Beyond right answers: Rethinking how Maths is taught in classrooms

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Visit any Math classroom in India, and you are sure to see a teacher scribbling hard on their blackboard, solving a Math problem, and students copying the steps religiously. There is very little discussion on making their thinking visible, on exploring alternate ways of solving a problem, or articulating connections to life. Class after class, chapter after chapter, this is repeated across most Indian schools. No wonder mathematical thinking is absent in Indian schools.

Mathematical thinking emphasizes reasoning, structure, patterns, and logical justification. At its core, it is about how you think, not just what answer you get. When Math is taught right, it can build a child’s sense of logic and reasoning, it can help them discern patterns and structures, and it can help them become great problem solvers in life.

But when syllabus completion is prioritised, when the pursuit of the right answer drowns out the whys and the what-ifs, when formulae and steps overshadow reasoning and logic, you get students who might score high in exams but do not develop mathematical thinking. In that situation, Math becomes a drudgery for students. And a lot of students begin fearing Maths or actively resisting it.

No place for mathematical thinking?

So why does Mathematical thinking struggle to survive in Indian classrooms? Here are five reasons and ideas on what we can do about it?

First, there has been no incentive for schools and teachers to build mathematical thinking because board exams and college admissions depend on speed and accuracy. NCF 2023 aims to change this by asking for reforms in examination to introduce more competence based exams. When students have to reason and apply logic in solving real-world problems, they will develop their mathematical thinking. Otherwise, they’ll continue to memorise steps and procedures to solve abstract problems.

Second, teacher skill is an issue. Most Math teachers use traditional textbooks to teach Math. So, teachers end up just teaching abstract Math problems without building any concrete sense of Math. Moving to pedagogies like concrete-pictorial-abstract can help students see the quantities and operations behind mathematical symbols. For this, using mathematical tools such as number blocks, fraction kits, and algebra kits can help these teachers make Math concrete. And teachers need to be trained on building mathematical thinking vs. only solving Math problems.

Third, the focus on syllabus completion forces everyone on a treadmill. Instead, if the school annual calendar leaves time for exploration, then students can identify connections between Math and life. There is nothing like a survey to get students to understand Data Analysis. There is nothing like setting up counters during school fairs to help students understand mathematical operations, profit and loss. There is nothing like a school bank to help them understand interest and principal. Making Math real builds mathematical thinking.

Fourth, books and study material need to have more open-ended questions. Having multiple methods, challenges, mathematical debates, asking students to create problems, or doing worked example analysis are easy and effective ways to build mathematical ability among students.

Fifth and last, since Math as a skill is spiral in nature, a lot of students who do not build a strong foundation of number sense, mathematical operations and coordinates, often struggle with more abstract concepts such as integers, algebra and statistics. And we don’t do spaced repetition or remedials in our schools. We conduct exams, award marks and move on to the next topic. And the foundational gaps of students keep on compounding thus exacerbating the problem. Technology can help in this regard via AI tutors or remedial systems to personalise learning for students to help with their learning gaps.

India is the land of shunya. The cradle of the decimal system. The place where great mathematical thinkers like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara, Ramanujam and Manjul Bhargava were born. It is high time that we regain our leadership in the world and it begins by instilling mathematical thinking in our classrooms.

(Sumeet Mehta is the CEO & Co-Founder of LEAD Group.)

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