EDU 370: TEACHING METHODS - MATHEMATICS

S CHOOL OF E DUCATION

L ECTURE N OTES

January, 2021.
3 LECTURE THREE:
THE MATHEMATICS SYLLABUS
In the last unit we looked at the learning process and the nature of mathematics learner.
We continue in this chapter with our foundation laying by discussing other important
issues which need to be clarified at the early stage of course. You need to understand
the relation connecting the three elements:

• The KCSE mathematics syllabus;

• The mathematics teacher; and

• The learner.

3.1 Self diagnostic Test

1. Discuss the scope of the mathematics secondary syllabus;

2. Discuss factors which should be taken into account when teaching mathematics;

3. Identify related topics in the KCSE mathematics syllabus.

3.2 Specific objectives

At the end of this topic you should be able to:

1. Explain the scope and limitations of the KCSE mathematics syllabus;

2. Explain how teacher’s own judgment must supplement the syllabus;

3. Discuss other factors which should be taken into account when teaching mathe-
matics.

3.3 The KCSE Mathematics Syllabus: Its Scope and Limitation

A syllabus is a program or outline of content material in a particular subject area to
be studied by the students over a prescribed duration of time. This program is devised
by the authority responsible for such policy matters. The teacher as an individual
has no power to decide WHAT will be taught in a particular course. In Kenya the
responsibility of designing new or modified program lies with the ministry of education
through the Inspectorate Division under it. 8 − 4 − 4 KCSE mathematics syllabus
was prepared by the ministry of Education which set subjects panels to achieve these

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objectives. The content which secondary school students have to learn has been broken
down on a yearly basis for a total duration of four years. What is contained in KCPE
syllabus? We want to examine the scope and limitation of this syllabus.

1. The Syllabus Does Not Completely Specify the Depth of Coverage

The syllabus merely describes the content to be covered by students of a particular

class in a given year. It requires the sound judgment of the teacher to decide on the
depth of treatment of a particular topic. This may sound a fairly simple affair but is
not an easy thing to achieve especially for inexperienced teachers. Let us consider the
following topic which appears in form two works.
Topic: Quadratics expressions. Solution of Quadratic equations by factorizations.

QUESTION: How far deep should a teacher go in teaching this topic to a Form Two
class?

Should you for example teach the solution of quadratic equation of the form

ax+ bx + c = 0

where a, b and c are any rational numbers? Or you limit to the case where a, b and c
are only integers. What kind of problems are students likely to experience in solving
ax2 + bx + c = 0 where a ̸= ±1? Should you wait to introduce cases like?

6 − 7x − 5x2 = 0

Where co-efficient of x2 ̸= 1 in form three? As topics do not specify whether factoriza-

tion of quadratic expressions should be limited to cases where; a ̸= ±1? with form two
classes, a teacher may do more than what is expected with the student, probably what
should be covered in later classes. Moreover when a topic is tackled when students are
not yet ready for it, they may find the topic difficult to follow hence the occasional cry
students sometimes direct at their teacher indicating that what he is teaching is diffi-
cult. Your experience as the teacher combined with sound judgment the professional
guidance obtained during training are the key factors you will rely on in deciding to
what depth you can teach the content.

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2. The Syllabus does not Indicate the Pace Teaching

The item on logarithms does not specify what students are to be taught. It does not
specify for how long it should be taught. Should it take 2, 3 and 4 weeks to cover
it? Syllabus gives no indication. The syllabus does not even indicate how much work
should be covered each term. In the absence of a mathematics course book as the
situation exists now in Kenya, it become difficult for an inexperienced teacher to know
how much should be covered each term. The old school mathematics of East Africa
books were written and organized in such a way that they indicated how much work
should be covered by the teacher. But there are no such guidelines now. We will return
to this problem in topic six.

3. The Syllabus Does not Indicate which Techniques Should be Used

The technique to be used in achieving stated objectives are a matter for the teacher to
decide. For example when you have to teach the topic: Measure of central tendency
(see the syllabus), the syllabus does not indicate how you should tackle this. Should
you for example use a combination of methods such as lectures and demonstration to
achieve the objectives? What about teaching by means of group activities? All to
achieve the best results through whatever approach you use. It would seem that in
stating the limitations of a syllabus, I am stating the obvious. It is true that these things
are “obvious” to experience and practicing teachers. However, they are not so obvious
to student teachers who have at time had the wrong notion of the subject syllabus as a
“compendium” which explains everything concerning how to teach a particular subject.

4. Prerequisite Knowledge is Not Specified

Any learner at whatever level whether of nursery school, primary school or in a

secondary school must possess some previous knowledge necessary for the program
you should be in a position to find out what background of knowledge your students
possess which are essential to what you are going to teach. In most cases learners
are normally assumed to possess this knowledge. Let us take as an example the topic
“logarithm” and consider the question of prerequisite knowledge.

QUESTION: What background knowledge should Form Two students who are to be
introduced to Logarithms possess prior to instruction? Pause for five minutes then
note down what you think they should possess.

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 3.4 Exercise
Analyses the topic symmetry (KCSE Mathematics syllabus) and list the element
of background Knowledge which you think student should possess prior to teach-
ing this topic.

If you do not analyze the background or prerequisite knowledge of your students you
will face some problems while teaching. You will probably find that either student do
not follow what you are teaching or you will mistakenly take the class for a dull group
while in reality it is not the case. Although students, background in knowledge should
be one of the major guideline in preparing to teach in general it should be stressed that
it is particularly important for lower classes where we want to teach them effectively.

5. Mathematics Textbooks for Use in Teaching

The present KCSE mathematics syllabus does not recommend text book which should
be used in teaching. This is well understood because at the moment no text books
have been prepared which could be used in all schools. The schools have at present
been left on their own to shop for suitable books for teaching mathematics. It is hoped
that this vacuum will be settled in a few years time, especially where the syllabus does
not recommend a book or two which is considered adequate in meeting the scope of
the syllabus.

QUESTION: List some ways in which the KCSE mathematics syllabus does not fully
tell the teacher what to teach.

I hope you agree with me that there are many ways in which the KCSE syllabus does
not give you complete instruction on what to teach in mathematics. We have already
noticed five;

• Does not specify the depth of coverage of a topic;

• Does not indicate the pace of teaching;

• Does not say which technique you should use;

• Does not say what prerequisite knowledge the students possess;

• Does not recommend which textbooks you should use.

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So although the syllabus is agreed, you can see that you will have to make many
decisions on how you will teach a topic in mathematics.

In topic one it was explained that the nature of mathematics and the aim of teaching
it are universal. Thus the aim and nature of mathematics are fairly uniform whether
one is in Kenya, Tanzania or in Zimbabwe. However there are some differences
between students depending on their geographical settings. Of course Kenyan children
do not differ in terms of innate ability to learn mathematics from their Nigerian
counterparts. It is true that some cross cultural studies have revealed differences in
intellectual abilities between various races. But there have been equally many studies
which have found such difference to be negligible. The stressing point is that Kenyan
children are no worse or no better than German children in their mathematics learning
potentialities.

Differences arise due to differing environment setting of the learning. In some countries
availability of technological aids such as video and computers are easily accessible to
children even in primary school.

These “luxury” learning aids are a daydream for children in the third world. Techno-
logical aids can mould pupil’s attitude towards a subject. There are however certain
common characteristics about learners of mathematics.

Students tend to view mathematics as a difficult subject.

Mathematics learners in Kenya’s school as indeed in many other countries views math-
ematics of all the subjects as a difficult one. Unpopularity of mathematics is therefore
a universal problem. Students therefore tend to be more at peace with their wood-
work, home Economic or physical education lessons. There are studies which have
been in Kenya by a number of scholars such as G. Eshiwani which have confirmed
this throughout our school system from primary to the university, mathematics is not
popular subject. We cannot really tell whether the unpopularity of mathematics is
because of the way students are introduced to mathematics in the primary school or
in the secondary school. What is fairly certain is that by the time students began
their secondary school education their attitude to mathematics tend to be negative.
The implication of this for us as mathematics teachers is what we are not going to
find Kenyan students already motivated and interested to learn mathematics. If any-

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thing we have to take issues of motivation and sustaining student’s interest to learn
mathematics much more seriously.

3.5 Effect of Examination on Mathematics Teaching

Another factor which has a bearing on learning mathematics is that of examinations.
The pressure of external examination which students have to face is something not
to be neglected. A teacher may have brilliant ideas concerning strategies for teaching
geared towards motivating his students. He may think of using the discovery and other
methods in teaching in order to make students enjoy their lesson. Since the teaching
syllabus is also examination syllabus, the pressure of external examination is such that
he may sacrifice some good approaches for the sake of covering the syllabus. Because
of our examination oriented system, learners especially those in upper classes have
developed certain attitude of expecting the teacher to make them perform well in ex-
aminations by whatever means available. What will make them do well in examination
is what matters!

Let us be realistic that there is a syllabus to use for teaching and examination to be
sat by the students and these have to be given prominence when we are teaching. A
teacher may want his students to discover and perform investigations in a mathematics
class, but he might end up covering little and sacrificing must be foremost in our mind.

3.6 The Role of the Mathematics Teacher

Mathematics just like science has acquired a special place in the school curriculum
because of its importance. The importance of mathematics places mathematics teachers
in special position above other teachers to ensure that it is well taught. Rarely do other
subjects come to limelight and hence subject to national scrutiny like mathematics and
science. When there is national outcry that “mathematics is not being taught well” or
“Our children find mathematics a mysterious subject” implicitly the challenge is aimed
at both primary and secondary schools. This means that our mathematics teachers
must be those who know their content very well.

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A teacher who knows little content will be severely handicapped when faced with
teaching his class. If he is going to teach well he must know very well what he is going
to teach. A teacher should demonstrate greater understanding and sympathy in the
actual classroom teaching. A geography teacher for example might lose patience with
the students and say one or two nasty things in the class, but for mathematics teacher he
needs to tread the ground much more carefully. Whereas it is a normal expectation for
a teacher to show sympathy and understanding regardless of the subject, mathematics
teacher must show deeper understanding in dealing with students because of the reason
I have already mentioned.

3.7 The Learning Environment

The differing environment in which students of various countries learn was mentioned
earlier in this UNIT. Availability of learning resources and other instructional media
are determined by the environment in which students live. Whatever resources are
available, the teaching of mathematics should be relevant to the students, environ-
ment. A teacher who teaches mathematics divorced from consideration of the students’
environment will leave a permanent impression of abstractness of mathematics. The
often repeated dictum of teaching “from familiar to unfamiliar” actually lay stress
on the teaching of the students taking into account their learning environment.
Example and illustrations which are used in teaching should make use of the student’s
environment as much as possible. Consider the following problems which appear in
one of the mathematics books which were used some time in the past in Kenyan schools.

QUESTION: A train leaves Kampala at 06.30 hours and arrives in Jinja, 500 Km
away at 14.30 hours. What is its average speed?

The students wil1 still solve (and they did solve) this kind of problem whether or
not places like Kampala or Jinja were familiar. Indeed narrowing learning only
to the students the environment is not good either. But it is meaningless to give
examples from, foreign countries if the local environment could provide more familiar
ones. It makes no sense to give an example of a train travelling from Kampala to
Jinja while a teacher could give a more familiar example say from Nairobi to Mombasa.

The students will not find the problem any easier but will be much more meaningful
to them. It is probable that students might develop a more positive attitude towards
mathematics when they deal with problems which are much more familiar. A lot

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of studies have been done by educationists and psychologists that indicate quite
clearly that the students’ attitudes towards a subject or learning their experience of
mathematics in their primary schools were a good one. Environment is only one of
factors which affect mathematics learning. But the right environment will contribute
to changing learners’ attitudes even if the change is initially a small one. This is
particularly important in Lower classes of Forms One and Two when students begin
their mathematics learning with fairly open minds, assuming that their experience of
mathematics in their primary schools was a good one.

Read each of these statements carefully .For each, say whether you agree or disagree
with it.

1. ”It is obvious that German children have a higher potential for learning mathe-
matics than Kenyan children.”

2. ”Mathematics is unpopular. There is nothing the teacher can do about it.”

3. ”Students expect me to help them do well in their mathematics examinations.”

4. ”It is a waste of time trying to make mathematics questions relevant to my

students’ environment.”

I agree with only one of these statements. I believe all the others are wrong. There is
no evidence to support statement (1). Kenyan children have just as high a potential
for learning mathematics as German children. I can certainly help students to do well
and enjoy mathematics more by making the questions relevant to their lives whenever
I can. For this and other reasons, I think that statements (2) and (4) are also wrong.
What do ’you think?

3.8 Summary
This UNIT has touched on issues which are important in the professional training of a
mathematics teacher. We have discussed the three interactive elements namely:

1. The syllabus which contains the content to be taught;

2. The students;

3. The teachers who use the syllabus. It has been stressed that the mathematics
teacher must fully understand the scope and limitations of the syllabus.

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Learners are known to have a dislike for mathematics. They also find mathematics to be
an abstract subject. Mathematics teachers should bear in mind the environment of the
students. We cannot teach students competently unless we understand problems which
they face in learning mathematics. This is why this UNIT is particularly important.
We have not even reached the stage of teaching mathematics in the classroom yet. That
will come later.

3.9 Assignment

1. Explain the scope and limitations of the KCSE mathematics syllabus. (5 Marks)

2. Explain some ways in which the teachers’ own judgment must supplement the
syllabus. (5 Marks)

3. List some factors you should take into account when teaching mathematics. 10
marks. (10 Marks)

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