Most people today still believe that mathematics is all about computation. However, computation, for mathematicians, is merely a tool for comprehending structures, relationships and patterns of mathematical concepts, and therefore producing solutions for complex real life problems. This perspective of mathematicians has gained more attention and importance with rapid advancements in information and communication technologies. It has become necessity for people of all ages to reach, analyze, and apply the mathematical knowledge effectively and efficiently to be successful citizens in our information age. In particular, students need to be well-equipped with higher-order mathematical knowledge.
Mathematics is not just a subject in the four (4) corners of a classroom. This is not an ordinary task or lesson that you need to study from Monday to Friday. This is not only for Engineer. This is for every human being in this world because Mathematics becomes part of our life, not only in our academic subjects but in all part of our integral life. We don’t see that even in simple conversation mathematics takes place. In our daily living it definitely applied. So we cannot leave on its shadow. Some studies shows that most of the students nowadays are experiencing learning difficulties in Mathematics which is quite alarming because most of the subject areas like Science, EPP and MAPEH involved numeracy skills. So whether we like it or not we must learn how to do the simple math until gradually understanding the more complex one. The knowledge that an individual can learn in math will serve as an instrument in solving the most complicated problem in the future.
Changing the quality of teaching and learning mathematics in positive direction is one of the major challenges and concerns of educators and instructional designers in order to surpass the difficulties encountered by the learners in learning mathematics. They ought to seek innovative and alternative ways to meet the evolving demands and needs of students in mathematics education. Identifying the factors that possibly affect the mathematics achievements of students could help instructional designers and instructors to select the best instructional strategies to design the most effective and efficient instruction. There are also existing studies that give suggestion on how mathematics achievement will improved. Those statements and studies are proof that math means a lot.
By: Grace V. Magaogao | T-I | Bliss Elementary School
