Mathematics Teaching

 

Mathematics Teaching

        Teaching is responsible for joy, intellectual curiosity and creativity in learning. It is teaching which creates confidence in the subject and makes learning a pleasant, successful and stimulating experience. One cannot but ask as Ekhabafe (1980) did, “is the knowledge of the subject matter alone sufficient for successful teaching in a modern classroom?” anyone who undertakes to bring about learning of particular sort findings himself arranging a set of stimulus condition that acts upon the learner. What condition needs to occur first, what next and what last in order for effective learning to be assured? (Shuiman, 1973). The teachers’ method of teaching mathematics has a lot to do with the students’ ability to learn it and appreciate it, more often than not it also determines the attitude of the students towards the subject.

        The association the students make with mathematics depends upon the effective association with their teacher, although mathematics can see beauty in the logical consistency and purity of mathematics, many teachers and most students have not acquired such devotion to the subject. The learning done by students in mathematics depend more on the teacher’s commitment than on the materials or method. Teachers should take the attitude that students can learn mathematics. Teachers should also be committed to their work.

        Teachers provide condition for learning in the classroom not only by what they say but also by what they do. The teacher’s likes and dislikes regarding subject matter may become obvious to the students and results in initiative attitude. Hence one will only share the view of Richard and Norman (1997) that “the teachers who loves music but hates mathematics may transmit these feeling to the class”. So called mathematics blocks may be created in the way and the students could be permanently affected.

        The general objectives in the teaching of mathematics at the secondary school levels as spelt out in the conference for mathematics teaching in Benin in 1977 are as follows:

i.    To generate interesting mathematics and to provide a solid foundation for everyday living.

ii.  To develop computational skills.

iii.To foster the desire and ability to be accurate to a degree relevant to the problem at hand.

iv. To develop precise logical and abstract thinking.

v.   To develop ability to recognize problems and to solve them with related mathematical knowledge.

vi. To provide necessary mathematical background for further education.

vii. To stimulate and encourage creativity.

Mathematics teachers need to bear these in mind while on their job. Badmus wrote that the content of mathematics that is taught (in the JSS) should be interesting not discouraging to students of mathematical potentials. He went further to postulate that it is appropriate to provide a foundation in general education for the basic topics of senior secondary school mathematics. It is clear that mathematics at all times must be taught in a way that it will stimulate the child’s interest. In the light of this, many educationists have written several articles on how to improve mathematics teaching in our school. According to Fakuade (1980) here are various ways which the present poor state of the mathematics teachers can be improved thus a resultant improvement in mathematics teaching and students’ performance will also be affected. He made the following:

i.    Expansion of existing training facilities in our higher institutions.

ii.  Re-organization of mathematics curriculum for all categories of teachers in terms of content and methodology.

iii.Holding of regular seminars, dialogues on classroom experiences of teachers by teacher trainers.

iv. More emphasis on in-service training programme.

v.   Head teacher of schools should be well informed about innovations in school mathematics teaching and their interest and cooperation sought at all times.

vi. Teachers’ attendance at a prescribed number of hours of in-service training should count towards their teaching qualification.

vii. Distinguished performances of some mathematics teachers should be recognized and rewarded.

viii. Systematic deployment of mathematics teachers to ensure continuity and optimization in teachers work.

Mathematics and mathematics teachers according to Odu (1985) agree that mathematics is an abstract subject that many children do not enjoy learning it as much as they do the other subjects, and that many teachers fear it and very often these teachers pass on this fear to their students. Professor R. Ohuche in this concept development in mathematics depreciates the fact that in most of our schools, mathematics is a dreaded subject; he contends that this is the result of the fact that the subject is not associated in any meaningful way with the real life of the learner (Odu, 1995). That mathematics is not properly taught in our schools is beyond debate, but can its teaching be improved? Ernest Okee Oragwam (1998) answer is that there is no reason why such an existing subject cannot be taught in more lively and more interesting way than is the case now, if alternative techniques such as will be discussed below are utilized. When alternative techniques utilized, they add life to a topic and generate the same kind of interest that the study of a new topic usually produces. Besides, new techniques have a therapeutic effect on the teacher. They break the routine aspect of teaching especially when the same subject has been taught several times or when several sections of the same subject are taught in the same year. The new approach makes the teachers’ role in a little more exciting and offers him a bit more challenge. All teachers should of necessity therefore develop a repertoire of alternative techniques. Such repertoire can be found in the assembly and use of shortcuts and recreational activities.

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