A childs cognitive development in the learning of elementary Mathematics is very important as it involves a childs cognitive development, which includes building skills such as pre-reading, language, vocabulary and numeracy. Mathematics is a very challenging as many of the concepts are abstract and most mathematics problems require multiple steps for completion. In Mathematics, there are many rules to remember and students may face challenges to recall or knowing which ones apply to the skill taught. Therefore, teachers should be using different methods and approaches in the classroom to enable students to apply the mathematics skill independently. There are effective techniques and strategies that teachers can use to assist students comprehend what they were taught, what they have learnt and at the same time enable them to master Mathematics. An effective mathematics is to fully utilize an interdisciplinary approach to teaching by giving students enough experiences that are relevant and make sense to their daily lives usage. It also helps our students to all the requisite skills that we have acquired in school and in life. Therefore, as practitioners, we cannot approach a task that we do in a way that separates our math skills from our reading skills. An integration of various applicable regulations we learned need to tackle the task at hand. Thus, the use of integrated approach, different structuring activities is very useful in teaching mathematics. According to Lynn A. Richbart, January 2001, New York State had developed an integrated mathematics program in the early seventies whereby the committee that developed the integrated content. In their integrated mathematics program, it includes an integration of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, logic probability and statistics. From the statement, we can say that an integrated approach had been existed since thirty years ago and it has been going through the changes from time to time but still very effective in the teaching and learning of mathematics. As a result, various integrated mathematic program as well as concepts, approach and strategies had been used to make sure the effectiveness of teaching and learning mathematics.
Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 2
2012 2.0 Definition and clarification of key concepts 2.1 Conceptual Knowledge Many researchers had done researches on conceptual and procedural knowledge in the teaching of effective mathematics. According to John A. Van De Walle, Conceptual knowledge refers to logical relationships, representations and an understanding and ability to talk, write and give examples of the relationship. Hiebert and Lefevre ( 1986 ) explains that conceptual knowledge is knowledge that is rich in relationships. It can be thought of as a connected web of knowledge, a network in which the linking relationships are as prominent as the discrete pieces of information. Relationships pervade the individual facts and propositions so that all pieces of information are linked to some network. From the two statements, I concluded that conceptual knowledge is about teaching mathematics by relating the topics with the students knowledge and daily lives activities. 2.2 Procedural Knowledge John A. Van De Walle defined procedural knowledge as generally accepted and should never be learned in the absence of a concept. Procedural knowledge is knowledge of rules and procedures used in carrying our routine mathematical tasks and the symbols used to represent mathematics. On the other hand, Hiebert and Lefevre ( 1986 ) stated that there are two types of procedural knowledge namely one kind of procedural knowledge that is familiarity with the individual symbols of the system and with the syntactic conventions for acceptable configurations of symbols. On the other hand, the second procedural knowledge refers to rules or procedures for solving mathematic problems. Many of the procedures that students possess probably are chains of prescriptions for manipulating symbols. 2.3 Relational Knowledge According to Skemp R.R., in his book The Psychology of learning Mathematics, ( 1987 )., Relational Knowledge is related to conceptual knowledge as it corresponds with the conceptual knowledge. In other words, Skemp refers to relational knowledge as the ability to know what to do and why. In relational knowledge, students know how to do the mathematics problems and understanding the reasons. It is also refers to the performance of procedure with understanding. Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 3
2012 2.4 The necessities to help students make connections-relevance examples As a mathematics teacher, I always try my very best to teach children mathematics based on the mathematics concept followed by their abilities to fulfill the tasks related to the concept taught, then when the children had learnt the concept and knew how to do the exercises given, only I will relate the mathematic problems to their daily routines. This is due to the reason that children learn from experience especially when considering instilling in children knowing, doing and valuing. Children need to participate and be part of their learning environment especially in the elementary stage such as year one, two and three standards as they are actually at the height of developmental potential. Thus, it is very important to make connections by giving relevant examples for the children to acquire the concept and be able to do the mathematical problems. Skemps defines that the difference between conceptual and relational knowledge is perhaps the most widely used among constructivist mathematics educator in this recent years. Relational knowledge is the ability to know what to do and why while the conceptual knowledge as the ability to use the rules without understanding the reasons. By conceptual knowledge, he refers to the rote performance of a procedure (knowing how to use it, but not necessary knowing why) whereas the relational knowledge refers to the performance of procedure with understanding. Hence, if an educator only uses one of the knowledge without integrating the other knowledge, he or she might not be able to produce an effective teaching learning lesson. Thats why; an integration of the knowledge is necessary to help students make connection in learning the mathematics and problems solving. In the following task, the two topics chosen to show the importance of conceptual, procedural and relational knowledge are the topics of money and mass. 3.0 The topic of money How is the topic money related to conceptual and procedural knowledge? Well, money is one of the topics in the Year two curriculum specification. The year two children need to learn the topic of money as money is related to our daily lives. Teacher needs to teach the children the conceptual knowledge of money before teaching them how to use the money. Conceptual knowledge refers to an integrated and functional grasp of mathematic Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 4
2012 ideas. It is a comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations. Thus, teacher firstly needs to let the children understand how the money look like before teaching them how to use the money and understanding the value of money. This is how the conceptual knowledge comes in. In conceptual knowledge, teacher will introduce the money by letting the children take a look at the money; understand the value of the money. An example of the fake money used to show the children as the teaching aids.
Next, as the children can identify the money, teacher will proceed with the procedural knowledge. In procedural knowledge, it means skills and knowledge in performing a procedure appropriately. This include when, how and what to do with the methods of calculation. So, when the children understand the concept of money, teacher will teach them how to count, how much they have to pay and what is the balance of their money that they need to get back. So, conceptual and procedural knowledge is very crucial in the teaching and learning of the topic money in Mathematics Year two. An example of questions that involve the procedural knowledge is: a. RM 25 + RM 13 = b. RM 50 - RM 5 = c. RM 0.30 + RM 0.80 = When the children know how to find answers for these questions, it means that they have acquired the concept and be able to apply the concept in the questions given. Thus, teacher can proceed to the next stage by providing children with their daily lives problem. This is where the relational knowledge comes in.
Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 5
2012 3.1 Why is it important to have relational knowledge on the topic of money? It is very important to relate the topic of money in our daily lives because money plays an important role in our daily routines. Children need to be taught on the important of money in our daily lives as we use money every day. Parents are busy working to get more money and children need money to buy the food, toys, books and other things in their daily lives. Therefore, children need to learn the value of money in our daily routines, thats where the relational knowledge comes in. The relational knowledge refers to what the children should do with the money and why they are doing the action. In the topic of money, children need to be taught on how to use money wisely in their daily lives and why they are choosing to use the money that way. In that way, children will learn that although they have money, they must know how to value it, what to buy, when to buy, how much money they need to save and all these knowledge is related to their daily lives not only for now but until they grown up in future. Thus, relational knowledge plays an important role when they children are taught on the topic of money. 3.2 The connection of the topic to our daily lives To teach the topic of money to our year two children, a teacher must first introduce money to children that is by showing them the money from coins to paper money and asks them on the value of money. When the children know the value of the money shown, then teacher will proceed to the next step of money by assessing whether children know how to add the value of money, how to convert the value of money, how to subtract money and other general knowledge on money. Once the children acquire the skills, then only teacher will proceed by giving children questions that involve their daily lives activities. In teaching the problem solving questions involving money, it is the best way to use the student centre strategy. This is because in the student centre strategy, children get to do the activities in their peers and activities are centre to them. An example of activities that can be carried out when teaching the topic involving money among the Year Two children is to create a grocery stall inside the class. Children can act out the activity by being the storekeeper and some become the customers. In this activity, children who acted as customers will be given fake money to purchase items from the grocery store. It will be like in the grocery store whereby some are Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 6
2012 buying and some are selling. Apart from that, children will learn to count money which involved addition and subtraction. As for the grocery store items, children are encouraged to collect the items such as plastic cover from their groceries item at home. This activity is very useful in the teaching and learning activities especially in the topic of money as it is what they will experience in their daily lives routine when they go shopping with their parents. Besides that, in this activity, teacher can also instills moral values on how the children should behave when they are buying or selling things. Teacher can also guides children on what they cannot do when buying or selling things. Therefore, the topic of money in Mathematic is related to our daily lives activity. In addition, by carrying out the activity such as having the grocery store in the usage of money, teacher actually has fostered the constructivism approach among the year two children. Teacher has used the five phases in the constructivism approach. Firstly, teacher explores childrens knowledge by oral questioning to find out their prior knowledge on money. Then, teacher asks children to collect the items for their grocery store. When the children had collected the groceries items, teacher will reconstruct the idea by setting up the grocery store. Then, teacher carried out the activities with the children so that the children had the idea and at the same time, applied the idea to their new idea that is counting money, paying and need to learn how to count the balance money to their customers. Finally, teacher will guide the children in instilling moral values that is by adding their new ideas to the old or prior ideas that they have. 4.0 The topic of mass The second topic that I chose for this assignment is mass. In teaching the topic of mass, there is a need for the teacher to introduce the concept before teacher can ask the children to carry out activities related to mass. Therefore, the conceptual knowledge and the procedural knowledge is introduced before the children and applied to the relational knowledge. In the conceptual knowledge stage, teacher will have to introduce the weighing scale and the symbol involving mass. Teacher needs to show children different types of weighing scales and different weighing scale is used to weight different types of thing. Teacher will have to show the children the items that can be weigh so that children know the logical relationship or representation of mass with the weighing scale. Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 7
2012
As the children acquire the concept of mass, teacher will proceed to the rules and procedures that involve mass. Children will also learn to weigh and write the symbols involving mass that is used to represent mathematics. The activities is weighing themselves, weighing items such as vegetables, fruits, packet of flour and also beans. 4.1 Why is it important to have relational knowledge on the topic of mass Why is Mass important to be teach to the children? It teaches children on how to weigh and read the weighing scale. Apart from that, children need to learn mass because mass is part of our routine life. In our daily lives, as we buy things from supermarket or market, we need to know how to read the weighing scale. If not, we might get cheated from the sellers. Apart from that, children need to learn to read weighing scale as we not only use in the market or supermarket but also at home when we want to bake cake. An example of it is when we want to weigh the ingredients for our cake. Therefore, the relational knowledge on the topic of mass is related to our daily lives activities. 4.2 The connection of the topic to our daily lives One of the ways to demonstrate the connection of mass to our daily lives is by doing simulation. Pupils will be divided into groups and they were to do the simulation on how to weigh the items listed. Teacher will give every group a list of items and pupils will take turns to weigh and write down the weight showed on the weighing scale. In that way, children will learn that they have to know how to read the scale and at the same time, say and write the correct readings shown on the weighing scale. This activity is similar to the situation whereby children follow their Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 8
2012 parents to the market to purchase wet or dry food. Hands on and doing the weighing themselves will help the children to remember and use the weighing scale correctly. 5.0 Discussion Importance of relational knowledge when learning the topic of money and mass In the teaching and learning of Mathematics, it is related to our real life situation. As we can see from the topic of money and mass, children learn what money is, how money look like, what is the value of the money, when to use, how to use and why do we need to use it. As for the mass, children learn how to read the weighing scale and write the correct readings. In other words, Mathematics teaches children not only for the purposes of counting alone, but how to relate what we have learnt into our real life. So, the relational knowledge here is to teach children on how to relate their mathematics skills, the procedures in finding answers with the real life problems. It is indeed very important for the children to apply the relational knowledge when learning mathematics because they are actually building their ideas and trying to solve the daily lives problem based on the conceptual and procedural knowledge that they have acquired. 6.0 Conclusion In Mathematics, the conceptual understanding is the key for development of procedural understanding. It is the essence of learning with understanding and not just memory work. As for relational knowledge, it is actually the combination of the conceptual and procedural knowledge. It is so because children need to build their conceptual knowledge before proceed to the procedural knowledge and with both knowledge acquired, it is believed that it can help the children especially the Year Two children to build their relational knowledge. Nevertheless, the approach, strategies, activities and sources for the children to acquire the relational knowledge also play an important role. Thus, an integrated of all will be able to help the children to boost their confidence in learning mathematics plus building their interest in every topic that they learnt. In conclusion, Mathematic deals with our daily lives routine and children learn mathematic not only for the purpose of counting but it is a knowledge that they should acquire as the mathematics skill will be used throughout their lives in future. (2923 words) Teaching of Elementary Mathematics Part 1
HBMT 2103 Page 9
2012
R e f e r e n c e s Adnan Baki., Educating Mathematics Teacher. Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkiye.
Bennett, A. B. Jr., & Nelson, L. T. (2001). Mathematics for elementary teachers: A conceptual approach (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Boby Ojose (2008). Applying Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development to Mathematics I nstruction. The Mathematics Educator (2008)
Chinnappan, M., Relational Knowledge and successful problem solving in algebra: Journal of Science and Mathematics Education in S.E.Asia Vol 27, No.2 112., University of Wollongong, Australia.
5 Pillars Study of Malaysian MathematicsStudy of Malaysian Mathematics
CurriculumCurriculum
Study of Malaysian MathematicsStudy of Malaysian Mathematics
CurriculumCurriculum
Study of Malaysian MathematicsStudy of Malaysian Mathematics
CurriculumCurriculum
AB. RAZAK BIN SALLEHAB. RAZAK BIN SALLEH
Mathematics DepartmentMathematics Department
Emphases in Teaching and
Learning
The Mathematics curriculum is
ordered in such a way so as to give
flexibility to the teachers to create
environment that is enjoyable,
meaningful, useful and challenging for
teaching and learning.
The Mathematics curriculum is
ordered in such a way so as to give
flexibility to the teachers to create
environment that is enjoyable,
meaningful, useful and challenging for
teaching and learning.
On completion of a certain topic and in deciding to
progress to another learning area or topic, the
following need to be taken into accounts:
On completion of a certain topic and in deciding to
progress