Campaign to demystify study of Maths begins
The Ghana Mathematics Society (GMS) and the Meagasa Mathematics Academy have begun a nationwide exercise to prepare teacher trainees to assist first and second cycle school students to derive mathematical concepts through hands-on practical lessons.
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Under the initiative, activity-based workshops in mathematics are held for teacher trainees to undergo practical lessons in mathematics. So far, teacher trainees from four out of the 38 colleges of education have benefited from the programme. The beneficiary institutions are the Tamale, Bagabaga, Akatsi, and the St. Teresa's Colleges of Education
Understanding
The President of the GMS, Prof. Sitsofe Anku, told the Graphic Youth World that the issue of making students understand mathematics must be addressed from the teacher trainee level.
That, he said, was because the trainees would be future teachers, and so catching them at their doorsteps would help prepare them adequately before they start teaching in schools.
“It is a nationwide programme we are embarking on. We are teaching the would-be teachers how to use practical mathematics to help pupils and students to understand mathematics. That is by engaging students to learn mathematics and relate it to real life,” he said.
Some of the teacher trainees working on the mathematical concepts
Colleges of education
Prof. Anku, who is also the Executive Director of the Meagasa Mathematics Academy, noted that he had met all the principals of the colleges of education on the practical mathematics programme, “to ensure that their trainees would teach effectively and lay a solid foundation at the basic and secondary levels since the foundation at that level had been very weak resulting in the poor performance of students”.
“We think we must address the problem that deals with the lack of understanding of mathematics from the root and that is what we have started doing,” he said, explaining that once the other colleges of education were ready, the programme would be organised in those institutions.
He lamented the poor performance of students in mathematics, adding that it was, however, not late to address the challenge.
Principals, heads
For their part, some heads of departments and principals of colleges of education were very happy about the hands-on training project their students had received from the GMS and the Meagasa Mathematics Academy.
“The programme has been beneficial to our students and has started impacting on their study of mathematics,” the Principal of the St Teresa College of Education, Mrs Angela Kutin Tandoh said.
She said the programme was a good initiative that needed to be replicated in the rest of the colleges of education.
The Head of the Mathematics Department of the Akatsi College of Education, Mr Daniel Boabasah, noted that the activity-based workshop which encourages hands-on mathematics lessons was quite laudable.
Trainees
A teacher trainee of the St Teresa College of Education, Miss Sarah Bengyina, said the practical teaching of mathematics was very helpful since it would promote a better understanding for students.
“I will teach my students what I have learnt from the training session because it is beneficial. For instance, I came to the college with D7 in maths but I can boldly say that with the training I have received, I am an ‘A’ student now,” she said, adding that she was able to assist her mates who had challenges in maths.