Page 30 - Professorial Lecture - Prof Kasanda

CONCLUDING REMARKS

At the beginning of my presentation, I posed the question whether
mathematics can be understood by all. It is clear from the foregoing that
there is no magic in grasping the mathematics content taught in our
schools nor does it need a mathematical bend to grasp and understand it.
As Bruner (1960) said a long time ago, if we as teachers present the
content in an honest and transparent manner in any subject all learners
are capable of understanding the content being taught including
mathematics in the school curriculum or University Mathematics
curriculum. There is the major problem our teachers are not able to
present the mathematics content in such a fashion. Further, they tend to
make it so mysterious as to de-motivate even the best and talented
students in their classroom. As Dewey (1997) points out mathematics
teachers should make use of the learners’ experiences to enhance the
understanding of the mathematics content. Using the learners’ lived
experiences may arouse their creativity and initiative in learning
mathematics. Curiosity, initiative and creativity are essential ingredients in
understanding and living mathematics, since it has “a social and historical”
perspective. Teacher educators need to ensure that the prospective
Mathematics teachers who pass through their hands have the skills and
knowledge in mathematics to teach it to their learners as a “historical
reality”. These teachers should ensure the learners’ experiences work for
the learners in learning mathematics.

Therefore, in conclusion the answer to the initial posed question is a
resounding “yes”. All our learners are capable of learning and
understanding mathematics if conditions are right in the classroom and in
this technological age mathematics is an indispensible tool for all
individuals to live a full life, Mathematics is the key.

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