South African pupils generally do poorly at mathematics because teachers do not know how to teach it properly.
South African pupils generally do poorly at mathematics because teachers do not know how to teach it properly.
This is the view of Professor Reinhard Hölzl from the Pädagogische Hochschule in Luzern, Switzerland, who has been spending time with Grahamstown District teachers and pupils in recent weeks.
He said that traditionally mathematics is taught using procedures, algorithms and formulae with little effort being made to understand the underlying concepts.
It is difficult to apply a recipe for the solution of mathematical problems, Hölzl explained, if the teachers and pupils don’t fully grasp the reasoning for applying such a recipe.
Hölzl said it more important for pupils to understand new mathematical work conceptually before applying a formula to reach a solution.
This means that if a pupil is taught a formula for calculating the area of a circle it might be difficult for them to understand how, or why pi should be multiplied by the square of the radius if they don’t fully grasp what pi signifies.
However, if that pupil is allowed to construct their own knowledge of a circle and what the concept of area actually means, then it is far more likely that they will be able to successfully apply the relevant formula.
Hölzl has been working with Rhodes University mathematics Professor Marc Schäfer to demonstrate to local teachers how to teach mathematics using free teaching software called GeoGebra.
Schäfer and Hölzl have observed that many schools in the Grahamstown District actually have computers, but that they are rarely used because teachers lack the knowledge and confidence to adopt a different way of teaching.
They also pointed to the importance of architecture in the teaching environment, saying that in most instances classrooms are set up to make it easier for teachers to maintain discipline – but this is not necessarily optimal for teaching purposes.
When Hölzl demonstrated his teaching methods to local teachers, he showed how computers can be placed in a large circle around the perimeter of the class, allowing the teacher to monitor their pupils’ progress by looking over their shoulders.
Once his methods have been applied, together with GeoGebra, the teachers can feel empowered and the pupils learn mathematical concepts more effectively.
