Letter of the Day | Make mathematics teaching fun, not a chore
Published:Monday | March 18, 2024 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Teaching mathematics continues to be problematic for a significant number of students. The results from the 2022 Programme for International Student (PISA) are discouraging. In Jamaica, 26 per cent of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, significantly less than the OECD average of 69 per cent. Disappointingly, almost no students in Jamaica were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the (PISA) mathematics test (OECD average: nine per cent).
The International Day of Mathematics is a worldwide celebration that is observed annually on March 14. It is also known as the Pi Day.
The major goals of the International Day of Mathematics is to improve understanding among the general public of the importance of mathematics in education; raise awareness of the role of mathematics in modern society, science, and disaster management; increase access to information about mathematics; increase international networking and collaborations in public awareness of mathematics, and more.
The teacher-student ratio also plays a role in how mathematics is received by students. The larger the class size,the more likely that some students will be left behind. Sadly, many students, over the years, have fostered and developed a phobia for mathematics. In many families, this dislike for the subject is accepted and even passed along from generation to generation. Then there is also the sore issue of out-of-field teaching, where a teacher is assigned to teach a subject without specific training in that subject area. Unfortunately, few have spoken about this issue due to its ubiquity. The practice of out-of-field teaching is very much unprincipled. Highly qualified teachers may actually become highly unqualified if they are assigned to teach subjects for which they have little training or education.
There is a disconnect in the real world with regard to the application of mathematics. Societies also need to move away from long-held gender stereotypes that imply that males are more proficient in mathematics than females. Research has showed no cognitive biological differences between men and men in mathematics. Without a doubt, the acquisition of mathematical skills is akin to life skills and lifelong learning opportunities.
There needs to be an unbiased and holistic approach to the teaching of mathematics. It is imperative that governments worldwide invest more resources concerning the training of teachers of mathematics, which is one of the core STEM subjects. Governments should continue to build the capacity of teachers in mathematics amid concerns about the ongoing migration of qualified educators from the Global South to the Global North. Currently, the teaching of mathematics is being done in a straitjacket approach. What is needed is an approach that will encourage critical-thinking skills. Mathematics can be a gateway to exploration, experimentation and discovery, as well as a source of fun.
WAYNE CAMPBELL