The essence of mathematics

MATHEMATICS is used throughout the world as an important tool in many fields, including natural sciences, engineering, medicines and social sciences. This shows that Mathematics plays a vital role in our complex society and even in our daily lives.

With the new development and uses of Mathematics, a major implication is to provide strong foundation to the learners starting from elementary level. It is during the elementary school years that a child develops his personality, his system of belief and values, his attitudes and other aspects of human behavior.

Whatever he develops during the formative years of his life becomes permanent and his succeeding experiences will strengthen them. By the time the child reaches Grade VI, he must have acquired one of the most important skills, the Mathematical skill. He must gain mastery of this skill so that this will serve as his tool for better learning/ understanding of the concepts of higher mathematics or else mathematical ability will hinder the development of more complicated skills such as analytical, critical thinking, and formulating conclusions. It is therefore necessary to raise the elementary mathematics performance level in order for the pupils to upgrade their mathematical knowledge and skills.

Mathematics as a subject should therefore place a strong emphasis on the learner’s creative learning, critical thinking, skills and proficiency. It must also be introduced accordingly and meaningfully. It must also be presented as a challenging experience for the learners to investigate, to discover things for themselves, and to relate why they have to do such.

Mathematics then is a good force that permits the learners to understand and follow the value of organized planning, systematic interpretation and disciplined thinking. These accompanying skills a learner gets in learning mathematic demand teachers to be equally equipped with mathematical skills and competencies. Teachers then need to be updated with their contents, techniques, strategies, and methods of teaching. They need to have adequate teaching aid, provide varied activities for the learners and constantly make their classroom conducive for learning.

Being recognized as essential in human and the nation’s development, mathematics learning, along with other essential subjects, should be promoted among Filipino youths. The deteriorating quality of education in the country should be addressed towards the fulfillment of the Philippine education’s goal of developing the Filipino youths to be responsive, productive, and self-fulfilling citizens.

Studying the learner’s performance particularly in mathematics is a part of the process of finding measures to promote learner’s knowledge and skills in the said subject. It was stated in the Article XVI of the 1987 constitution that, in order to ensure the quality of education, there is a need to determine the performance of the learners in the different subject areas, one of which is Mathematics for us to know what remedial measures can be done that will result to better learning among learners.

By Irene D. Banatao