Wednesday 12 November 2008

PS 4305 3.14 Question 15

What are the problems that teachers and pupils encountered in schools in the teaching and learning of primary mathematics? How do you overcome them?

1. Lack of resources

- No textbooks provided for Brunei curriculum. Meanwhile, Brunei uses/adapt Singaporean textbook in teaching mathematics.

Solution:

1. Establish and provide Mathematics textbook in Brunei version

2. Using alternative such as the ‘SMART’ book, any educational books that are suitable and relevant, etc.

2. Financial

- Not enough teaching materials/facilities, such as computers, OHP, interactive whiteboard, internet access, etc.

Solution:

Government & teachers have to cooperate in providing budget for the teaching materials.

3. Lack of knowledge & skills

- Teachers are not confident in teaching mathematics. Moreover, mathematics nowadays is in English medium. This result in the reluctant of some teachers especially the senior teachers who are used to Malay language.

Solution:

Training teachers through attending workshops, conferences, meeting, computer lessons, etc. Through those above, teachers can share their teaching experience.

4. Time management

- Sometimes, lesson is being disturbed through class management. Most of the time is filled with controlling the class.

Solution:

Teachers’ duty is to make the students busy by giving them activities. We divert students’ attention to do task rather than disturbing their friends. So, teacher can reduce time for controlling the class and more time is spent in the teaching and delivering the lesson.

(Provided the activities given by the teacher are fun, interesting, meaningful as well as challenging)

5. No time for remedial classes

- No remedial given to low-ability students.

Morning time – Fully occupied by other subjects

Afternoon time – students attend to Agama School

Friday & Sunday – Parents are reluctant to send their child to school.

Solution:

Parents involvement through sports day, parents-teacher meeting etc

Make school as the welcoming place for parents.

6. Lack of teaching aids

- Teachers rely too much on textbook

Solution:

Teacher shoukd provide variety of representations such as concrete materials, the use of diagrams, the use of information, communication and technology, etc.

7. Communication barrier

- Students have difficulty in English language.

-They do not understand what the questions are about According to Newman Error, the major problem of Bruneian students is the COMPREHENSION.

Solution:

1. Explaining the terms first using flash cards

2. Encourage them to speak English

8. Students’ perception

-Students think that mathematics is a boring, complicated, always dealing with numbers, symbols & problem solving

- Students always thin that mathematics does not make sense and not important to their everyday life.

Solution:

1) Teacher should open students’ mind/perception toward mathematics by making learning Mathematics fun, make sense and relate it to their everyday life.

2) Teacher Should not give up in teaching Mathematics and always motivate students to like mathematics.

9. Students’ performance

- Students’ performance in mathematics decreasing due to traditional way of teaching such as teacher’s chalk and talk, memorise (rote learning), too dependent on the use of textbook, etc.

Solution:

1. Give varieties of modified questions (higher order questions for brighter students)

2. Lower the teacher’s expectation such as obtaining simple objectives. By doing so, students can experience success even the low-ability students.

10. Lack of collaboration between teachers

- In terms of sharing ideas, teaching strategies, teaching materials, resources, etc.

Solution:

Teachers can share their strategies, materials, etc to other teachers.

It is not just the benefit of our own but the whole school too.

11. Classroom environment

- Overcrowded (too many pupils in one class)

- dullclassroom (e.g bare wall)

Solution:

Display students’ work, decorate classroom to provide a stress-free and conducive environment.

Done by:

Faisal, Shaharlena, Dk. Hjh. Siti Zahrah, Rozaimah and Adi Fahannie.

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