Prof. Raj Shree Dhar
“Like the crest of a peacock, like a gem on the head of a snake, so is mathematics at the head of all knowledge.”-Vedanga Jyotisha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 2021 Independence Day speechsaid that the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) is a means to fight poverty and move forward in life as the language available to the child in childhood should also become the language of learning.These reforms seek to foster ideas for studying in local language or mother tongue and to create teachers who can teach Mathematics and Science in their mother tongue or regional languages, because of the fact that young children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their native language/mother tongue.
Mixed learning, means where a student has to learn Mathematics as well as the language it is taught in. So, at least initially, it is better for the students to learn in the language they can understand. That way, they can just focus on the subject.The primary role of language is to enable both the teacher and learners to share mathematical knowledge with precision as language is a powerful instrument in the formation of concepts, acquisition of particular perceptive abilities, and the transfer or communication of such concepts. If the students can solidify their understanding of Mathematics and Science intheir own language, they are ready to pursue it further in the language of their choice. But here is a question to be pondered upon: Are there enough high-quality education institutes teaching in local languages where students can pursue careers?
NATIONAL MATHEMATICS DAY
Language is a critical element of teaching and learning and it is the medium through which information is conveyed and through which an instructor is able to determine whether or not the students grasp the concepts and skills taught. Communication is one of the key factors in building understanding in the mathematics classroom of the 21st century. Teaching techniques would therefore benefit from a widening of the range of mathematics discourse to include conceptual knowledge and procedural understanding. Poor academic performance in mathematics is an important issue, as many school and college students struggle with grasping important mathematical concepts that they are being taught.
Mathematical skills, we often think of the ability to count, perform basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), understand fractions and ratios, and use algebraic and geometric thinking. Among those who research in mathematics learning and usage in day-to-day tasks, these skills are referred to as domain specific skills, meaning they are the skills that are specific to mathematics.Domain-specific math skills are very important for mathematics achievement. Classrooms around the globe directly teach these skills during mathematics classes. The students should learn and practice math facts, and engage in problem solving activities. Data Science Math Skills introduce the core math that data science is built upon, Numeracy skills refer to the ability to use, interpret and communicate mathematical information to solve real-world problems. These include the ability to understand basic math like addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. Children do not start learning math when they are first taught about numbers. Rather, math learning starts with concepts of quantity, size and comparisons, and the words that represent numbers. The beginning of math learning is based on creating a connection between language and physical objects. As children get older, language supports their ability to learn to identify and understand the symbolic nature of numerals. For example, a teacher will point at the number 1, use its name, and show one object or image. Children then learn to identify the numeral 1 as the symbol that represents one object.
Diversity is the foundation of our vibrant democracy and the language background refers more particularly to the different languages that learners and teachers use. One of the challenges of contemporary globalized societies is that language diversity is itself increasingly diverse, and this matters in mathematics classrooms. The teaching and learning of mathematics depend fundamentally on language to easily understand the concepts. Mathematics classrooms may feature discussion among students, lectures by the teacher, printed curriculum materials or textbooks, and writing on a blackboard or on a screen. The use of regional/local/home language for the teaching of Mathematics to the students especially school students up to middle level can be beneficial for the students and the public.
Srinivasa Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician who made pioneering contributions to number theory was born on 22nd December, 1887. Today we celebrate the birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan as the National Mathematics Day. As per words of Prof. Manjul Bhargava, the Fields’ Medal winner, Ramanujan is a true national hero, a saint known to everyone. He saw things in Mathematics that no one could have even dreamt of seeing before. His story is incredibly inspirational and his place in Mathematics is huge and only grows everyyear as more of his work is understood. Speaking about Mathematics teaching in India, he said that it is robotic, and we have to make it creative and beautiful and that depends on how to teach it. This is definitely a Golden age for Mathematics in India and many more young people especially women in India will enter the field of Mathematics.
The students should be taught about the great Indian mathematicians like Panini, Aryabhatta, Bhaskara, Brahmgupta, Ramanujan and their literature written in Indian languages and also about the important breakthroughs in the History of Mathematics. It is always good to encourage children to start thinking about numbers and their use in their own language(s)which comes naturally and comfortably to them.
Research in mathematics education has focused on the role of language in mathematics because language is the means by which mathematical concepts are communicated between the teacher and the learner, either through oral or written materials. Language, thus, plays a central role in the teaching process. Because concepts enable children to construct knowledge and communicate with others, concepts are indeed important objects of thought. This notion of the relationship between language and concept learning that has been emphasized in the psychology of mathematics learning underscores the importance of discussion in mathematics learning.
Many teachers did not receive systematic training in the use of language in mathematics teaching. Therefore, because mathematics educators have an obligation to improve mathematics education, they will have to change their perception of the use of language in mathematics teaching. That requires an enormous amount of training. The results of this study also have implications for textbook authors and publishers. If the procedures for determining the various uses of language in mathematics teaching are refined, they could be used to measure language use in mathematics books. The results of this study have implications for mathematics education.
The new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, has significant provision and provides a platform to build, nurture, foster, and encourage mathematical thinking. It has introduced the reforms needed to balance the need for employment and entrepreneurship in 21st century, which is marked by critical, lateral, and mathematical thinking. The NEP appreciated the necessity of Mathematical thinking and its importance for our country to become a Vishwa Guru. Big data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchains are key technologies of today, and mathematics is the driving force of these technologies. Hence, it is critical to build the computation thinking capabilities of our youngsters. The NEP-2020 provides the necessary nourishment by making Mathematics enjoyable and engaging using innovative methods from the foundational step itself. It is also mandated in NEP to introduce a coding curriculum from middle school as it will further promote the development of computation capabilities and intuitive reasoning in our young human resource.
(The author is Principal, Govt. Degree college, Jindrah, J&K.)
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