The act of assisting others in gaining knowledge, as stated by The World Book Encyclopaedia (1988), is referred to as teaching. Educators utilize teaching strategies to effectively convey information on a particular topic to students. It should be emphasized that professors employ diverse teaching approaches, and the selection of a method can impact a student’s advancement in an educational program.
Thanks to the impact of technology, teaching strategies have evolved and new ones have been discovered and implemented over the years. Each student has their own preferred teaching method that is most effective for their individual learning process. Consequently, students vary in their preferences based on their abilities and the methods they find most successful. In the film ‘Forrest Gump’, there is a famous quote stating, “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
“You never know what you’re gonna get.” No strategy is flawless and each has its own drawback. Thus, it is crucial to conduct research to obtain information about the effectiveness of teaching methods and their impact on students. As Abraham states in The World Book Encyclopaedia (1988), a teacher’s responsibilities encompass preparing for classes and guiding or assisting students in their learning.
(3) Teachers have the duty to evaluate student advancement and (4) act as examples for their students. While doing so, teachers aim to identify and attend to the specific requirements of every student. Mathematics presents difficulties for some individuals, with certain people effortlessly understanding and solving arithmetic problems while others may find themselves feeling overwhelmed by complex numerical equations, perceiving the subject as dull and confusing.
Professors in educational institutions, such as universities, colleges, and schools, use various teaching techniques like traditional lectures or collaborative group work to educate, train, and support students in their learning process. Achieving advanced mathematical skills requires proper guidance and supervision, as well as the commitment and effort of learners. These establishments are renowned for promoting these instructional approaches.
John Mighton, the founder of Jump Math, believes that every child has the potential to excel in math at a university level. However, this is not happening because many children start believing they are not part of the intelligent group, especially in math. Jump Math caters to over 65,000 children in grades one through eight and 20,000 children at home.
We often confront people with a choice: either they perceive themselves as unintelligent or they consider math to be unintelligent. Yet, the reality is that the majority of children’s learning takes place in the classroom, contradicting the notion that “learning starts at home.” Educators, whether they are teachers, professors, or instructors, have a crucial role in facilitating the learning process. They convey knowledge to students within their areas of expertise while also fostering enthusiasm and motivating them to seek knowledge and cultivate an interest in it. As a result, what does effective math instruction involve?
Shellard and Moyer (2002) outline three crucial elements for effective math instruction: “Teaching for conceptual understanding, fostering procedural literacy in students, and promoting strategic competence through meaningful problem-solving investigations.” Math teachers frequently overlook the impact of working memory limitations and the necessity for extensive practice to achieve proficiency in various subjects. Mathematical challenges for struggling students typically encompass difficulty recalling math facts, dealing with word problems, and solving multi-step arithmetic problems.
Not all individuals possess proficiency in mathematics. There are those who excel in calculations, whereas there are others who struggle to grasp mathematical concepts. It is essential to acknowledge and develop students’ abilities prior to assigning them university-level mathematical problems. The researcher had numerous motivations for undertaking this study. Primarily, engineering relies heavily on numerical analysis to generate ideas and elucidate natural laws and phenomena. Consequently, it has become imperative for engineering students to possess the capacity to solve intricate arithmetic problems.
Many students have failed units and been withdrawn from this degree program. The researcher wonders if these failures are due to the students’weaknesses in math or their struggle to keep up with ineffective teaching methods.
The recognition of the significance of teaching strategies in learning and attaining a passing grade includes subjects that incorporate variables, signs, and numbers. It is important to consider the influence of various teaching methods on students, as well as the availability of supplementary resources for instruction. Additionally, it is necessary to explore methods of aiding students who receive failing grades.
Currently, researchers are conducting a study to examine the most effective method of teaching mathematics and sparking students’ curiosity in the subject. Improving the quality of education is crucial as it greatly influences society’s development. Learning and education empower individuals to achieve their goals, and high-quality education helps us realize our maximum potential.
Over the years, many educational institutions have conducted research on teaching methods to assist students in achieving their academic objectives. Currently, mathematics plays a vital role in scientific research and encompasses various intricate subjects such as quantity, structure, space, and change. The advancement of mathematics has been accomplished through addressing diverse problems.
Initially, these were present in commerce, land measurement, architecture, and eventually in astronomy. Nowadays, all scientific disciplines propose issues that are analyzed by mathematicians, and numerous problems emerge within the field of mathematics itself. An illustration of this is physicist Richard Feynman’s development of the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, accomplished through a blend of mathematical logic and physical understanding. Furthermore, contemporary string theory, an ongoing scientific theory aiming to unite the four fundamental forces of nature, constantly stimulates the creation of novel mathematical concepts.
Mathematics is relevant only in the field that it originates from and is used to solve additional problems within that field. However, it frequently happens that mathematics inspired by one field proves useful in multiple fields, adding to the overall collection of mathematical concepts. Though there is a distinction between pure mathematics and applied mathematics, topics in pure mathematics often demonstrate practical applications, such as number theory in cryptography. This extraordinary observation, that even the most abstract mathematics can be practically applied, is referred to as “the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” by Eugene Wigner.
The proliferation of knowledge in the scientific age has resulted in specialization in most fields of study, including mathematics. Currently, there are numerous specialized areas within mathematics, as indicated by the Mathematics Subject Classification which spans 46 pages. Additionally, certain branches of applied mathematics have integrated with related fields outside of mathematics to form distinct disciplines such as statistics, operations research, and computer science. In the realm of mathematics, individuals with a penchant for this subject often appreciate the inherent aesthetic quality present in many mathematical concepts.
It is common for mathematicians to discuss the beauty and aesthetic appeal of mathematics. They appreciate simplicity and generality. Simple and elegant proofs, like Euclid’s proof of infinitely many prime numbers, and efficient numerical methods, like the fast Fourier transform, are admired for their beauty. G. H. Hardy believed that these aesthetic considerations alone justified the study of pure mathematics.
He identified certain criteria such as significance, unexpectedness, inevitability, and economy as factors that contribute to a mathematical aesthetic. Mathematicians often aim to find proofs that are especially elegant, proofs from “The Book” of God as described by Paul Erdos. The popularity of recreational mathematics also indicates the enjoyment many people derive from solving mathematical problems. While the experiences students have with their families and outside of school are important in their learning (Cai, 2003; Lave, 1988), students primarily gain knowledge and develop thinking skills through classroom instruction.
Researchers have long been trying to understand the nature of classroom instruction in order to maximize students’ learning opportunities. Because classroom instruction is a complex enterprise, researchers have attempted to identify its important aspects and investigate the kinds of classroom instruction that effectively foster students’ learning (Brophy& Good, 1996; Carpenter, Franke, Jacobs, Fennema, &Empson, 1998; Good, Grouws, &Ebmeier, 1983; Hiebert& Wearne, 1993; Perry, VanderStoep, & Yu, 1993).
One aspect that has been investigated in the classroom instruction is the beliefs of teachers regarding mathematics, mathematics learning, and mathematics teaching (Battista, 1994; Beswick, 2007; Leder, Pehkonen, &Torner, 2002; Pehkonen&Torner, 1998; Perry, Howard, & Tracey, 1999; Thompson, 2004; Wong, Marton, Wong, & Lam, 2002). However, when assessing the effectiveness of teaching, it is important to consider not only beliefs about mathematics and its learning and teaching but also other teacher beliefs (Gates, 2006; Sztajn, 2003).
Mathematics educators have started to explore additional sets of beliefs that impact mathematics teaching practices. Skott (2001) demonstrated how beliefs that are not directly related to mathematics teaching can still shed light on the practices of mathematics teachers. In his research, he examined the smaller aspects of the social environments in mathematics classrooms. He argued that the teacher’s main concern for students’ self-esteem serves as a basis for their mathematics teaching approaches. For numerous individuals, mathematics is a field defined by abstract knowledge, precise outcomes, and rigorous logical processes.
There are varying beliefs about the source of abstract knowledge systems and how individuals can acquire them. Strategic teaching requires evaluating important factors in the instructional setting, such as learner traits, learning goals, and teacher preferences. By assessing these factors, well-informed choices can be made regarding curriculum content, organization, evaluation techniques, and other crucial elements.
Planning a course, regardless of whether it is a single class or an entire curriculum, presents numerous challenges. As an instructor, you face the task of determining which topics to include, establishing their sequence, selecting appropriate pedagogical methods, devising student assessment approaches, incorporating relevant materials and technology, and finding avenues for obtaining feedback.
Instructors often rely on the teaching approaches of past faculty members or their own previous instructors when making decisions about how to teach a class. However, these models may not always achieve the main objective of teaching: assisting students in mastering important concepts and skills in their field. Prioritizing teaching effectiveness is essential as it directly affects student learning, particularly with the increasing emphasis on academic quality in higher education. To be effective, teaching requires careful consideration and planning instead of relying solely on chance.
Effective teachers have become proficient through evaluating their practice. According to James (n/d), educational evaluation is a professional obligation for academic staff, as it allows for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of teaching on students and promotes improved student learning. Various methods exist for assessing teaching and monitoring its efficiency. Beck (2005) identifies “twelve possible sources of evidence of teaching effectiveness.” These include student ratings, such as Student Evaluations of Teaching, peer reviews, self-reviews, and videos of practice.
Various measures of teaching effectiveness are provided by interviews with students, alumni, employers, and administrators; ratings from these groups; teaching awards and scholarships; learning outcome measures; and maintenance of teaching portfolios. Different sources are encouraged by institutions, departments, and schools to provide evidence of good teaching practice. The specific source used for measuring teaching effectiveness depends on the purpose, such as promotion, which may involve a review by a supervisor using specific criteria to make a final decision.
Assessing an academic’s effectiveness can be done in different ways depending on the goal. If the aim is to enhance teaching practice or make changes to the teaching plan or structure, a specific set of criteria is used. This may involve analyzing student evaluations to identify effective teaching aspects. Evaluations aimed at improving teaching practice and design are known as formative evaluations, whereas evaluations used for decision-making purposes such as promotions are referred to as summative evaluations of teaching effectiveness.
This study will assess different teaching strategies that ME students prefer. To determine the research results, survey questionnaires will be distributed to selected ME students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Math holds importance in everyday life and serves as an effective teaching approach for students. While quadratic equations, derivatives, or the equation of a parabola may not commonly arise in daily life, numbers always play a role and we should always be ready to solve them.
