Promote cooperative learning in the Maths classrooms
By Maarit Rossi
Sharing Good Practice
oriented methods encourage students to work cooperatively with others , as well as working independently on tasks and problems based on their abilities and interests . It seems that there is a need to develop both independent learning and cooperative learning in Mathematics classrooms . When working with students , I have noticed that the more they discover on their own , the more willing they are to work even harder .
1 . It is better to have double lessons that are at least 90 minutes long . If the length of the lesson is an hour or less , the structure of the lesson tends to be same that it has been for centuries . A longer lesson lends itself to greater flexibility on the part of the teacher and allows students to delve deeper into any given topic .
Have you ever met a person who would proudly tell you that she / he cannot read or write ?
Is this a strange question ? Have you ever met a person who would tell you that he / she cannot do Maths , because his / her mother did not understand Maths ?
I have heard it many times . People give all kinds of explanations why Maths is impossible to learn and I understand .
The traditional view of a classroom that has existed for generations in schools around the world , consists of students sitting by their desks , passively listening as the teacher stands in the front of the class and lectures . The teacher knows the content that , she / he has planned for the lesson and delivers it to the students . Students are expected to absorb that content and apply it to their homework or a test . This form of teaching isn ’ t limited to Maths . It is a teaching strategy that
Students collaborating on a Math project . ( Photo by Maarit Rossi )
everyone has experienced as a student at one time or another .
In PISA , students were asked about the frequency with which their teachers use student-oriented or teacherdirected strategies in their lessons . Across OECD countries , eight out of ten students reported that their teachers tell them exactly what they have to learn in every lesson , and seven out of ten students have teachers who ask questions in every lesson to check that students understand what they ’ re learning .
Teachers reported that the most commonly used student-oriented practice is assigning students to different work based on their ability , on the other hand , according to students , this practice is used only occasionally .
So it seems that most of what ' s happening in Maths lessons are mainly teacher-directed and little or no student-oriented learning . Student-
2 . Allow students to work in groups . When students are work in groups , it supports them in finding a different way of thinking and different solutions to the same problem . Students learn to appreciate other ’ s way to find solutions , which are often different from their own .
3 . Give students more space and more time to talk . Even if they make mistakes , as teachers we should sometimes be silent . We need to give more learning responsibilities to the students .
4 . Content is still crucial . Ensure that there is a variety material that allows student to be able to access the content . Students need to learn Maths by exploring and finding alternative ways of solving problems , making connections , adopting different perspectives and looking for meanings .
5 . Evaluate the students ’ learning in a variety of ways . For the teacher , a cooperative learning environment can be rewarding , because observing students working together is a great way to find out what students really know and understand .
Class Time
| | Mar - Apr 2017 |
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