Universal secondary education is the norm in most parts of the world with most students graduating from secondary school. Most students will continue to study Mathematics in some form right to the end of their secondary schooling.
This means that the teacher of Mathematics must have an expanded group of pedagogue to use in the classroom to cater for the different learning styles of the whole school population as suggested by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. This article will detail many types of pedagogue that can be successfully used in the Mathematics classroom.
Let me begin by saying that “Chalk and talk”/teacher lecture has its place within the teaching pedagogue along with doing practice exercises.
The important issue is to keep students engaged in their learning of Mathematics by making it life related wherever possible. The new syllabuses contain new topics that relate well to real life situations.
There are many strategies that a teacher may use to engage the students but they must fit the topic being taught.
Here are a few ideas:
- Team teaching. Different teachers approach topics from different angles unconsciously thus giving students a wider view of the topic. Sometimes another teacher might have an expertise in the topic under investigation.
- A guest speaker adds a real life dimension to the topic under discussion.
- Computer lesson using software especially with Functions often lessens the time to create an understanding of the topic with students;
- An internet lesson;
- Library research especially on a new topic;
- An excursion;
- Hands on lessons;
- Doing a survey as part of a statistics unit;
- A film, video, or DVD lesson;
- A Quiz is a great way to revise particularly if there is a competitive element to it.
- Setting up a revision program to help teach students how to prepare for an examination.
- A practice exam with a review.
- Regular, short sharp fun problem solving exercises
- Play on words to teach students to think “outside the box”.
- Assessment that reflect the teaching pedagogue.
Incorporating different pedagogue in a lesson adds interest and keeps the students involved looking for the next episode in the lesson. There is little chance of the students or the teacher getting bored with the lesson or being distracted.