One of the most controversial topics to be added to GCSE in recent years is exact trig values. Although trigonometry has always been on Higher Tier GCSE, before 2017 it only ever appeared on the calculator paper. When the Department for Education did a big curriculum and assessment re-jig, exact trig values were moved from A level to GCSE – and, in what we can only assume was some kind of terrible admin error, somehow found their way onto the Foundation tier.
In the latest video from my ‘Topics in Depth’ project, Craig Barton and I discuss this surprising curriculum decision. We also examine how exact trig values are assessed at GCSE, and we take a look at both pedagogy and resources.
If you’re a maths teacher with a spare hour, please watch this! If you enjoy it, also check out Area in Depth and Surds in Depth. Thank you to AQA for sponsoring these videos.