‘We are going to focus like a laser’: Key quotes in Alberta’s math debate

Renowned educational researcher John Hattie and neuroscientist Gregory Yates in the book Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn, on how children need to acquire knowledge about numbers: “There was a period in which teachers were encouraged to believe that rote learning stood in antagonism to deeper understanding. This notion is misleading.”

It’s no easy thing for children to become adept at basic arithmetic calculations, Hattie and Yates say, so diligent practice and memorization are needed for students to deeply grasp and to eventually love math: “Repetition and consolidation are vehicles enabling knowledge to be stored within retrievable units, thereby accelerating mental growth through conceptual mastery and deeper understanding. For both adults and children, speed of access in memory functions strongly predicts two other attributes: confidence and positive feelings. Whenever people are able to recall important information quickly there is an inherent sense in that information is correct, together with a momentary flush of pleasure.”

Education Minister David Eggen on how the new K-12 math curriculum will improve math results: “The key to positive change is the curriculum development ... We are going to focus like a laser on improving math outcomes. We’re going to advise that direction every step of the way both through public consultation and working through each incarnation of the curriculum as it’s produced. We know loud and clear, we’ve heard from parents and students and teachers and professors, that we need to strengthen our curriculum. TIMSS and PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) help to punctuate that need ... I fully expect to see marked improvement in mathematics based on these international tests and based on individual exams administered by the government of Alberta.”