Documentaries explain mathematical teaching methods

Education 22, in collaboration with the Education Division, is currently broadcasting a series of documentaries, entitled Il-Bidliet fit-Taghlim tal-Matematika fil-Primarja: Ighoddu ghal uliedek... u ghalik?, to help parents and educators understand better the methods used in the teaching of mathematics at primary level. These methods, which were introduced in schools in 2002 and phased in year by year, are meant to enable children to develop computational fluency as well as number sense, that is, a good intuition about numbers and their relationship.

These documentaries will feature various resources, activities and exercises that teachers use in different schools to compliment ordinary chalk and talk teaching. Parents will be able to compliment teaching carried out in schools when they are giving a helping hand to their children during homework. The ultimate aim is to help children gain skills that will allow them to reap long-term benefits that will gear them for the application of basic mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division beyond their years in formal schooling.

Filming of these documentaries was carried out in various primary school classrooms that vary from kindergarten up to Year six. Among the participating schools were the primary schools of Safi, Zejtun, and Qormi. Various teachers, pupils and parents in these schools were interviewed to gain insight about the advantages of these methods and the way parents and teachers adapted to the change introduced by these teaching methods.

These documentaries are broadcast on E22 and TVM every Wednesday at 9 a.m., during the morning show 22am with Annalise Ellul, and repeated on E22 on Thursdays at 11.30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The documentaries are narrated by Joe Dimech and Anna Bonanno. Scripts and content coordination is in the hands of Peter Vassallo, assistant director for student assessment at the Education Division, while television production is by Joyce Grech.

For a list of all methods currently employed in the teaching of mathematics, visit http://skola.gov.mt/maths/resources.htm or http://curriculum.gov.mt.

For more information e-mail admin@e22.com.mt, or write to It-Taghlim tal-Matematika fil-Primarja, E22, Mile End Street, Hamrun.