09 December 2024

“Mattecoach på nätet”, the online maths coach, has helped close to 70,000 students with maths. This collaboration between KTH, Linköping University and Chalmers has now spread internationally.

happy young woman works on computer with books next to her, she has a sweater with math coach online symbols
University students provide maths coaching.

The mathematical skills of Swedish compulsory school and upper secondary school students are declining. To remedy this, Maths Coach Online was introduced. It is available to students who have questions about mathematics or need help with specific math problems.

Daniel Carlsson, the manager of Maths Coach Online in Linköping. Photographer: Charlotte Perhammar
The coaches are subject teacher students at Linköping University, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Chalmers University of Technology, and the service is a collaboration between these universities. The teaching students have studied mathematics, mathematics didactics or pedagogy and are trained in online teaching and the technical platforms.
“This service develops the didactic abilities and subject competence of our future teachers. The coaches become good at digital teaching, something that’s missing in most teacher training programmes today,” says Daniel Carlsson, the manager of Maths Coach Online in Linköping.

Maths Coach Online is now available also in Scotland and the Czech Republic

The service started at KTH in 2009 and Linköping University joined in 2011. Now the University of Edinburgh is also a partner and has started up the service for students in Scotland. In mid-October 2024, the service was launched in the Czech Republic.
“We are pleased that the concept is spreading, and we welcome a new node for this service. The international services are independent nodes that we see as parallel operations. We share our experience and provide the system.”

Basis for research

Maths Coach Online is also a basis for research on how online teaching aimed at primary and secondary school students can best be carried out.
“The purpose of this research is to develop good platforms for digital learning and understand how we as teachers should act.”

Published in LiU Magazine #3 2024.

Facts about Maths Coach Online

For whom? Everyone in compulsory school, upper secondary school, adult education (including residential) or doing a foundation year programme.
When? Monday to Thursday, from 5 pm to 8 pm, including during school holidays.
How? Via chat and common writing and drawing space. The service works on all platforms.
Where? The student needs only a web browser to access mattecoach.se.
Anonymous? Yes, the student can be anonymous and does not need to log in or register.
Cost? The service is free of charge.

The coaches are subject teacher students

Contact

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