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EXPLORING THE ESSENTIALS OF SETTING UP STANDARD MATHEMATICS LABORATORY IN SCHOOLS: THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS MODEL

Jekayinfa Olatunji James and Durojaiye David Sunday

National Mathematical Centre, Abuja.

Abstract: This paper focused on the strategic importance of Mathematics Laboratory in the teaching and learning of Mathematics at all levels of education. The paper pointed out the unsatisfactory performance of students in Mathematics as been majorly caused by inefficient teaching methods adopted by Mathematics teachers. The effectiveness of laboratory method in teaching Mathematics especially at the primary and secondary school levels was also emphasized. The paper further gave an extensive list of important items needed to set up a good Mathematics Laboratory in schools, with pictures/photos of such items juxtaposed for easy recognition and identification by stakeholders in the event of setting up Mathematics Laboratories in their schools. It was recommended among others that governments and other school proprietors/proprietresses should as a matter of priority establish mathematics laboratories in their schools like other sciences laboratories.

Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative

Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Introduction

Mathematics teaching and learning at all levels of education especially at the primary and

secondary school levels is expected to come with activities that will involve the students both

practically and concretely, which in turn is expected to stimulate logical and meaningful thinking

in them. Bruner (1957) posited that the outcome of cognitive development is thinking. This

position is in agreement with the fifth goal of teaching Mathematics in Nigerian secondary

schools which is to develop precise, abstract and logical thinking (F.R.N., 2014). This

educational goal can be achieved only through the employment of a deliberately well designed

teaching technique such as the Mathematics laboratory teaching technique.

Vol. 5(7), pp. 314-325, November 2019 ISSN 2315-5396 DOI: 10.14412/SRI2019.325 Copyright© 2019 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article Available online at http://www.scienceparkjournals.org/SRI

Scientific Research and Impact

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye 315

The goal of teaching Mathematics at the primary and secondary schools can be said to be

achieved when meaningful learning has taken place (Kurumeh, 2015). Meaningful learning

outcome cannot be achieved without the use of relevant resource materials. By

resource/teaching materials, we mean the different types of materials that the teacher uses in

the teaching and learning processes to bring about meaningful and productive learning.

These materials include mathematics models, charts, shapes of different kinds, texts, videos,

software, hardware, mathematics kits in mathematics laboratories and so on. Resource

materials help both the teachers and learners in the teaching and learning processes. They

(instructional materials) help the teacher to introduce and explain the topics or content to the

learners in such a way that the learners have clearer and better understanding without the

teacher laboring as much. On the part of the learners, resource/teaching materials provide

opportunity to learners to understand and internalize the basic mathematical concepts through

interaction of concrete objects. Teaching materials also help learners’ active participation in the

teaching and learning processes. Active learning through the use of mathematics laboratories is

a trending issue in Mathematics education. According to Bruner (1961), learning is a very active

process in which the student is directly involved in the manipulation of the content in the three

modes of representation. To be successful in learning new content, the learners must be

actively engaged in the process; not sitting quietly and listening to a teacher explain something.

Students must be taught to discover. Active learning is important according to Bruner because it

provides the opportunity for students to discover and construct their own meaning rather than

simply memorizing the meaning someone else has assigned to something. All these can be

achieved through the establishment and intelligent use of Mathematics laboratories.

Mathematics Laboratory

According to Hynes, Hynes, Kysilka, & Brumbaugh (1973), Bernard (1972) in his dissertation,

‘The Historical Development of the Laboratory Approach to Elementary School Mathematics,’

traced the concept of Mathematics laboratory to 1895 when A.R. Hornbrook wrote her book,

Laboratory Methods of Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Schools. Since that time,

Mathematics Laboratory has received regular attention as a teaching technique.

The Mathematics Laboratory is a place, rich in manipulative material, to which learners have

ready access to handle them, perform mathematical experiments, play mathematical games,

solve mathematical puzzles and become involved in other activities (Amol, 2014). In a similar

316. Sci. Res. Impact

view, Adenuga (2003) sees mathematics laboratory as ‘a unique room or place, with relevant

and up-to-date equipment known as instructional materials, designated for the teaching and

learning of mathematics and other scientific or research work. Also, Igbokwe (2000)defined

Mathematics laboratory as ‘a place where students can learn and explore various mathematical

concepts and verify different mathematical facts and theories using varieties of activities and

material’. Just like other science laboratories, Mathematics laboratories house all mathematics

equipment, models, charts and instructional materials in an orderly manner for the purpose of

teaching and learning some mathematics topics in a practical way. In the Mathematics

laboratory, experiments are carried out, Mathematics topics are taught practically and abstract

topics are concretized with the equipment and instructional materials available in the laboratory.

The thinking faculties of the learners are activated for discovery learning with the appropriate

use of the Mathematics laboratory.

The present call on Mathematics laboratories is partially as a result of the trend in educational

philosophy and psychology which advocates active rather than passive learning; involvement in

learning, critical thinking and inquiry. Durojaiye (2018), opined that learners must be allowed to

touch, handle, manipulate, carry, move, observe, measure, weigh, write, read, discuss, etc. In

the mathematics laboratory; the teacher only leads or guides the learners to discover new

things.

Purposes/Advantages of Mathematics Laboratories

The advantages of establishing and using mathematics laboratory in schools cannot be over

emphasized. According to Amol (2014), Central Board of Secondary Education (2005), Singh,

Autar, & Singh (Undated)) and Durojaiye, (2018), the purposes of mathematics laboratories in

schools include:

Provision for the learners readily handy rich manipulative materials.

Provision of an opportunity to learners to understand and internalize the basic

mathematical concepts through concrete objects and situations.

Development of learners’ participation in order to add new ideas to their cognitive

structure.

To make learners experience with real-world embodiments of mathematical ideas.

To emphasis on Activity-based learning (i.e. Learning by doing).

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye 317.

To provide learners with opportunities to verify, discover and understand mathematical

concept through their active participation in manipulation of materials and solving

problems

To develop the thinking faculty of learners and make them look for patterns and ask

questions.

To develop the learners attitude of curiosity and inquisitiveness.

The Mathematics laboratory allows and encourages the learners to think, discuss with

each other and the teacher and assimilate the concepts in a more effective manner.

Enables the teacher to demonstrate, explain and reinforce abstract mathematical ideas

by using concrete objects, models, charts, graphs, pictures, posters, videos, computer

animations, etc.

It helps the learners to build interest and confidence in learning the subject.

The Mathematics laboratory provides opportunity to exhibit the relatedness of

mathematical concepts with everyday life.

Pool of storage of mathematical materials for easy access

Minimum guidelines for setting up befitting Mathematics Laboratory

The following are suggested for an ideal maths laboratory:

a. Design and general layout

Dimension - 40 x 30 feet room Accommodation for 35 to 40 learners (Amol, 2014).

b. Physical infrastructure

Enough ventilation, electricity light and air furniture - desks, chairs, blackboard, display

board (Amol, 2014).

c. Essential equipment like OHP and LCD. Raw materials like card board, mount board,

different types of papers, writing material (Amol, 2014).

d. Human Resources

It is desirable that a person with minimum qualification of Bachelor degree in

Mathematics Education be made in charge of the Mathematics Laboratory (Cental Board

of Secondary Education, 2005). He/she is expected to have special skills and interest to

carry out practical work in the subject. The concerned mathematics teacher will

accompany the class to the laboratory and the two will jointly conduct the desired

activities.

318. Sci. Res. Impact

e. Cupboards/shelves should be made available where materials/equipments that can

easily spoil or destroy can be kept. Also, some materials/equipments that are

produced/procured in excess can be kept in the cupboards.

Equipment/Models in a mathematics laboratory: The following equipment and instructional

materials are expected to be in a standard mathematics laboratory:

1. All types of plane shapes (rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, parallelograms,

rhombi, trapeziums, kites, etc );

2. All types of solid shapes (cuboids, cubes, cylinders, cones, pyramids, prisms, tc);

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye 319.

3. Nets of solid shapes;

320. Sci. Res. Impact

4. Inclinators/Clinometer;

5. Geotrigmetric boards;

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye 321.

6. Geo boards (rectangular, circular and isometric);

7. Quadratic equation boxes;

8. Circular area demonstrators;

322. Sci. Res. Impact

9. Pythagoras rule boards;

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye 323.

10. Sets’ theory boards;

Others includeMeasuring scales, Measuring tapes, Counters, Projector, a Set of Computer

(desk or lap top), Internet service, Writing boards (white board and graph board), Sets of

mathematical instruments, World globe, Mathematics Charts, Mathematics Games, Rubik

cubes, Abacus, Cutters (scissors, blades, clippers, shears), Pins, Treads, ropes, ribbons,

rubber bands, etc, Books and journals, Portraits of Mathematicians and so on.

Conclusion

The 21st century mathematics teachers are expected to teach with modern instructional

materials. This can be achieved through the establishment of well equipped mathematics

laboratories in our schools. With the right and relevant equipment at the disposal of the teachers

to teach mathematics, the goals and objectives of mathematics education can be achieved. This

paper therefore recommends very strongly that (1) governments and other school

proprietors/proprietresses should as a matter of priority establish mathematics laboratories in

their schools like other sciences laboratories. (2) Seminars and/or worships should be organized

for mathematics teachers in secondary schools on the use of mathematics laboratory. It is the

belief of these researchers that students taught with mathematics laboratory may achieve better

than when taught without the facility.

324. Sci. Res. Impact

References

Adenuga, K. E. (2019). Setting up Mathematics Laboratory. Retrieved from

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Amol, P. (2014, 09 18). maths_Lab_PrstnAmol.pdf. Retrieved 05 05, 2018, from med/wp-content:

http://158.144.44.204.

Bernard, R. T. (1972). The historical development of the laboratory approach to elementary school

mathematics. An Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Indiana University.

Bruner, J. S. (1957). Going beyond the information given. New York: Norton. Retrieved 2018, from

http:// www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html

Bruner, J. S. (1961). The Act of discovery. New York: HarvardEducational Review. Retrieved 2018, from

http://www.theoryfundamentals.com/bruner.html

Durojaiye, D. S. (2018). Materials for teaching mathematics at secondary and primary schools:

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Mathematics & Lecturers of Mathematics in colleges of Education (pp. 59-70). Abuja: Accurate

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Education, C. B. (2005, 04 02). mathlabx.pdf. Retrieved May 05, 2018, from www.cbse.nic.in:

http://www.cbse.nic.in/mathlabx.pdf

F.R.N., (2014). National Policy on Education [N.P.E.]. Lagos: NEPN Publisher.

Hynes, M. E., Hynes, M., Kysilka, M. L., & Brumbaugh, D. (2019). Mathematics laboratories: What

does research say? Retrieved from

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Igbokwe, D.I. (2000). Dominant factors and error types inhibiting the understanding of Mathematics.

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Kurumeh, M. S. (2015). Resource materials for effective teaching of mathematics and statistics at tertiary

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Cite this article as:

Jekayinfa and Durojaiye (2019) EXPLORING THE ESSENTIALS OF SETTING UP

STANDARD MATHEMATICS LABORATORY IN SCHOOLS: THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS MODEL.

SRI 5(7) 314-326

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