In various autonomous communities, a clear commitment to Teacher training to enhance mathematical competence of the students. Educational authorities, universities and schools have joined forces to thoroughly review the way mathematics is taught and offer answers more closely aligned with the real needs of students.
These projects, which are part of plans to improve mathematical competenceThey combine specific courses for teachers, support for schools, and resource reinforcement. The common goal is to update classroom practices, promote active methodologies, and ensure that mathematics is experienced as a useful tool for understanding the world, and not simply as a list of exercises to memorize.
Castilla-La Mancha: a training itinerary to transform the teaching of mathematics
In Castilla-La Mancha, the Ministry of Education has launched an ambitious project to teacher training in mathematical competenceThis initiative is aimed at teachers working with students in Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Basic Vocational Training Cycles. It is coordinated by the General Directorate of Educational Innovation and Schools, headed by [name missing]. Mariló Pérez.
The heart of this strategy is the course "Mathematics with Meaning: Processes for Effective and Motivating Teaching", considered the backbone of Plan for Improving Mathematical Competence in the region. This training program aims to help teachers rethink their teaching methods, incorporating more competency-based approaches that are connected to the students' realities.
The course represents a clear shift from traditional teaching: it seeks to put purely memorization-based methods in a secondary role and to emphasize a deep understanding of the concepts. To this end, problem-solving, reasoning, mathematical argumentation, and student autonomy are encouraged, preventing mathematics from being reduced to the mechanical repetition of operations.
Another pillar of the program is the constant connection of the mathematics with everyday life situations and with other areas of the curriculum. The idea is that students can recognize the role of mathematical content in areas as diverse as home economics, science, technology, or time management, promoting an interdisciplinary approach that is closer to their daily lives.
In addition to the methodological change, the regional administration emphasizes that this teacher training also aims to reducing the gender gap in mathematicsPedagogical approaches are being promoted that take into account stereotypes, expectations, and barriers that affect boys and girls differently, with the aim of ensuring that all students feel capable and confident in facing mathematical challenges.
Support measures for centers and reinforcement of resources
Castilla-La Mancha's commitment is not limited to offering isolated courses, but is accompanied by a package of direct support measures for educational centersThe educational administration plans to provide close support in the implementation of improvement projects, so that teaching teams do not feel alone in the face of methodological change.
Among the main performances, the following stand out: Appointment of a coordinator in each centerThis role is responsible for promoting the mathematics skills plan, organizing internal training, and liaising with external support services. This figure becomes a key resource for teachers and helps ensure the project's continuity in the medium term.
Likewise, it is foreseen the allocation of additional human resources To facilitate splitting classes, flexible grouping, and co-teaching. These measures allow for working in smaller groups when necessary, offering more personalized attention, and carrying out activities that would be difficult to organize in an overcrowded classroom.
The program also includes making available specific pedagogical tools and resourcesMaterials for problem-solving, proposals for competency-based tasks, methodological guides and digital resources which support classroom work. All of this is aimed at consolidating a school culture in which mathematics is addressed coherently at all levels.
According to the General Directorate of Educational Innovation and Centers, this training action places Castilla-La Mancha on the path to European educational objectives set for 2030, which emphasize improving results in basic skills, strengthening equity and reducing gender inequalities in STEM areas.
Balearic Islands: territorial cooperation and cascading training to strengthen mathematical competence
In parallel, the Balearic Islands have launched a Territorial Cooperation Program for Strengthening Mathematical CompetenceThis was motivated in large part by the results obtained in the latest PISA reports and by the need to thoroughly review how mathematics is taught and learned in classrooms.
This program involves Forty teachers from forty schools in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibizawho have committed to leading methodological change processes in their respective schools and institutes. The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports and co-financed by European Social Fund PlusThis allows the plan to have greater stability and resources.
The officials from the Ministry of Education, including the Director General of Early Childhood, Attention to Diversity and Educational Improvement, Neus Riera, as well as the Director General of Universities, Research and Higher Artistic Education, Sebastià MassanetThey have emphasized that the priority is raise the level of mathematical competence of Primary, Secondary and Basic Vocational Training students, ensuring that they have more tools and confidence to face the academic and professional challenges of the future.
The program combines structural measures and training actionsOn the one hand, participating centers are provided with a specific allocation of resources to design and implement improvement plans; on the other hand, a cascade formation which begins with a core group of teachers and then extends to the rest of the faculty, encouraging the multiplication of good practices.
To make this change possible, actions such as the following are being considered: more personalized attention to students Through small groups, shared teaching among several teachers in the classroom, and splitting classes in certain subjects or sessions, these measures aim to gain quality time for students to discuss, make mistakes, try out strategies, and strengthen their mathematical reasoning.
Alliance with the university and accreditation of teacher training
One of the most notable new features of the plan in the Balearic Islands is the collaboration with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), who has designed a internationally recognized microcredential for participating teachers. This accreditation aims to give academic and professional value to the training carried out in mathematical competence.
The micro-credential not only certifies course hours, but also guarantees that teachers have acquired specific skills in mathematics teachingThe use of active methodologies and the design of competency-based tasks are promoted. This fosters the creation of a specialized and continuously updated teaching network.
The Ministry insists that the purpose is to build a strong professional communitycapable of sharing experiences, analyzing the results of interventions, and adjusting pedagogical proposals when necessary. The intention is that the cooperation between schools, universities, and pedagogical advisory teams will not remain a one-off experience, but will become a stable working dynamic.
Educational authorities have emphasized that, with this type of project, the aim is to offer students more opportunities and greater confidence in mathematicsThe goal is not only to raise grades, but also to encourage students to feel comfortable reasoning, arguing, and using mathematical language in different contexts.
In this context, both the Balearic program and the one implemented in Castilla-La Mancha share the same underlying idea: improving results in mathematics depends on invest decisively in teacher training, to support schools in methodological changes and to strengthen the resources available in classrooms.
The initiatives in Castilla-La Mancha and the Balearic Islands show how different administrations are committed to a Systematic teacher training to enhance mathematical competenceCombining specialized courses, ongoing support for schools, additional resources, and collaboration with universities, the program focuses on transforming the student experience in the classroom, bringing mathematics closer to real life, and moving towards a more equitable and motivating learning environment aligned with European educational goals.
