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8 Principles of Effective Mathematics Teaching

The document outlines 8 principles of effective mathematics teaching: 1) build on prior knowledge, 2) expose misconceptions, 3) develop questioning, 4) use cooperative groups, 5) emphasize methods over answers, 6) use rich collaborative tasks, 7) incorporate appropriate technology, and 8) create connections between topics. For each principle, advantages and difficulties of implementation are discussed. The overarching goal is to engage students, address misconceptions, and develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and their applications.

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Starr Clyde Lumanta Sebial
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198 views3 pages

8 Principles of Effective Mathematics Teaching

The document outlines 8 principles of effective mathematics teaching: 1) build on prior knowledge, 2) expose misconceptions, 3) develop questioning, 4) use cooperative groups, 5) emphasize methods over answers, 6) use rich collaborative tasks, 7) incorporate appropriate technology, and 8) create connections between topics. For each principle, advantages and difficulties of implementation are discussed. The overarching goal is to engage students, address misconceptions, and develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and their applications.

Uploaded by

Starr Clyde Lumanta Sebial
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8 Principles of Effective Mathematics Teaching.

1. Build on the knowledge learners bring to sessions.

The advantages of doing this:


 Developmental
 Scaffolding
 Student motivation
 Students see relevance
 Contextualised

The difficulties of doing this:


 Limited by curriculum content
 Time constraints
 Variety of students/needs
 Contextualised

2. Expose and discuss common misconceptions.

The advantages of doing this:


 Identifies source of problem
 Allows learners to move on
 Learners can expose their own misconceptions
 Encouraged to value each other’s opinions and look at different ways of
solving problems

The difficulties of doing this:


 Hard to change pre-conceptions
 Confidence – feeling stupid

3. Develop effective questioning.

The advantages of doing this:


 Opportunity to discuss process, not just the answer
 Inclusive of all levels
 Opportunity to explore and share alternative methods
 Promoting discussion and team building
 Thinking outside the box….helping learners progress

The difficulties of doing this:


 Time to plan questions
 Not as much control for tutor
 Some learners may not want to be involved
4. Use cooperative small group work.

The advantages of doing this:


 Gives learners some responsibility for own learning
 Sharing knowledge
 Learning from each other
 Values learners’ input and experience
 Encourages inclusivity
 Allows for differentiation

The difficulties of doing this:


 Difficult to keep everyone on task
 Classroom management
 Group dynamics
 Competition within group – dominant student
 Practical facilities e.g. size of room
 Easily distracted
 Sharing feedback

5. Emphasise methods rather than answers.

The advantages of doing this:


 Makes students think more carefully about what they are doing
 Allows students to gain important method marks in the exam!
 Allows ‘own’ understanding and ability to discuss/challenge

The difficulties of doing this:


 Sometimes the answer is very important (drug dose calculation)
 Accuracy may be sacrificed when methods are regarded as all-important

6. Use rich collaborative tasks.

The advantages of doing this:


 Maintains student interest/involvement
 Students gain understanding
 All students involved
 Meets needs of different levels
 Uses prior knowledge
 Encourages discussion of different methods
 Encourages passive learners to become active

The difficulties of doing this:


 Dominance of individual students
 Competition between students
 Lower level and unconfident student can be reluctant to participate
 Takes a lot of preparation, time and energy to deliver
7. Use technology in appropriate ways.

The advantages of doing this:


 Can be used as interactive aid
 Enable learner to work elsewhere e.g. home
 Instant response
 Widening IT skills
 Used at any level and some disabled learners

The difficulties of doing this:


 Facilities/resources
 Accessibility of suitable resources
 Assessing learning
 Time-consuming to research
 Poor literacy skills – often lots of reading

8. Create connections between mathematical topics.

The advantages of doing this:


 Develops independent thinking and the ability to solve problems
 Better understanding across different topics
 Transferable skills
 See relevance
 Encourages broader thinking

The difficulties of doing this:


 Serial learning not compatible to above
 Assessment led system – meeting targets

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