DETAILS OF MY PRIMARY EDUCATION MATHEMATICS

Details of my Primary Education Mathematics Assignment, Key Stage 2

Primary Education Mathematics Assignment

Introduction

Teaching of mathematics is not just transmitting a mathematical knowledge to students, but helping students construct a deep understanding of mathematical ideas and processes by engaging them in doing mathematics.The most important question concerns of what is teaching for understanding in mathematics education. First, the meaning of understanding in mathematics education has to be considered. It is not easy to define understanding in a brief sentence. It will largely depend upon each of us who has already defined the word unconsciously through the long period of education. There are many different research results about ways of making connections that students construct to create mental network. And talking about the mental network and its function in students' learning and understanding mathematics will be another important topic to be studied.

Processes in Mathematics

Making and Monitoring Decisions Pupils should be enabled to: take increasing responsibility for selecting and using the materials and the mathematics required for their work; identify and obtain the information required for a task, suggesting appropriate sources to find the information; plan and organise their work, learning to work systematically; develop a range of strategies for problem solving, looking for ways to overcome difficulties. Communicating Mathematically Pupils should be enabled to: • understand mathematical language and use it to discuss their work and explain their thinking; compare their ideas and methods of working with others; interpret situations mathematically using appropriate symbols or diagrams; present information and results clearly. Mathematical Reasoning Pupils should be enabled to: recognise general patterns and relationships and make predictions about them; ask and respond to open-ended questions and explain their thinking; understand and make general statements; check results and consider whether they are reasonable. place events in order of 'likelihood'; understand and use the idea of 'evens' and know whether events are more or less likely than this. Children are able to learn from each other through discussion. Talking in mathematics helps the children to reflect on their thinking, instead of just saying 'because it is' and helps them to explore and form new understanding. “If you would like students to understand, then be sure they are reflecting on what they are doing and communicating it to others.” (Hiebert et al 1997, 18) It is important to use rich mathematical tasks and have a culture that encourages talk and learning. “Tasks are the key. They provide the context in which students can reflect on and communicate about mathematics” (Hiebert et al 1997, 18). Children need to be given tasks that interest them and that are accessible and challenging. The choice of activity is important to get the children to talk mathematically. It needs to be relevant and it needs to be a rich mathematical task. It is not just the choice of task that generates mathematical talk, but the culture of the classroom.

The children often lacked the ability to explain their mathematical thinking and lacked confidence in using ...