Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading  Processing Request

Motivating Teachers to Use Mathematics

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read Online Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      National Association of Secondary School Principals. 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1537. Tel: 800-253-7746; Tel: 703-860-0200; Fax: 703-620-6534; Web site: http://www.principals.org
    • Peer Reviewed:
      N
    • Source:
      5
    • Subject Terms:
      Student Motivation; Teacher Motivation; Geometric Concepts; Numeracy; Interdisciplinary Approach; Relevance (Education); Theory Practice Relationship; Problem Solving; Athletics; Epidemiology; Statistics; Probability
    • ISSN:
      1529-8957
    • Abstract:
      The No Child Left Behind Act has brought great attention to the effectiveness of math and literacy program in U.S. Schools. Literacy instruction was the hot topic of the 1990s, but numeracy has taken center stage in current education debates. Although the importance of literacy skills in other subject areas is quite obvious, the connection between mathematics and the other disciplines has not been enthusiastically embraced by everyone in the education community. Currently there is an effort by school administrators to infuse relevant, real-world applications and problem-solving skills into daily lessons in all subject areas. However, there may be some problems with this approach. First, many real-world applications are contrived to appear to be relevant. Second, what is relevant to the teacher may not be relevant to the students. Third, and perhaps most important, by asking all teachers to infuse mathematics in their lessons, administrators may be placing some of them outside their comfort zone. Therefore, administrators must remove these insecurities and get all teachers excited about using mathematics. One way this can be accomplished is by showing them some of the nifty relationships that exist in mathematics--ones that they are likely not to have encountered before. For example, there are many unusual number relationships, arithmetic shortcuts, clever problem-solving strategies, and unexpected geometric phenomena that can create an "aha moment" when teachers can appreciate mathematics as they never have in the past. This exposure to mathematics would enable teachers of all subjects to view mathematics as a motivational tool, rather than the feared subject it is often considered. (Contains 2 figures and 5 resources.)
    • Abstract:
      ERIC
    • Number of References:
      2
    • Publication Date:
      2007
    • Accession Number:
      EJ767861