2023 Private School Young Talents Programme kick-off held at Pao School High School
The Pao School math department team is the first from the school to be selected for the 'Development Programme of Excellence'. Its project, entitled 'Building an Outstanding Young Teacher Team Focused on Cultivating Mathematical Modelling and Inquiry Abilities of Students,' seeks to strengthen the ability of educators to teach mathematical modelling effectively. Li Yingkai, the project leader, admits that "there was no ready-made model to follow." Over the past two years he has coordinated teaching resources, pioneered innovations in modelling classrooms, brought in external experts, and shared practices with peer schools. "Leading the project for more than two years has been challenging but deeply rewarding," he says.
Team members report significant professional growth. Jessica Yang, head of the high school math department, says the project has clarified the department's direction. Through discussions, exchanges, training and regular sharing, teachers now collaborate more closely, while the research awareness and presentation skills of students have improved, and the quality of senior theses has risen steadily. Math teacher Jeff Zhang adds that participating in the programme deepened his understanding of mathematical modelling instruction, strengthening his lesson design and pedagogical research skills.
Students have also benefited from the project. 2025 graduate Tico Liu, now studying mathematics at the University of Oxford, recalls that drafting his Math IA in stages with step-by-step guidance taught him how to present mathematical work professionally, laying a solid foundation for university study. Year 12 student Bell Lu wrote a paper entitled 'Optimising the Shanghai to London Flight Route Using Spherical Geometry.' The project helped him adopt more precise mathematical language in modelling and analysis, teaching him that mathematics can transcend routine exercises to solve real interdisciplinary problems.
The team has distilled more than two years' experience into an English monograph, A Guide to Math Modelling Teaching: Theory, Methods, and Selected Student Works. Drawing on rich case studies, the book establishes a comprehensive resource system and sets out a replicable, scalable approach to teaching mathematical modelling. Serving as a practical reference for international high school modelling courses, it helps teachers guide student projects across fields ranging from engineering design, transportation, natural science, and technology, to economic management. From topic selection and literature review to hypothesis development, modelling strategies, and post-modelling reflection and assessment, the book offers end-to-end, actionable guidance that has already been shown to measurably improve teaching quality and advanced instruction.
These honours, together with the new English monograph, attest to Pao School's leadership position in mathematical modelling education, while providing an invaluable blueprint for both teacher development and student research.
For past reports on the "Excellence in Young Teachers of Private Schools Programme", please refer to: Pao School Welcomes Excellence in Young Teachers Review Team, Excellence in Young Teachers of Private Schools Programme.
