering Computing as a subject from the year 2010 onwards.

Curriculum

Mathematics

There are three mathematics syllabi, namely H1 Mathematics, H2 Mathematics and H3 Mathematics.

Students who offered Additional Mathematics and passed the subject at the GCE ‘O’ level examination may take up H2 Mathematics. Students posted to the Arts stream and did not offer Additional Mathematics at the GCE ‘O’ level examination are not allowed to take H2 Mathematics but may consider taking up H1 Mathematics.  However, students who are posted to the Science stream but did not offer Additional Mathematics at the GCE ‘O’ level examination are advised to offer H2 Mathematics if they intend to pursue Science or Engineering courses at a university.  Students who wish to offer H3 Mathematics must offer H2 Mathematics as well.

The use of a Graphing Calculator (GC) without a computer algebra system is expected for these Mathematics syllabi. The examination papers will be set with the assumption that candidates will have access to GCs.

H1 Mathematics

H1 Mathematics provides a foundation in mathematics for students who intend to enrol in university courses such as business, economics and social sciences. The topics covered include Graphs, Calculus and Statistics. A major focus of the syllabus would be the understanding and application of basic concepts and techniques of statistics. This would equip students with the skills to analyse and interpret data, and to make informed decisions.

H2 Mathematics

H2 Mathematics prepares students adequately for university courses including mathematics, physics and engineering, where more mathematics content is required. The topics covered are Functions and Graphs, Sequences and Series, Vectors, Complex Numbers, Calculus, Permutations and Combinations, Probability, Probability Distributions, Sampling, Hypothesis Testing, and Correlation and Regression. Students would learn to analyse, formulate and solve different kinds of problems. They would also learn to work with data and perform statistical analysis.

H3 Mathematics

H3 Mathematics offers students who have a strong aptitude for and are passionate about mathematics a chance to further develop their mathematical modeling and reasoning skills. Opportunities abound for students to explore various theorems, and to read and write mathematical proofs. Students would learn the process of mathematical modeling for real-world problems, which involves making informed assumptions, validation and prediction. Students may choose from the three H3 Mathematics modules, namely the MOE-UCLES module, the NTU Numbers and Matrices module and the NUS Linear Algebra module.

The MOE-UCLES module is conducted by tutors from our Mathematics Department. The three main topics to be investigated are Graph Theory, Combinatorics and Differential Equations. This module would be mounted only if there’s demand.

The NTU Numbers and Matrices module is conducted by lecturers at the Nanyang University of Technology (NTU). Our college is one of the two host centres for this module.

The NUS Linear Algebra module is conducted by lecturers at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Students who offer this module would have to attend lessons together with the undergraduates at the university.

Pedagogies

Our tutors are dedicated towards developing analytical thinking and problem solving skills in students. We continually seek to adopt innovative pedagogies in enhancing our students' learning. In 2008, a team of our tutors developed a teaching package on The Volume of Revolution. This package utilised the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach (CPA) which was based on psychologist Jerome Bruner’s 3-stage learning process - enactive, iconic and symbolic. Through watching a movie created jointly by our tutors and students, as well as playing a card game devised by our tutors (see photos below), our students gradually built up a thorough understanding of the relevant concepts.

Enrichment

To stretch our students' intellectual development, we offer opportunities for them to participate in various external competitions, including Singapore Mathematical Olympiad, National Mathematics Olympiad, American Mathematics Competition, Australian Mathematics Competition, International Competitions & Assessments for Schools, Inter-JC/CI "Designing with Graphing Calculators" Competition and Singapore Statistical Poster Competition.

We also offer electives to students who are eager to push their boundaries and explore mathematical aspects beyond the syllabus. For example, our Mathematics tutor Mrs Tan Chiu Jin conducts a TI-nspire elective which gives students an opportunity to expand on their existing mathematical knowledge through the use of the TI-nspire calculator. The TI-nspire calculator has a computer algebra system, hence it can perform more sophisticated functions than the Graphing Calculator used extensively in H1 and H2 Mathematics.

Students' Achievements

Students' Work

Singapore Statistical Poster Competition

Goh Zou Qi, Rachel Er Sok Lian & Lee Kai Yin (TA 2E/06) won the first prize in the 2007 Singapore Statistical Poster Competition (Secondary School Category) organised by the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, NUS. Their winning poster is displayed below.

Inter-JC/CI "Designing with Graphing Calculators" Competition

The winning entries of our students in the Inter-JC/CI "Designing with Graphing Calculators" Competition are displayed below.

2005: Wu Zhen Zhou (CG 04/04) won the third prize.

2006: Wang Xintian (CG 04/05) won the first prize.

2007: Chue Wei Xin (2F/06) won the third prize.

2008: Tan Wei’en Joel (CG 07/08) won the second prize in collaboration with Joel Tong (CG 04/08).

Tutors' Achievements

Mrs Leong Siew Kheng was awarded the Most Caring Teacher Award (2004).

Mr Ho Foo Him was awarded the Most Caring Teacher Award (2006). He was also nominated for the President Award for Teachers (2009).

Mrs Tan Chiu Jin was one of four Mathematics tutors selected across all junior colleges to take up the Junior College Fast Track Programme for Singapore TI-nspire in 2009. After a four-day training course conducted by Texas Instruments, she is currently a TI-nspire trainer for Mathematics tutors from various junior colleges.