I’m a mathematician whose hobby is origami. It has inspired mathematicians to solve problems once thought impossible, and create folding telescope lenses, airbags and solar panels.
Maths prepares students for the ultimate test — life beyond school. Maths is everywhere, regardless of where life leads you. The more maths you learn, the better you can understand the world.
Why might maths students’ performance suffer from relying on videos? A new study suggests we might be conditioned to watch video in a way that hinders the sort of thinking needed in maths.
An analysis of data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has found the gender gap in maths tests increased where papers contained more multiple choice questions.
We’re told jobs requiring science and maths skills are growing faster than others. But industry reports also highlight human skills will be more important in the age of automation.
The proportion of students choosing advanced maths subjects has declined sharply in the last 20 years. Australia also has some of the highest rates of maths teachers outside their field of expertise.
Decolonising mathematical sciences is possible. The answer lies in rediscovering existing African examples of teaching maths and including them in the Western body of knowledge.
Recruiting specialist teachers takes more than just encouraging them to study science and maths at university. Governments and wider society needs to come on board too.
Math instruction is stuck in the last century. How can we change teaching methods to move past rote memorization and help students develop a more meaningful understanding – and be better at math?
Lowering maths prerequisites to study science, engineering and commerce at university has led to students playing catch up for years. This should be fixed.