Students as partners of their learning

By R N A de Silva
rnades@gmail.com

Engaging students actively in their learning can be considered the common form of partnership with a certain amount of autonomy and independence. The Glossary of Education Reform defines student engagement as the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education. It is important that students take responsibility for their own learning and let us consider how this can be applied to mathematics as they move through their secondary classes.

In general, students’ attitude towards mathematical education can have a considerable impact on their level of engagement and the ensuing learning and achievement. Those who have opportunities to solve interesting, relevant and meaningful problems in a supportive learning environment will adopt practices and conventions that support mathematical thinking and thereby enjoy mathematics and develop a desire to learn mathematics beyond the classroom setting.

Creating practical and effective learning opportunities should be the primary objective of all educators who are committed towards meaningful student involvement. When students’ voice is given importance, they find meaning in what they are doing. As such the student-teacher relationships are a key to student engagement. When students feel that they are seen and heard within their classrooms, they are more likely to display positive indicators of engagement. As teachers are critical to the success of students in mathematics, let us reflect on some of the practices that can enhance student involvement as that seems to be the glue that holds together all aspects of student learning and growth.

1. Create opportunities to ask their own questions.

Establish an atmosphere where there is no fear of embarrassment of asking questions or making a comment. Every student contribution is to be valued. By guiding the discussions, they can enlighten the teachers about their needs. Such a student-centered environment will enhance their critical thinking skills and the mathematical ability. Do not be afraid of curiosity and inquisitiveness remembering that we are all lifelong learners.

2. Give emphasis to the relevance of the taught material

As far as possible try to connect the learning process to the real world. Students often wonder how their learning will impact their lives. It is natural to give full attention when they care about what they are learning. An extra effort to show students beforehand the relevance of the material to be taught to their lives can do wonders in the classroom.

3. Make connections with other subjects that they are learning.

Support and encourage them to apply the skills that they acquire in mathematics to other subjects, especially in their study of science social studies curricula. They can also be encouraged to see the value of the application of mathematical modelling when reading or watching news. Integrating different subjects makes learning more contextual and relevant for students and further allows them to see the interconnectedness of knowledge.

4. Foster a positive attitude through personal example.

The attitude with which teachers approach mathematics is critical as students consider them as role models. Teachers need to view all students as capable mathematics learners. The goal should be to develop a love of mathematics and foster a ‘I can do this’ attitude amongst students. Teachers who are passionate about their teaching subject transmit a special kind of energy that students acquire and it is a contagious type of positiveness.

Student involvement will also make teaching more rewarding and enjoyable. When I was teaching mathematics in an upper secondary class, I introduced a weekly session which I named as ‘Mathscene’. At the first lesson that we met every week, we spent about 10 minutes reflecting and discussing about a chosen area connected to mathematics but outside the syllabus. The themes varied and some of the examples were mathematics puzzles and fallacies, mathematical art, mathematics of paper folding, four dimensions & beyond, conjectures not yet proven etc.

I continued this for about 3 months and opened it to the students and requested them to select sessions if they wished to present. To my amazement, the sessions were all grabbed in no time. I was pleasantly astonished with their high-quality presentations showing excellent interest, insightfulness, reflective thinking and research skills. Through these sessions I also learnt so much. When the year ended, they thanked me for creating this opportunity to open their eyes for them to see the beauty and elegance of mathematics.

Through student involvement, we may be able to develop a situation where the students value and appreciate mathematics as a discipline and further enjoy being mathematical learners. Sara Marye said “People love to feel connected, including students. With higher levels of student engagement, your students will feel connected to you, the lesson, and their peers”.

(The author is a senior examiner for mathematics in the International Baccalaureate Organization.)