A different way of teaching mathematics?

slade_x

I recently got involved in a conversation relating to how mathematics is taught in schools from a mother of 5, (specifically regarding her 8 year old, 12 year old and 14 year old) of which, she has recently gone back to school to do a course in mathematics and when confronted with the "way" of doing mathematics (according to her) that her children are being taught currently in secondary school she is lost and she doesnt understand it.

I found this very hard to swallow as for me mathematics is intuitive. There is only one way that mathematics can make sense to someone and it shouldnt matter how someone learns it, it is the very definition of reasoning to me. Whats going on? Is there some new non intuitive way of teaching mathematics or was this just a lack of understanding on her part?

Is there any merit to this?

Thank you.

slade_x

seavill wrote: »

I discovered that there are new ways of subtracting, multiplying etc. I can't remember the specifics but basically I had to relearn how to do things the way they were doing them rather than having a whole new method for them as they were already struggling.

I see, but this is the very thing i seem to be having trouble with. Surely if you teach mathematical literacy and the student becomes mathematically literate as a result. The problem and the answer remain the same. you may have your own way of getting there but your answer will still be correct and you will know why. Whatever way you work out the answer if it is really mathematical then it is reasoned. Why should it matter how you get there. If you understand one way of getting there you should by default understand the alternative if it makes sense.

If what i am now starting to think is a new non intuitive way of teaching mathematics, surely that is a disservice.

If you give someone an equation to solve, and you then give them a shortcut on how to solve it just to get the answer (a simple means to an end) without giving them the chance to understand how they make sense of it then that is not an education. That is just memorising. that does not teach reasoning or problem solving.

Now sure there is a lot of memorising of formulae and as i learned "back in the day" our times tables but there was at least the opportunity to understand why they work in the first place. To go very basic that there is really no such thing as multiplication or division just memorising addition and subtraction, they are just short cuts. You can recall the answer to 9 times 5 from your memorised times tables and if you cant you at least know that it is really just the addition of 5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5 that gives you the 45 and so forth with division and subtraction.

Also simple things like our ten digits (arabic numerals) numbered 0-9 and why the beginning of a second count (/ iteration) of ten begins with a 1 and the third count a 2 etc.

Is this new method still intuitive?

slade_x

seavill wrote: »

I'm not saying I didn't understand the alternative way I was saying it was new to me

That was not what i was saying. The fact that you were used to it one way and you could actually learn to do it another way is proof that you are mathematically literate. I didnt personally insinuate you, i meant from a students perspective. If they understand the concept of one way of doing it they can understand the other. now i didnt mean to insinuate it should be instant, when confronting another way of doing something, if it is reasoned with effort it is possible to figure it out.

seavill wrote: »

You are obviously very into your maths but you are failing to come down in your thinking to a level that young children are at

I started this thread in relation to an adult learning mathematics being incapable of understanding how their children are being taught. not the other way around. This is specifically about the adult. Is this new way of learning so unintuitive that someone who already can do some mathematics cant see the logic in it.

seavill wrote: »

They can't understand the basics or even to add 13 plus 15 without going all the way using their fingers.

But that is the most important part of our basic numeral system (base of 10), 10 digits for 10 fingers. this is how we all should learn. its how our predecessors figured it out. but again the reason i made the post was from the adults perspective. I have no idea about this new way of teaching mathematics but surely if one understands mathematics or is brushing up, it should make some sense, not leave the adult feeling lost. My only issue was if it was somehow not intuitive. it could very well be that in this case its the adult that doesnt have the basic understanding of mathematics even while they are back learning it.

I just couldnt come to terms with what i was being told as the very principal of mathematics is the understanding behind it. Otherwise whats the point.

slade_x

seavill wrote: »

But the kids become ................. The adults you are taking about.

I am not following this point? This isnt about kids or adults, that was just an example in this case. Regardless of who they are, students being children or adults, if one group is taught one way of doing something and another group is taught another way and both ways are reasoned, then both ways are essentially teaching the same principle.

In this case this adult is learning mathematics at the same time as her children. this isnt about her learning as a child and then practicing it as an adult. She just doesnt "get" the other way which are both being taught at the same time.

seavill wrote: »

If she is struggling that much she obviously has issues with maths herself which is possibly the point you missed rather than there is some huge prob with the maths of today

I didnt miss that point, at the end of my post i wrote

slade_x wrote: »

Is there some new non intuitive way of teaching mathematics or was this just a lack of understanding on her part?

But the problem here is she isnt struggling in her course, that is what got me, she is doing fine yet couldnt quite get the other way.

In your opinion, do you think this new way, the new curriculum in schools is a better way to teach mathematics than the old?

seavill

While still being able to do well I would imagine she is learning off how to do the problems on her course rather than actually getting a full proper understanding of the subject matter and as a result has the same issue with the other maths, she doens't get the proper understanding of the material