Teaching Mathematics: Philosophy, Strategies and Theory

Abstract

Teaching is a technical, artist, and professional job. It is the most critical, sensitive, and important
academic and professional job and it requires a knowledgeable, psychological, and dynamic
personality to teach the students. In this argumentative paper, the philosophical, strategical, and
theoretical assumptions and reality in our classroom practices should be explored. The main purpose
of this paper is to explore the teaching mathematics on the basis of teaching philosophy, teaching
strategies, and learning theory and to express my teaching and learning experiences narratively. The
Anglo-Indian mathematics teaching and learning, methodology covered the real classroom practice in
our class. The student center method and teaching strategies only limited to the book and journal. The
export of teaching mathematics and researcher scholar of teaching mathematics explore the new
teaching strategies and ideas and they have said to us do it and make the better but they never show by
acting the real teaching practice. It is the main cause to do not improve teaching mathematics. The
direction of the expert not effective to follow them because they haven't done experimentally. The
great philosopher and learning and teaching theory profound claim that their theory is most important
and they published many books, journal articles but they never do experimentally in the real classroom
to the real students. So my experience and analysis of the document that shows the above argument.

Keywords

Teaching mathematics, philosophy, learning theory, teaching strategies

Introduction and background

I am a mathematics student and mathematics teacher at the secondary level for one decade. I have read
the many volumes of books and articles related to teaching mathematics, philosophy of mathematics
education, and learning theory. The mathematical content given on the books, teaching methodology
and strategies, students baseline of the knowledge and readiness to learn, teaching-learning materials,
teachers preparation, and capacity of all aspects should be fusion on the one point then the teaching
will be real and effective but the real condition is opposite. When I am a student of mathematics, the
respected teacher said to us to remember the formula, definition of the mathematical terms, the process
of solving the problem. He always solves some mathematical questions given in the exercise on the
textbook and assigned us to completely solve all remaining questions in the same away. He never
teaches us about the basic knowledge of the mathematical content. In the same cycle moves from class
one to M.Ed. level. So that how to learn mathematics and how to teach mathematics for the student
effectively is due to our teaching culture.
The philosopher argues their idea to teach the students. There is one debited issue arise that we should
teach mathematics or we should teach the students. The content teaches by the teacher or teaches to
the student of mathematical content. What is the philosophy of mathematics education and teaching
mathematics? What teaching and learning strategies are most useful for teaching mathematics? Which
learning theory is most important and useable to create the teaching and learning environment? I have
to try to discuss the above question on my perspectives.

Philosophy of Teaching Mathematics

At first of all, philosophy of mathematics education clarifies, illuminates and sometimes helps to solve
the problems and questions in mathematics education. Ernest, Skoumose, Bendegem, Bicudo, Miarka,
and Moeller (20016) state that the question "what is the purpose of teaching and learning
mathematics? what do we value in mathematics and it's teaching and learning? why do we hope will
be achieved?" (Cornelius & Ernest, 2006, pp. 1-2) are the question which asks the answer by the
perspective of the philosophical point of view. The people's new glasses of teaching mathematics and
to give the answer to the above question are the philosophy of mathematics education. Besides this,
why teach mathematics, and what is the nature of mathematics teaching? are also seek the answer to
the philosophy of teaching mathematics. Ernest (2016) explained the philosophy of mathematics
education as
Since the teaching of mathematics is a widespread and highly organized social activity, it's aims,
goals, purposes, rationales, and so on, need to be related to social groups and society in general,
while acknowledging that there are multiple and divergent aims and goals among different persons
and groups (Ernest, n.d. p.3).

It shows that the philosophy of mathematics education includes the applications of the philosophical
process, methods, and critical modes of thought. Philosophy and learning theory can give people anew
pairs of glasses to including the practices of teaching and learning mathematics. The teaching and
learning mathematics is defined but not give clear lenses on how to teach mathematics and what away
we can learn mathematics, different philosopher give the different away to teach and learn
mathematics and it is not to clarify that what is very suitable method of teaching and learning
mathematics.
What mathematics teaching at the school level and why teach mathematics for students? Is the present
mathematical content useful to all level students? The answer of these questions is very different and
they are in a logical manner.
I would conclude that the philosophy of teaching and learning mathematics is changeable and different
according to the different schools of thought. But all of the philosophical assumption and believe of
teaching and learning mathematics is not clear, specific, and answerable. All philosophers of teaching
mathematics experiment the variety of stages and conduct much research but not successes to fusion
on a unique point. So that philosophy of mathematics education doesn't claim the unique teaching
method and unique mathematics content.

Strategies of Teaching Mathematics

How to teach or how to create learning activities is known as the strategies of teaching. Present
context, many teaching, and learning strategies developed by learning experts. Teaching for
understanding, teaching for assimilation, teaching for permanence, and teaching for transfer are the
main problems of teaching mathematics (Ruck and Brumbalgh, 2014). These are the fundamental
problems of teaching mathematics. The different teaching methods like lecture method, question-
answer method, a problem-solving method, experimental method, heuristic method, etc. are used to
teaching mathematics by the teacher. But which teaching and learning method is useful for what
mathematical content and what particular question solve. The educationist discovers the many
teaching and learning strategies but which one is best they do not answer to us.
The teaching methods divided into two categories among them the student center method and teacher
center method. The student center method is very useful for enhancing the quality of students learning.
Now I am going to teach geometry and I need the one best teaching method. Who guides to select the
teaching strategies? The question is unanswered because we have no best one and only one teaching
method (Goal, 2008). So I would like to do research on which teaching method is best among the
previously discussed teaching methods and for what mathematical content? The pre-knowledge of the
students, teacher's preparation, nature of the content, appropriateness of the teaching material, and
infrastructure of the classroom are the criteria for selecting the teaching method (Goal, 2008). In this
technique, I have chosen the teaching method which is useful to teach geometry.

Learning Theory for Teaching Mathematics

The psychologist experiments the different approaches of teaching and learning or how to organs
learn? They found the various learning theory, among them some learning theory developed by using
mathematical content. So these learning theories recommended for teaching and learning mathematics.
But, are they contribute to injustice? (Cotton, 2001). The theorist Ausubel, Piaget, Daine, Vanhille,
Brunner, Vigotsky, etc. are the advocate for the mathematics learning theory (Goal, 2008). They
recommended their own learning theory, but their learning theory is useful in the present time? Is the
nature of learners unchanged or what is the contribution of their learning theory for students?
The learning theory is not the medicine for the mathematics students when used it then the student
would be able to accept the mathematical content. The learning steps provided by the theorist are
useful for all levels of students. The learning theory not best to learn mathematics but they help to
teach mathematics for the school level.
The knowledge of learning theory instructs the guideline for the teacher to develop their learning and
teaching strategies or to clear to teaching roadmap for the teacher and backbone of the teaching and
learning.

Learning and reflection of myself

I have learned mathematics from class one to M.Ed. the real classroom teaching activities are mostly
teacher center. The teacher came to our classroom, then he/she said to us open your book and turn on
page number……. After that, he/she said to look the exercise no. …and question number ……. Then
students passively listen to the teacher's voice or lecture and the teacher actively solves any one
question on the board.
The student coped the solution to the question on their copy. The student never asked the question to
the teacher, how to solve the remaining question? Have you another method to solve the question?
And the teacher didn't give the chance to interact with the teacher and students.
I have taught mathematics from one decade to until now, I have used to my subject teacher's idea and
followed him. When have read many article and books in which the foreign country's teaching and
learning strategies. I have reflected these styles of teaching now I used to teach the students I haven't
teach mathematics. It gives me the idea of what is the students need, interest, and what they can do and
want to do. I have helped them in a particular case not to teach mathematics for them.
I haven't asked the cross-question to my teacher and discussed in mathematics classroom activities.
Why these methods are used? Why this algorithm used to solve the question? Where can we use
it? Haven't you another method to solve this question? We have no answer; we are teaching
readymade mathematics. The problems of the present time are not including in our learning. I am also
doing these activities.
The philosophical assumption, teaching-learning strategies, and learning theory do not meet the need
of the students. The present teaching and learning condition in our school is not accepted the ICT
tools. The different learning and teaching strategies developed by an expert but they are not suitable in
our condition. The family background of the children is very poor; they are unable to fulfill the basic
need. How to they learn mathematics, how to teach them? The social environment and global change
are not suitable for our village school.

Conclusion

The philosophical premises of teaching mathematics, the recommended teaching-learning strategies,

and learning theory are working separately. They have no any combination or integrated model of
teaching mathematics. The designing of curriculum and its implementation in real classroom practice
is different. The curriculum of mathematics should be integrated into the real-life problem and the
particular case of employment. The teacher should be creating a learning environment. Students
 should be actively participated and engaged in learning activities. So the teaching mathematics should
be a good combination of philosophical assumptions, teaching strategies, and learning theory.
References
Cornelius, M., & Ernest, P. (2006). The Philosophy of Mathematics Education. British Journal of
Educational Studies, 39(3), 348. https://doi.org/10.2307/3121156
Cotton, T. (2001). Mathematics Teaching in the Real World. Issues in Teaching Mathematics, 23–37.
Ernest, P. (n.d.). 18 Critical mathematics education.