Mathematicians find a way to prove: No one is ignorant of Math, just not taught properly

The key to this approach is that it starts from zero and progresses from very small steps to a sophisticated level in a relatively short time. It restores confidence to those who think "I can't be good at math"!

Math has long been considered a difficult subject for both children and adults. Besides, in each country, the distance of mathematics qualification by gender and age is also very large.

John Mighton - a Canadian playwright, author and math tutor, also had to struggle with mathematics. He designed a curriculum to help students with the worst math performance perform better and really love this subject. Evidence shows that this method is applicable to all children at all levels.

His program is called " JUMP Math " (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), being used by 15,000 children in 8 states of the United States, more than 150,000 children in Canada and about 12,000 children in Spain.

The US Department of Education saw the program's prospects and in 2012 the $ 2.75 million grant to two experienced scientists at Children's Hospital and the University of Toronto was Tracy Solomon and Rosemary Tannock. to conduct a randomized control of 1,100 children and 40 classes.

The results showed that students from 18 JUMP classes progressed twice as fast as some standardized tests compared to students who received instruction in the remaining 11 classes.

" It is difficult to attribute these benefits to anything other than guidance because we have put a lot of effort into making sure that teachers and students are treated equally except for instructions. they received, " Solomon said.

How does this program work?

Mighton has identified two main problems in his teaching style. First of all, we are transmitting too much knowledge into the child's brain, moving too fast from concrete to abstract, making them "overloaded". Second, we divide classes based on students' abilities, creating hierarchy that eliminates the weakest students while not generating benefits for the top students.

Mighton argues that over the past decade, the United States and Canada have conducted a study based on mathematical approach that many children have to find their own views. Here is an example he gave in this scientific paper:

" Discovery-based lessons that lead children to focus less on problems can be solved by following a general rule, or formula (such as finding the circumference of a typeface 5 meters long and 4 meters wide) and more focused on complex issues based on practical examples can be solved in many ways, such as using 6 square tiles, make a model patio - courtyard, has the smallest circumference possible " .

Solomon said the importance of teachers is not to give precise instructions, but to let children work together to find solutions to complex practical problems, there will be many ways to continue. approach and many answers. But many children will not find the answer, they will be disappointed and maintain the belief that they are not "math learners".

An important issue of this method is that it requires children to think a lot at the same time. This is really difficult for both teachers and students.

Mighton offers a brain study to support thinking that children learn math better if they are broken down into small parts, explained carefully and then practiced continuously. Nikki Aduba - assistant test of Mighton method at schools in London, said that many teachers welcomed this method. " Many people think, ok there are 3 steps to go from A to B, but it turns out that there really must be 5 or 6 steps. "

Mighton said that small steps are important."I will not move until everyone can do this" - he said: " Math is like a ladder, if you miss a level it will be very difficult to keep going" . His method is "micro discovery" or "guided discovery ".

In addition, the program was used at Lambeth, one of London's poorest regions, with more than 450 students with the worst performance. When the children take 6 exams, 60% of the students have passed. Aduba said the program worked "wonderfully", especially for students who are "struggling" with math.

The important thing about the JUMP program is that it starts from zero and progresses from very small steps to a sophisticated level in a relatively short time. It restores confidence to those who think "I can't be good at math".

Bigger problem

A bigger problem that Mighton found was the hierarchy. Teachers tend to assume that in most classes, people will be divided into good and bad learners and then taught appropriately. This means that 20% of students in the classroom are not good, 60% are normal, the remaining 20% ​​are good learners, will lead to a series of two or three abilities that all learn in the same class.

Research shows that children compare themselves to each other from the beginning and decide whether they are "math learners". Children who decide they are not "math learners" are at risk of developing Stanford syndrome that psychologist Carol Dweck calls "fixed" thinking: They think their talents are innate and not can be improved. 30 years of thinking research shows that children with a fixed mindset will be at lower risk but show less than others.

Dweck tested JUMP and said it encourages a "growth" thought and not "fix": Belief that your ability can improve with your efforts.

Mighton also said that when dividing ranks, the top kids will get bored."Our data shows that if you teach the whole class, the whole class will do better ." - he said.

Until winning the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2015, Mighton worked with JUMP for 15 years, without a marketing team, he invested all of his budget in testing and completing documents. .

While many people tried to draw new teaching methods, Mighton was the first to admit that the method he was teaching was very old. He believed that people exaggerated that mathematics was difficult. Mathematicians " have a great ego, so they didn't tell anyone that math is easy " - he shared at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. " The logicians have proved more than 100 years ago, it can be divided into simple steps ."