The Primary Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still
being dominated by the concept of science-oriented teaching according to which
teachers are "forced" to implement relatively strict division of
educational areas within even more stringent and divided subjects from the
first class. In such
circumstances, in mathematics teaching of the basic and developmental cycle of
primary school pupils are most often "served" tasks isolated from the
authentic context, that they solve mechanically, trailing only algorithmic
steps. A problem arises when they face the need for the application of acquired
knowledge in the real life situations. This
implies that the initial teaching of mathematics predominantly activates
students’ cognitive area, but in a significant deficit of other psycho-physical
areas, which is brought into collision with the basic natural needs of
children. Taking into account their strongly expressed need for simultaneous
performance of different activities, there is a demand for connecting and integrating
scientific and educational areas, both within one subject and between different
subjects. Bearing in mind that the natural and social environment represents a
starting point and a source on which are based all the cognitions that the
child acquires in the elementary grades, the integration of teaching
mathematics and teaching science & social studies imposes naturally.
Accordingly, the work deals with the learning of mathematics
through the integration of the syllabus contents of science & social
studies. The aim is to help students not perceive mathematics as a set of
definitions, axioms, theorems and proofs. In
a sample of 278 students aged 8 to 9 years, an experimental research has been
carried out in order to examine the effects of an interdisciplinary approach to
teaching mathematics and reactions of students to this model of teaching and
learning.
All the students have reacted positively to this approach to
teaching mathematics, as demonstrated in the results of assessments, suggesting
that a multidimensional approach to learning significantly contributes to a
better understanding of mathematical contents and concepts and to the better
understanding of science & social studies content. It also remarkably raises the quality of the
functional and applicable knowledge and motivation for learning in general.
integration of teaching mathematics and science & social studies understanding of mathematical contents and concepts the application of acquired knowledge motivation to learn mathematics
Bölüm | Makaleler |
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Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 30 Nisan 2017 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 29 Nisan 2017 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2017Cilt: 3 Sayı: 7 |
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