When defining a quality approach to any material’s presentation, it is of crucial importance to outline the potential outcomes of the learning process. Hence, when it comes to teaching mathematics, it is necessary to underline the teacher’s ability to operate both objective learning fundamentals and creative approaches to subject perception. Once combined, these aspects catalyze learners’ further attitude towards mathematics and willingness to learn the subject. The educator’s major challenge in the setting is the necessity to present mathematics in such a way that students acknowledge the rigorousness of some mathematical basics while embracing a creative approach to the learning process.
The most relevant way to introduce mathematics in the given context is to use digital technology as an assistant during the students’ learning journey. According to the researchers, using such digital technology as multimedia boards and software serves as an asset when explicitly attracting children’s attention and participation in the learning pattern (Kartika et al., 2019). Moreover, some professionals claim that the introduction of material presented earlier with the help of multimedia tools like PowerPoint increases children’s engagement and willingness to acquire the content (Jung & Conderman, 2015).
Another significant way of facilitating the working environment is to prioritize the empirical approach to the learning process. When regarding such concepts as subitizing, learners can experiment with the process until they acknowledge the presence of certain regularities that could not be modified with the change of approach (McLennan, 2017). As a result, the educators, without imposing rigorous theoretical fundamentals, secure quality learning process outcomes.
To make a choice either for or against traditional math instruction, it is necessary to dwell on the concept’s definition. Hence, it is estimated that traditional math instruction stands for the process where the educator:
- Presents a specific mathematical phenomenon;
- Describes the regularities of the following concept’s application in the learning process;
- Encourages children to practice the aforementioned application on their own to memorize the concept and use it for further mathematical endeavors (Van de Walle et al., 2013).
Thus, considering the aforementioned constituents, it may be concluded that such a pattern is by all means beneficial for the learner’s understanding and memorization of information. However, the process itself should now become more adjusted to the reality of the learning environment, creating enough space for the empirical approach and technological interventions. For example, the presentation of the mathematical phenomenon may attract more attention in the classroom when combined with an experiment or interactive activity at the beginning of the lesson (Fouze & Amit, 2017). Moreover, math instruction as a process is highly dependent on the topic’s content and accessibility to the learners.
Thus, when dealing with a topic that may be understood with the help of self-preparation, it is a rightful decision to introduce the method of a flipped classroom. In terms of the approach, the students are allowed to learn the topic at home to practice the tasks in the classroom (Abedi et al., 2019). Hence, whereas it would be inappropriate to undermine the effect of the traditional math instruction framework, educators should regard the method as an outline for further planning rather than a full-scale teaching strategy. In such a way, the learners would feel engaged in the process of learning instead of observing the already known data in the teacher’s manner of material presentation.
References
Abedi, P., Keshmirshekan, M. H., & Namaziandost, E. (2019). The comparative effect of flipped classroom instruction versus traditional instruction on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ English composition writing. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 6(4), 43-56.
Fouze, A. Q., & Amit, M. (2017). Development of mathematical thinking through integration of ethnomathematic folklore game in math instruction. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(2), 617-630. Web.
Jung, M., & Conderman, G. (2015). Using digital technology to support mathematics instruction. Young Children, 70(3), 64-69.
Kartika, Y., Wahyuni, R., Sinaga, B., & Rajagukguk, J. (2019). Improving math creative thinking ability by using math adventure educational game as an interactive media. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1179(1). Web.
McLennan, D. P. (2017). Ten fun activities to engage children in subitizing. Teaching Young Children, 10(2), 8-9.
Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (8th ed.). Pearson.