The document discusses effective strategies for teaching mathematics. It describes how traditional teaching methods that focus only on rules and procedures negatively impact learning. Instead, it recommends constructivist teaching strategies like collaborative learning, discovery learning, and relating concepts to real-life examples. These strategies encourage active engagement and allow students to build understanding by connecting new ideas to prior knowledge. When implemented correctly, such optimal teaching methods can enhance the learning process.

1. Effective Strategies for
Teaching Mathematics
Betty T. Mochosa

2. “Those are the rules….”
• This is what my Math teacher used to say to us when
we asked her to explain a certain concept to us. Sadly,
most if not all of us have come across such teachers.
• This results to teachers shutting learners that pose
challenging conceptual questions.
• Ultimately, the learners suffer because they are
taught methods rather than understanding the
theory behind the concepts/ content.
• This can be overturned by creating workshops for
teachers, whereby they will be trained on various
constructive teaching strategies.

3. Teaching Strategies
• Teaching strategies are methods that a teacher can use to enhance the
productivity of the teaching and learning process.
• If implemented correctly, optimal teaching and learning can take place.
• These are some of the strategies teachers can use to enhance teaching and
learning:
 Collaborative learning
 Discovery learning
 Constructivism
 Behaviourism

4. Application in the Mathematics Class
• Cooperative learning is a method whereby the teacher allows the learners
to exchange ideas amongst each other as pairs or as groups, on a certain
topic to extend or enhance their understanding.
• In a Mathematics classroom, this would be ideal in a topic like; Financial
Mathematics. Here the learners can extend each others vocabulary in
explain the terms in Financial Mathematics like inflation; present value;
future value; depreciation; appreciation and so forth.

5. Continuation…
• Discovery learning is concerned with how learners learn, rather than
what they learn. Learners are allowed to solve problem in any method
they see fit, or find appropriate.
• This would be ideal for a topic like Euclidean Geometry, learners here can
use any knowledge they know about angles to solve diagrams. They can
even refer to Grade 9 work where they start to learn angles and
properties of shapes.

6. Continuation…
• Constructivism is another teaching
method where a teacher allows
learners to learn by actively engaging
with the work. Learners are allowed
to relate the content to the real life
situations.
• The teacher can use this strategies in
Probability where learners can bring a
deck of cards, a dice and even use
coins to better interpret and
understand questions.

7. Continuation…
• Behaviourism is only concerned with behaviour, this is a
very necessary teaching method because it maintains a good
environment for productive teaching and learning to occur.
• Here the teacher rewards good behaviour and punishes bad
behaviour, this is crucial because nothing productive can
occur in a rowdy classroom. Thus maintaining peace is very
important to ensure that learners catch everything you
intend them to learn.

8. References
Bautista, I.S. (2014). Techniques and Strategies in Teaching Mathematics. Available from:
https://www.slideshare.net/assylalyssa/techniques-and-strategies-in-teaching-math
Enerst, P. (2015). Social Constructivism as a Philosophy of Mathematics. Available from:
https://www.slideshare.net/pernest/social-constructivism-as-a-philosophy-of-
mathematics?qid=4e8b58a0-968f-49fd-b18c-e1c6ba2ca2af&v=&b=&from_search=1
Guro, P. (2012). Interactive Teaching Strategies. Available from:
https://www.slideshare.net/RamzkieLumauag/interactiveteaching?qid=b622bd09-8944-41dd-
8cb8-27304f4b9406&v=&b=&from_search=2
Islam, K. (2013). Behaviourism & Structuralism. Available from:
https://www.slideshare.net/karimislam/behaviourism-structuralism?qid=28a7975c-cc27-
4c0c-82d9-30b8f75f6633&v=&b=&from_search=4
Okechoo, T. (2011). Approaches in teaching and learning Mathematics. Available from:
https://www.slideshare.net/tangyokechoo/approaches-in-teaching-and-learning-mathematics