Mathematics, an exact science related to measurements, calculations and discovering relationships derives its name from ‘Ganita’ a Hindi word connoting the science of calculations. It is basically a science of reasoning.
Mathematics, an exact science related to measurements, calculations and discovering relationships derives its name from ‘Ganita’ a Hindi word connoting the science of calculations. It is basically a science of reasoning.
SIGNIFICANCE OF MATHEMATICS :
Mathematics is a subject of great educational value and plays a vital role in our lives:
- a) It has many practical applications and is needed at every stage of life. People can get along without their mother tongue but not without mathematical calculations. A person belonging to any class of society whether wealthy or poor, has to use the knowledge of mathematics in one form or the other.
- b) The study of mathematics disciplines the mind and develops our reasoning power.
- c) Mathematics has helped in transmitting and enriching our culture. It has helped in the development of various subjects and occupations.
- d) Mathematics has great vocational value. It finds extensive application in all vocations like agriculture, accountancy, banking, business, engineering, carpentry, tailoring, surveying, etc.
- e) Mathematics has immense aesthetic value. There are interesting riddles and paradoxes in mathematics. Various symmetric designs by the great mathematician Ramanujan offer great pleasure.
- f) Mathematics teaches economy in matter of time, money, speech and thought.
- g) Mathematics requires unique thinking. There is no scope for cramming. Solving mathematical problems is nothing less than making discoveries and hence develops one’s creative bent.
QUALITIES OF A MATHS TEACHER:
Teaching mathematics is not an easy job. A maths teacher has to bear in mind many factors visa`- vis the children with individual differences, aims and objectives of Maths, selection of teaching methodology, etc. Besides having command over the subject and knowledge of methods of teaching, a maths teacher must be well versed with diverse ways of applying Mathematics in other subjects, vocations, life, etc. This makes teaching of Maths momentous and motivating for the students. A mathematics teacher should be an innovative thinker. He/ She must be able to suggest alternatives to certain procedures or rules to his/her students so as to give wings to their creative thinking.
DEFECTS IN TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS AND REMEDIAL MEASURES:
It is quite surprising to observe the way mathematics is being taught nowadays as it does not help in the realisation of the educational value of the subject. Sometimes students do not become adept even in elementary Arithmetic.
- a) The lack of purpose in teaching and learning of Mathematics is a major cause of incompetency in the subject. When the teacher does not know what he must develop in the students through his teaching, how can he select suitable subject matter and learning activities? Even the students do not know the rationale for which they are studying the subject; they just study it mechanically. The teacher should remember the aims and objectives of the subject and should plan his teaching accordingly.
- b) Most of the teachers generally cling to traditional methods of teaching Mathematics. They generally follow lecture method and dogmatic methods making their teaching often dull, droning and only verbal. The teachers should espouse suitable methodology like heuristics, problem solving, analytic and inductive methods, etc. These methods stimulate the pupil’s thinking and reasoning power, develop their insight into the subject, eventually leading to better retention of knowledge.
- c) One of the greatest ills of present day teaching practices is that the teachers and students feel that the examination is the ultimate goal. So all their efforts are directed towards this goal. The teacher’s efficiency and pupils’ achievement should not be measured only by the results of examination. They should feel that examination is a means to an end and not the end in itself.
- d) Our present day teaching is teacher-oriented and subjectdominated. Teachers choose methods of teaching which suit them. These may or may not suit all the pupils as there are individual differences. The curriculum framers of mathematics should construct curriculum keeping in view the interests, level and achievement of pupils at a particular stage. Individual differences in pupils should be kept in mind.
- e) Mathematics teaching is generally verbal and abstract. The work becomes tedious, monotonous and desiccated especially to those who are not mentally mature. The children do not understand much at the abstract level and hence their learning is not thorough in the absence of concrete means. The pupils find no opportunity to apply the knowledge in real life situations. The teachers should adopt concrete means and encourage practical work in mathematics especially while teaching small children.
Practical and project activities makes the study of the subject interesting to the pupils. They should be given real problems to solve so that they get opportunities to apply their knowledge to various real life problems.
- f) Though in mathematics there is enough scope for correlation, yet the teachers generally isolate its teaching from other subjects and life. There are interrelationships among various branches and also among the topics of the same branch of the subject, but these are not pointed out. Lack of correlation makes the subject appear dry and abstract; learning is also not effective. The teacher should try to link his teaching with various topics or facts of other subjects and fields. The possibilities of correlation should be thoroughly explored.
Keeping in mind the aforementioned facts, we as teachers should transcend from traditional teaching to collaborative learning in order to incorporate maximum students’ participation in day to day learning of Maths.
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