Can maths really be taught?

1. 82

   phillippeengelposted 11 years ago

   Can maths really be taught?
   
   How can we empower students with keen observation skills and a meticulous attitude towards Math to prevent unnecessary mathematical errors, and equip students with problem solving skills in order to tackle challenging questions? The maths questions are never ever going to be repeated verbatim in the future, so can maths really be taught?

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2. 59

   AmyElizaposted 11 years ago

   I'm sure if a student who is having difficulty grasping mathematics puts in hours of hard, dedicated work then they will be able to catch on, but it certainly can be very difficult for them. For me, I am horrible at math. I even have difficulty doing basic math in my head. I get confused and flustered. I have been tutored, gotten extra help from teachers... but nothing works. I think some people are more capable of grasping math than others, just like others are more capable of picking up on sports than others.
   
   Math really should be fairly basic to pick up on since it's just a system. The rules don't change. It's not like a language like English that is always changing and can be interpreted different ways, yet when some people (including myself) are faced with a set of mathematical instructions that have to be implemented in a specific order they get lost. Everyone's brain works differently. I assue you if you sat down with me for a few hours and taught me some basic stuff I would improve, but I would still make a lot of mistakes.

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3. 70

   lemmyCposted 11 years ago

   Maths can be taught. Just like any subjects it has some skills that you need to master so as to make sense of the subject It''s also important to mention that maths is a language; for example understanding the mathematics operations oi n a topic is key to making progress in such topic.
   On the issue of the how of maths. The way which the knowledge is impacted is key to the students being able to understand the subject. This will sometimes depend on the experience of the teacher. Maths is a practical subject and making it relevant to the everyday life of the students will enhance their overall conceptualization of the subject.
   The stance that most of the teachers portray seems to cast a dark shadow on Maths as a subject that is difficult to understand. Changing such traditional views will through a new light on peoples perception of the subject
   On the whole mastery of anything takes effort, time, imagination and patience. Maths is no exception..

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4. 68

   joanveronicaposted 11 years ago

   Having started teaching Math in 1956 (quite some time ago), I know Maths can be taught to just about anybody, with varying results. My motto is: everybody can learn (some) Maths! There are several problems inherent to all this. For one, Math is shrouded in myth and mystery, as if it were very difficult. In the second place, many people believe they "are not good at Maths", and therefore, they are not good! In the third place, Maths is a construction, that needs to follow certain orderly levels and steps, jump one or two and it's fatal! And maybe the fourth should be: some Maths teachers shouldn't really be teaching Maths, especially when they tend to sell the idea that only a few selected minds can master Maths!
   
   The effort of learning Maths is, however, up to the student. It can be done, but needs perseverance.

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5. 60

   Dr. Haddoxposted 11 years ago

   Depending on one's line of work, or career, mathematical ability is, more or less, important. An engineer or designer of complex systems usually requires a good math background. Most occupations, even work that is not usually associated with research or higher level thinking, requires some level of mathematical proficiency.
   Many people make a living teaching math to students at all levels of the educational system, from grade school to the university level.
   Math can be taught. There are different ways of teaching and there are different ways of learning math. Some ways are better than others.
   You raise an interesting question concerning methods used to teach math and how many of the  math questions "are not going to be seen 'verbatim' in the future, in the  real world, so to speak." Interesting question and good thinking.
   Dr. Haddox

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6. 68

   gary dubeposted 11 years ago

   Yes you just need a good teacher who is passionate about teaching and his subject.

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7. 77

   rahul0324posted 11 years ago

   Teaching Maths and the Aptitude for it... Is a very broad concept, the roots of which lie in the most basics of education! If I may present my example, As a small child, my father always boasted of maths being the most important subject to learn and how it is the language of all science that is present in the universe! That fascinated me! Over the years i developed a passion for mathematics, especially Newtonian Calculus!
   
   The roots I talk about is the emphasis towards maths during the starting years of school! Like the emphasis laid on English and History... and steps taken to make kinder- gardeners like the subjects... an effort by the peer generation should be made to develop interest in the subject!
   
   Teaching can be successful if responded well by the students! So I believe Maths can be taught!
   
   An example of exemplary teaching i.e. developing interest in the subject and then the aptitude is Mr. Anand Kumar from the super thirty fame from Bihar, India. I have had the honor to be his pupil for two years. He make hard efforts to develop interest of his students and uses local dialect and technology like projectors and interactive GUI to increase interest and inculcate better!

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8. 74

   factsknowingposted 11 years ago

   Maths can very well be taught. Teachers often bother themselves teaching a child and not confirming how much the student knows already that is why we have problems. I tell my students that if they cannot solve all the maths problems meant to be learnt in their previous classes, they will definitely have problems understand any more maths. Maths should not be studied or taught partially.

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9. 60

   soutienscolairefrposted 11 years ago

   I think personnaly that the answer is yes !
   Because the maths needs a mathematics logical thinking and this is the secret to understand and not ask again basical questions ! This why I do whith my own students . I try to transmit to them the mathematical philosophy ..

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10. 72

    bill yonposted 11 years ago

    Yes math can be taught.It is taught everyday in schools all across the world. The problem is higher math like algebra and calculus and triganometry should be introduced earlier in school. like 1st grade earlier. Children can learn faster and easier between the ages of 2 and 12.Introduce the basics of higher math in the first grade and when the child enters high school or college math will be second nature.

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