OPINION: Crisis in Mathematics

By Derrick Nicholas

The question of poor outcomes in Mathematics across the Caribbean, and what to do in order to improve the results has been discussed many times in the past.

Last year, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) reported that the pass rate for Mathematics was 36 per cent. While those numbers are considered as unacceptable, Antigua and Barbuda’s pass rate continues to fall below the regional benchmark.

Part of the problem is that students are not reading enough – not just for Mathematics, but all subject areas. It therefore calls into question the students’ ability to read and understand. This inability to read and seemingly understand what is being asked is a real and present danger.

It is a real and present danger because it means that students are not employing any critical thinking in their work. Inasmuch as we are focusing on Mathematics, this inability to apply critical thinking extends to other subjects.

Another part of the problem is that quite a number of students are lacking in the knowledge or understanding of foundational skills in Mathematics. It therefore means that they are unable to master more advanced topics.

Even more shocking is the dual problem of (i) the lack of mental math in schools, and (ii) the over reliance on calculators. This over reliance on the calculator is robbing students of the ability to develop their mental capacity to solve problems without the use of a device.

Of course, another result of this lack of mental math and the over reliance on a calculator is the ability to apply any critical thinking to their work. It is this (critical thinking) that Mathematics is meant to foster and develop. Ironically, with the Ministry of Education ‘sanctioning’ the use of calculators in primary schools, they are inadvertently producing students who cannot think critically or function ordinarily without the aid of a device. In other words, it has created an unintended consequence.

If there is to be a turnaround in the poor outcomes, urgent and immediate interventions are required. Those interventions of necessity must include the teachers and students, if they are to be successful. The question therefore that should be asked “is there an appetite to turn around these poor outcomes in Mathematics?”

The first such intervention must be with the teachers so that their approach to teaching Math can be addressed, and the students so they are taught to understand concepts rather than to memorize them. It may even require reteaching for some students, who did not learn after the initial instruction.

The intervention must also include the use of real-world connections. These concepts must be taught in a logical way, as some topics are prerequisites for other topics.

Finally, the quality of the teachers who will deliver these lessons must also be addressed. There are teachers in the ‘system’ who proudly confess that they are only teaching the subject because their principal asked them to do so. No intervention would be complete without the involvement of supportive parents. Parental involvement must be encouraged both at school, and by the Ministry of Education.

If we adopt and embrace the above measures, we could start to see better results in Mathematics for Antigua and Barbuda. The time is therefore right to stop playing lip service and do what is right for our students. If we are to move forward as a nation, we need far better outcomes in Mathematics. We need to continue to nurture and encourage critical thinking among our students. It is that intangible thing called ‘critical thinking’ that would propel us as a nation.

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