By Mercedita P. Cardenas, Teacher III, Palayan NHS
Mathematics helps maintain balance in our daily living, be it on personal or professional
perspective. The power of reasoning, creativity, abstract or spatial thinking, critical thinking,
problem-solving abilities, and even good communication skills are some of the things that math
helps us develop. Mathematics, as viewed by many, acts as a universal language because it is
the same all over the world. Thus, mathematics is considered the collection of knowledge and
practice derived from the contributions of intellectuals throughout history and around the globe.
This subject allows us to recognize patterns, quantify correlations, and forecast the future. We
use the world to understand math, and math helps us comprehend the world. The entire planet
is intertwined, and these links and possibilities can be seen in everyday life. The sooner young
learners can put these talents into practice, the more likely our culture and economy will remain
innovative (Asia Society, 2022).
However, the current public health crisis, which is caused by Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19), has posed a tremendous challenge in the educative process. Because of its effect,
many changes have been made to the mathematics curriculum, including the competencies to
be taught, the delivery of learning resources, applicable teaching methods and strategies,
distribution and retrieval of learning resources, grading system, embracing different modes of
learning modalities, and integrating technology into the teaching and learning process.
As a result, the Philippine government, through the Department of Education, paused
face-to-face instruction in schools and established a variety of learning delivery modalities
(LDM) that were tailored to the requirements and availability of the learners and communities.
As a result, the department issued DepEd Order No. 12 s. 2020, which promotes learning
continuity using the various learning delivery modalities and sets directions on the mechanisms
to address gaps that may arise in the implementation of distance learning.
Consequently, the act of teaching has become more complex and difficult for teachers,
especially mathematics teachers. The use of self-learning modules (SLM), Learning Activity
Sheets (LAS), and other learning materials in the instruction, whether digital or printed, does
not mean that the established teaching procedures between the teacher and the learners are
abandoned. Only the mode of instruction has been changed from face-to-face to different
learning modalities, while retaining the substance of instruction as emphasized in D.O. 12 s.
2020.
In this regard, many teaching strategies, styles, and tactics in mathematics that were
previously employed in face-to-face education are no longer encouraged or available in
distance learning, and this has resulted in the pedagogical challenges that every teacher faces,
including mathematics teachers, as they navigate towards the new normal in education.
Effective education may be in peril, and learners’ academic performance may suffer as a result.
Thus, in order to mitigate the gaps, the mathematics teacher must first gain a better
understanding of the pedagogy required for teaching mathematics via distance learning, as well
as be proactive in identifying possible gaps in learning outcomes among the learners, and then
use the information gathered to develop quick interventions to promote experiential learning
experiences among the learners and help hone the learner’s critical thinking and problem
solving skills, analytical thinking, quantitative reasoning, constructing logical arguments and
exposing illogical arguments, and other mathematical skills.
As a result, ensuring the development and retention of excellent mathematics teachers
is vital to the teaching and learning process’s effectiveness, particularly in the implementation
of distance learning. Schools and communities have long sought for the best teachersthey could
find, understanding that their learners’ progress and achievement are contingent on the teachers’
abilities and skills. Effective teaching tactics should be used by teachers to engage learners in
the learning process and help them develop critical and higher-order thinking skills. In this
case, teachers must determine which learning styles and tactics work best for their learners and
what desirable teaching approaches should be utilized.
In this sense, teachers who use suitable teaching strategies and approaches have a
positive impact on their learners’ academic achievement and aid in the systematic development
of self-governing people with a modern world perspective. One indicator of learners’ progress
is the level of teachers’ competency in educational teaching methods, strategies, and theories,
as well as the use of new teaching practices in the teaching and learning process to convey
relevant concepts enshrined in the most-essential learning competencies (MELCs) of
mathematics. In this case, trained and experienced mathematics teachers who are open to and
knowledgeable about global teaching expectations and needs, as well as a variety of systematic
and technical approaches, are critical. As a result, understanding the required and desirable
ways to conduct instruction relieves mathematics teachers of the difficulties they have when
delivering distance learning.
In addition, when mathematics teachers have solid comprehension of the information
or subject matter being taught, as well as the ability to apply that knowledge in creative and
relevant ways, utilizing proper teaching tactics and approaches, the teaching and learning
process become more effective. Providing inventive and engaging teaching experiences using
the appropriate and desired instructional techniques and approaches in mathematics is
analogous to acquiring learning among the learners. As a result, mathematics teachers need to
have a better understanding of how to teach learners in the 21st century because of a lot of
changes in how they learn and their learning environment.
References:
Asia Society. (2022). Understanding the World Through Math. Retrieved from
https://asiasociety.org/education/understanding-world-through-math
DepEd Order No. 12 s. 2020. Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for
School Year 2020-2021 in light of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Retrieved
at https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DO_s2020_012.pdf