Don urges federal, state govts to sponsor maths teachers’ training
Ini Billie, Uyo
Federal and state governments have to fully sponsor the training of mathematics teachers across the three tiers of education to tackle the dearth of quality teachers.
Professor of Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, University of Uyo, Prof. Enobong Joshua advised that the in-service training and retraining should be carried out during well-organised workshops and conferences at the National Mathematics Centre, Abuja.
Speaking during the weekend at the 97th inaugural lecture of the University of Uyo, on the topic, “Mathematical Modelling: Cracking the Complexities of Life”, Joshua said the lopsided approach to teaching mathematics was one of the reasons learners lack a deep understanding of mathematics.
He stated that the foundation for children’s mathematical development is established in the earliest years, as such, proficiency in teaching is related to effectiveness in consistently helping students to learn worthwhile mathematical content and concepts.
“Proficiency also entails versatility: being able to work effectively with a wide variety of students in different environments and across a range of mathematical content.
“If their students are to develop mathematical proficiency, lecturers must have a clear vision of the goals of instruction and what proficiency means for the specific mathematical content they are teaching.
“Due to the scarcity of quality mathematics teachers in our schools, governments should adopt policies for fully-sponsored in-service training and re-training of mathematics teachers and lecturers during well-organized workshops and conferences,” he stated.
Prof. Joshua further advocated the teaching of mathematical modelling courses in schools in ways that students would have hands-on experiences, adding that appropriate technology and a conducive learning environment were necessary for the study and learning of mathematics.
“The institution must provide a conducive learning environment for the study of mathematics. Such environments include well-equipped laboratories with computers, and appropriate and relevant mathematical software to enhance the applicability of mathematical concepts.
“Appropriate technology should be provided for the teaching and study of mathematics. Most of the work I have done in Applied Mathematics requires a lot of computer simulations to enhance discussion and understanding of the mathematical results.
“Mathematical research is rigorous and requires enormous time and a conducive environment for quality research output. It is necessary therefore for appraisal of mathematical research to attract special considerations,” he noted.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the lecture and Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudo Ndaeyo, said the topic of the lecture was unique and addressed the challenges of solving equations that could help to uncover vital features of the world around people.
Ndaeyo who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Aniekan Offiong
noted that the 97th inaugural lecturer has succeeded in using mathematical modelling to solve problems in medical research, simulate various scenarios, access the impacts of intervention and optimize resource allocations to cope with the spread of infectious diseases.
He acknowledged the efforts and impact of Prof. Joshua during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying his model on air pollution and heat transfer was essential to the field of engineering.
