Saturday, 15 August 2015

Needs for Innovation in Teaching Mathematics

Looking to the aims of teaching mathematics it can be seen that more focus is laid to the higher level of objectives underlying the mathematics subject, like critical thinking, analytical thinking, logical reasoning, decision-making, problem-solving. Such objectives are
difficult to be achieved only through verbal and mechanical methods that are usually used in the class of mathematics. The verbal method of instruction gives all importance of speech and texts, to the book and to the teacher. From an historical point of view this method was majorly used until the end of the nineteenth century. In one of these verbal methods teachers are simply satisfied with giving the mathematical rules to pupils and having them memorize it.
They justify this method by saying pupils would not understand explanations. Their task is to transmit to their pupils the knowledge which was accumulated over the centuries, to staff their memory while asking them to work exercises, e.g. the rule of signs and formulas in algebra, students memorize this and remember it! Another verbal method involves explanation. Teachers who use this method assume that the mental structure of the child is same as the adult’s. but a development stage according to Piaget is a period of years or months during which certain developments take place.
Teachers think teaching must imply logia, and logic being linked to language, or at least to verbal thought, verbal teaching is supposed to be sufficient to constitute this logic. This method leads to series of explanations and students at the initial steps of logical explanations trying to understand and group but slowly the gap is created between the explanations transmitted by teacher and received by students which leads to poor understanding on part of students and they develop a fear of the subject: “MATHSPHOBIA”. The education commission (1964 – 66) pointed/points out that “in the teaching of mathematics emphasis should be more on the understanding of basic principles than on the mechanical teaching of mathematical competitions”. Commenting on the prevailing situation in schools, it is observed that in the average school today instructions still confirms to a mechanical routine, continues to be dominated by the old besetting evil of verbalism and therefore remains dull and uninspiring. 

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