“The Teaching of Mathematics has undergone great changes, not only in what is being taught but also in the manner.
Mathematics education is a Practice of teaching and learning mathematics as well as great emphasis on research Tools, Methods and approaches differ from one mathematical society to another.
Mathematical education methodology has developed into a great field of study.
Teachers need several different kinds of Mathematics Knowledge-
Knowledge about the whole domain; deep flexible knowledge about curriculum goals and about the important ideas that are central to their grade level; Knowledge about how the ideas can be represented to teach them effectively and knowledge about how student’s understanding can be assessed.
There are numerous questions which come immediately to mind. What topic in Mathematics have been taught and to what extent? How has mathematics been taught? Are the methods of today very different to those used centuries ago?
At different times and in different cultures and countries, method of teaching mathematics has attempted to achieve a variety of different objective.
The method or methods used in any particular context are largely determined by the objectives that the relevant education system following is trying to achieve. Method of teaching mathematics includes the following.
1. To understand and apply appropriate methods.
Although mathematics is a pure, abstract and objective field of study, doing, teaching and learning mathematics are very subjective processes. In order to be effective, a teacher has to understand and applies appropriate methods from this subjective point of view.
2. Traditional approach
The gradual and systematic guiding through the ideas and technique, starts with the arithmetic and is followed by Euclidean geometry and elementary algebra taught concurrently. The teaching of mathematics results, definition and concepts by repetition and memorization. Other methods emerge by emphasizing some aspects of the traditional approach.
The teacher demonstrate or leads a discussion on how to solve a sample problem. The aim is to clarify the steps in the procedure so that students will be able to execute the same procedure on there own practice using the procedure by solving problems similar to the sample problem.
3. Bonding experience between the teacher and the student
Math phobia is an all too common phenomenon and a teacher’s first job is to help the student overcome this pre- existing fear of mathematics and then be the guide for the wonderful journey in the world of mathematics.
4. Concept of New Math
A method of teaching mathematics which focuses on abstract concepts such as set theory, function the important thing is to understand what you’ve doing rather than to get the right answer. Adopted in the US as a response to the challenge of early Soviet technical superiority in space.
5. Using the latest communication tool:-
The Principal way to convey information and receive feedback, a teacher must be available to students during the classes, and during office hours, Email is another important communication tool, very useful for a continuous contact with the students.
6. Knowing Mathematics Versus Knowledge and using mathematics for teaching:-
This is a kind of mathematical reasoning in which teachers must engage, and is, in some sense, a kind of reasoning engaged in prior to making a pedagogical decision. It is not talking here about whether to encourage students to use alternative a logarithms, or what to do it a student presents one. A good decision about what one might want to do next as the teacher in such a situation must depend, in part on being able to do this short of mathematics problem solving with facility. Teachers need to be able to size up unfamiliar mathematical ideas and procedures with relative comfort, speed and agility.
7. To explain mathematical concept from as many different direction as possible
Having a rich experience of levels, to students coming from very diverse states and cultures, having various mathematical backgrounds, a teacher realizes that this is the only way to effectively teach math as many different directory as possible.