Education stakeholders have been called on to collaborate on research initiatives in order to improve the overall quality of mathematics education across the region.
Speaking at the
Fifth Regional Congress of ICMI on Mathematical Education (AFRICME), Tanzania’s Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training Hon. Joyce Ndalichako said teacher-centered approaches controlled by chalk-and-talk lectures have hampered the understanding of mathematics making students have poor attitudes towards the subject.
“Teachers need to be inculcated with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will enable them to bring change in class teaching for mathematics as well as for sister subjects,” added Joyce Ndalichako.
The three-day conference has been organised by Aga Khan University's Institute for Educational Development in East Africa (IED, EA) in collaboration with the
International Commission for Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) under the theme, Mathematics Education for All.
In her speech, AKU’s Associate Vice Provost, Research & Graduate Studies, Professor Anjum Halai said that the conference has been inspired by the need to promote the exchange of ideas on approaches to achieve quality mathematics education within Africa and beyond.
“The conference also encourages collaborative research in quality mathematics education at all levels and provides space for participants to disseminate findings of relevant research on mathematics education.” said Professor Halai.
“The diversity of the participants in the conference, who are coming from every corner of the mathematical globe, is an indicator of the passion and commitment that is inherent in raising the quality of education in our schools, colleges, universities and in communities in order to liberate ourselves from the obliviousness of mathematics education,” she added.
43 papers will be presented at the conference that will discuss how to enhance teaching practices and the quality of mathematical education.
The conference has brought together teachers and education stakeholders from Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond to interrogate and engage with issues pertaining to mathematics education and provided an opportunity to showcase the work they have done in Tanzania and the region.