Being educated in an era when teachers taught using sedentary methods and classroom teaching was very much teacher-centred. We relentlessly practise in hope to do well in the national exam. This was the past. In the PGDE tutorial, I feel that I am constantly challenged to think of the ‘whys’ of math instead of the ‘hows’ of math. Currently, we are exposed to fundamental questions which challenge our understanding of various topics. At times, I admit that I have difficulty in comprehending some of these questions but the group discussion has definitely helped me to overcome some of these problems. As I attend the tutorial, I begin to realise that the teaching of math require teachers to be able to appreciate math rather than view math as a standard set of procedures required to derive standard solutions. It is beneficial for trainee teachers because a strong understanding in the fundamentals is crucial for us to articulate concepts clearly to student. Also, the brainstorming of approaches for teaching various topics is particularly useful as we are able to see the pros and the cons of different approaches. In addition, we were able to identify how the different approaches appeal to different groups of students. I am looking forward to more of such stimulating exercises!
- Matthias Low Wei Chuan
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