Itlm topic 7_8

SOME BASIC LEARNING THEORIES FOR TEACHING SECONDARY MATHEMATICS

ITLM Topic 7-8

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Be aware of and understand some basic psychological learning theories advocated by Piaget and Bruner that can be applied to the teaching and learning of secondary mathematics

Be aware of the difference between Piaget stages of developmental theories and his learning theories applied to the teaching and learning of secondary math

Use the learning theories to show examples how mathematics are taught

Make students more independent to read texts on learning theories

PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

Recent problem solving researches agree that children actively construct theories at all times, including conceptions about the manipulation of quantity and how the physical world works.

This leads to notions that children’s difficulties in school are due to the absence of relevant everyday experiences or to their faulty conceptualization in non-school setting.

ROUND ROBIN

Give a list of possible factors that students have problem in learning and solving mathematical problems.

Explain all possible factors that students have problem in learning and solving mathematical problems.

THREE COMMON LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

Everyday life provides too little relevant experience,

Everyday life provides erroneous experience, or children actively construct erroneous concepts of it,

Too little and too weak a connection between what is being taught and the intuitive.

STRENGTHENING MATH LEARNING IN SCHOOL

According to Polya, a major aim of education is the development of intelligence to teach young people to think.

In primary school, children should be taught to do their arithmetic insightfully rather than mechanically

In secondary school, mathematics should offer something to those who will, and those who will not, use mathematics in their later studies or careers.

PIAGET'S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Process of Cognitive Development: the process of coming to know.

Stages of Cognitive Development: the stages we move through as we gradually acquire this ability

PROCESS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Assimilation is the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures.

Accommodation is the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment.

STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Sensorimotor stage (Infancy). Pre-operational stage (Toddler and

Early Childhood). Concrete operational stage

(Elementary and early adolescence). Formal operational stage (Adolescence

and adulthood).

TEACHING STUDENTS BEGINNING TO USE FORMAL OPERATIONS (ADOLESCENCE)

Continue to use many of the teaching strategies and materials appropriate for students at the concrete operational stage: Use visual aids such as charts and

illustrations, as well a simple but somewhat more sophisticated graphs and diagrams.

Use well-organized materials that offer step by step explanations.


Give students an opportunity to explore many hypothetical questions: Provide students opportunities to

discuss social issues. Provide consideration of hypothetical

"other worlds."


Encourage students to explain how they solve problems: Ask students to work in pairs with one student

acting as the problem solver, thinking aloud while tackling a problem, with the other student acting as the listener, checking to see that all steps are mentioned and that everything seems logical.

Make sure that at least some of the tests you give ask for more than rote memory or one final answer; essay questions, for example, might ask students to justify two different positions on an issue.


Whenever possible, teach broad concepts, not just facts, using materials and ideas relevant to the students: While discussing a topic such as the

Civil War, consider what other issues have divided the country since then.

Use lyrics from popular music to teach poetic devices, to reflect on social problems, and so on.

ASSIGNMENT

Browse internet and find other learning theories such as Bruner, Ausubel, Vygotsky, or others (in pairs).

Make a summary and an example of secondary mathematics that could be taught by the learning theory you chose.

Education

Itlm topic 7_8