basics of mathematics, stressing that “what matters when it comes to mathematics the most is that the student –or whoever is dealing with mathematics- has the basics.” Otherwise, some fault is also clear in the way students themselves tackle the subject:
“I have the feeling that, unfortunately, many of our students do not know how to study math; they study it like any other subject. The magic word when it comes to studying math is: practice, practice, practice. Make sure that you have the needed basics. I think it is all about a lot practice. I have seen many students, while they were preparing themselves for an exam, skim through the material like reading a poem or a historical text. No, math does not work that way; in order to grasp it and see the relationships between all the variables included in a certain topic, you need to practice it. You have to keep looking from different perspectives and look out of the box, just take two or three steps away and reconsider what you have, and you will figure out something new.”
Perhaps the very notion of change had not occurred to me on false grounds, as Mr. Salah stated:
“I think the major problem we are facing all over the world is the teaching of math and its introduction to students, especially the approach taken by teachers.”
“As I said, mathematics is the most powerful tool in our life. But the problem here is that up to now, we do not have the right environment to encourage students to look or to sit out of the box. We are only depending on math as any other subject: study it, pass it, and get the mark. We don’t have something more than that, such as how to explore, or how to use math in my life to sharpen my thinking and gain some wisdom, such that I can live with my environment.”