A Professor of Mathematics and President, Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), Professor Mohammed Ibrahim, has blamed poorly-trained teachers for Nigerian students' poor performance in Mathematics.
The Professor said this in a 2014 interview withTribune where he discussed issues relating to mathematics education in the country.
Ibrahim, who is also the Director, Centre for International Education, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), said students have a "mathematical phobia" which results in fear and failure.
"There is what we call mathematical phobia. Most students when they hear the word mathematics, they have this special fear," he said.
According to him, this hatred is not unconnected to teachers' methodology.
"Students are not always happy or comfortable with mathematics," said.
"Why? It could be the methodology the teachers use or the teachers themselves, because many are not well trained."
"Failure of mathematics depends on methodology.
"Once a good teacher is given the task he would think of the best way of doing the task.
The failure to employ modern technology in teaching mathematics as is being done in advanced countries, he said.
"Most students and teachers as well can’t use handsets to operate e-mail or even know about computers.
"In advanced countries, right from primary school, most students are exposed to computer techniques etc as a way of teaching mathematics."
Ibrahim revealed that MAN has been organising workshops to bridge the training gap.
"In Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), we organise workshops from time to time, to give teachers the latest techniques on how they can be able to teach effectively from primary school to tertiary level."
He urged the government to take create initiatives like bursaries to encourage interest in Mathematics.
"So government should introduce a kind of incentives to teachers starting from those in the primary schools. For students, there should be a special bursary for anyone that shows special love to the subject.
"If the federal government can assist in recognising these students, encourage them by awarding them bursary it will help.
"And for the teachers, government can give them mathematics allowances.”
It will be recalled that only 29.37 per cent of candidates who sat for the November/December 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) obtained credits in five subjects, including Mathematics and English Language.
This article is more than a 100% correct because i personally experience poor and badly trained teacher, even before the examination,defeat is already standing tall staring and waiting..the phobia alone is horrible..our Government should look deeply into this in our educational sector
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