‘Math problems must be exploratory’

Revathy Parameswaran, head of mathematics department at P.S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, recently participated in the Fullbright Distinguished Teachers Award Programme at University of Maryland. Photo: V. Ganesan   | Photo Credit: V_GANESAN

“In a regular teacher-centric classroom, the teacher poses problems and solves them and this offers little scope for independent thinking,” says Revathy Parameswaran, head of mathematics department at P.S. Senior Secondary School.

“To promote mathematical thinking, teachers must pose problems that are exploratory in nature and challenge groups of children to come up with solutions in a stipulated time. Children thus learn the possibility of more than one solution,” she says.

Originally written for The Hindu, read more at https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/math-problems-must-be-exploratory/article5661593.ece