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Effective ways of teaching Mathematics: Benefits of instructional methods

The quest to find effective Mathematics instruction continues to occupy the thoughts of Mathematics teacher educators as they struggle to select from the pool of instructional methods available to them.

Of all the many instructional methods, the constructivism philosophy of education is touted by many teachers as being very beneficial. 

This philosophy of education is based on teaching methods such as active learning, inquiry learning, discovery learning, assisted discovery, collaborative learning and problem-based learning. These methods help engage children’s thinking processes and increase their intrinsic motivation.

 

Integrating new ideas

The philosophy allows children to construct or create their own knowledge by integrating new ideas with previously learned ones. By this approach, children learn Mathematics with preconceived ideas and understanding that enables them to create new knowledge.

It identifies teachers’ role as facilitators by creating learning opportunities to actively engage children with learning materials. Children identify and resolve their personal misunderstanding and apply the knowledge they gain to new situations. Ultimately, they develop strengths, weaknesses and interests, which provide them with lifelong learning opportunities. 

With the constructivism philosophy, children build deeper conceptual understanding because teachers give them opportunities to formulate their own Mathematics thinking by allowing them to connect ideas to real circumstances. As a result, children develop higher-order thinking skills when they solve problems and experiment with different solution strategies.

 

Mathematics teacher educators

It is, therefore, ironic for some Mathematics teacher educators to use direct instructional methods when they acknowledge the importance and benefits of the constructivism philosophy. 

This is not surprising, since selection of teachers’ instructional methods largely depend on their post-high school educational experiences. 

Often, these teachers continue to use the direct teaching methods they receive from their lecturers in their various education preparation programmes. As a result, children become more inclined or comfortable to embrace direct teaching methods that are familiar to them. 

Learning Mathematics through the constructivism philosophy could improve if teachers developed a deep and thorough understanding of the Mathematics curriculum, this could enable them to complete the curriculum as schedule. 

Through this process, teachers determine which topics they should focus much attention on and the suitable pace they require to enable them to advance through the curriculum. 

 

Encourage critical thinking

To encourage critical thinking among children, the curriculum should give children the opportunity to solve problems, with teachers monitoring and guiding them to adopt accurate methods and procedures. 

Teachers should bear in mind that all children are unique with different backgrounds and experiences and, therefore, will approach problems differently. 

Teachers should realise that children learn best in groups of different ability levels. Therefore, seating arrangement in the classroom should allow children to work both in small groups and in large groups. In fact, children benefit from such groupings, with low achievers learning from high achievers and excelling in the process. 

Learning Mathematics through the constructivism philosophy could improve if teachers used computers and calculators to facilitate their teaching. 

However, too much reliance on such devices to replace every conceivable teaching method could be detrimental to improving children’s conceptual understanding. In this respect, teachers could provide little support and assistance for children to explore concepts on their own. 

It is worth mentioning that the appropriate use of technology really promotes exploration, communication, connections and problem solving. Hands-on activities can best support constructivism. If children expeditiously observe classroom norms and independently complete their homework, they will better understand how their experiences contribute to the formation of theories.

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