By Aditya Wadhawan
The Draft National Curriculum Framework (NCF) aims to integrate Maths with Arts, language, and sports education which also advocates that it should be taught through a three-stage process. The draft NCF intends to teach Maths through a multi-disciplinary approach which would be instrumental in plugging the learning gaps that exist among students and also provide conceptual clarity to them.
Teachers would also need to move on from their conventional way of teaching Maths and adopt diversified teaching methods suitable to the needs of students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The three stages that have been proposed by NCF are the foundational stage, the middle stage, and the secondary stage. The draft NCF has given importance to experiential learning while teaching Maths in schools across the country.
Speaking to the Education Times, a source in NCERT on the condition of anonymity, says, “Mathematics till date is considered to be a difficult subject by many students although it is related to the day-to-day life. Hence, NEP 2020 and NCF advocated a three-stage teaching process to allow students comprehend it in a better way through diversified perspectives with an element of joy. Teaching Maths in a stage-wise manner would enable the students to familiarise with the subject in a structurally phased manner.”
In the foundational or preparatory stage, the numeracy and foundational skills of the students will be strengthened. “Several research studies have been conducted globally which have suggested that it is essential to strengthen the mathematical base of students in the foundational stage. Many countries like Finland, Netherlands, and Israel lay great emphasis on the foundational stage. Schools in these countries have been following almost all the objectives that have been mentioned in NEP 2020 from the very beginning,” adds the source
In the middle stages which begin from class VI, the teaching assumes the consolidation framework of what is being taught at the foundational stage. The secondary stage would attract those students who want to pursue mathematics as a mainstream subject from the secondary level through the senior secondary level.
“Teachers need to connect Maths with daily life and activities which would strengthen the conceptual understanding among the students. For instance, while teaching the number system to the students, the topic can be related to music, sports, and other activities of the students. In class X, students are taught how Geometry is used to find the distance between the Earth and Sun which necessitates that Maths is intricately integrated with the subject that centers around celestial study,” explains the source.
“Teachers would be required to teach Maths by modifying the teaching pedagogies according to the context of the students. For instance, if a student comes from a carpentry family, he or she should be given relevant examples related to the field of carpentry while being taught Maths. To be able to teach through such varied pedagogies, new training manuals for teachers will be developed. The larger aim is to teach Maths through an integrated approach which would enable the students to understand the essence of the mathematical applications through real-life scenarios. Also, new Maths textbooks that are being prepared in accordance with the objectives of NCF would also contain such relevant daily life examples,” informs the source.
The Draft National Curriculum Framework (NCF) aims to integrate Maths with Arts, language, and sports education which also advocates that it should be taught through a three-stage process. The draft NCF intends to teach Maths through a multi-disciplinary approach which would be instrumental in plugging the learning gaps that exist among students and also provide conceptual clarity to them.
Teachers would also need to move on from their conventional way of teaching Maths and adopt diversified teaching methods suitable to the needs of students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The three stages that have been proposed by NCF are the foundational stage, the middle stage, and the secondary stage. The draft NCF has given importance to experiential learning while teaching Maths in schools across the country.
Speaking to the Education Times, a source in NCERT on the condition of anonymity, says, “Mathematics till date is considered to be a difficult subject by many students although it is related to the day-to-day life. Hence, NEP 2020 and NCF advocated a three-stage teaching process to allow students comprehend it in a better way through diversified perspectives with an element of joy. Teaching Maths in a stage-wise manner would enable the students to familiarise with the subject in a structurally phased manner.”
In the foundational or preparatory stage, the numeracy and foundational skills of the students will be strengthened. “Several research studies have been conducted globally which have suggested that it is essential to strengthen the mathematical base of students in the foundational stage. Many countries like Finland, Netherlands, and Israel lay great emphasis on the foundational stage. Schools in these countries have been following almost all the objectives that have been mentioned in NEP 2020 from the very beginning,” adds the source
In the middle stages which begin from class VI, the teaching assumes the consolidation framework of what is being taught at the foundational stage. The secondary stage would attract those students who want to pursue mathematics as a mainstream subject from the secondary level through the senior secondary level.
“Teachers need to connect Maths with daily life and activities which would strengthen the conceptual understanding among the students. For instance, while teaching the number system to the students, the topic can be related to music, sports, and other activities of the students. In class X, students are taught how Geometry is used to find the distance between the Earth and Sun which necessitates that Maths is intricately integrated with the subject that centers around celestial study,” explains the source.
“Teachers would be required to teach Maths by modifying the teaching pedagogies according to the context of the students. For instance, if a student comes from a carpentry family, he or she should be given relevant examples related to the field of carpentry while being taught Maths. To be able to teach through such varied pedagogies, new training manuals for teachers will be developed. The larger aim is to teach Maths through an integrated approach which would enable the students to understand the essence of the mathematical applications through real-life scenarios. Also, new Maths textbooks that are being prepared in accordance with the objectives of NCF would also contain such relevant daily life examples,” informs the source.
