There is always time to improve one’s maths efficiency if one puts in the time and energy.
This according to Wits University associate professor of mathematics education Craig Pournara who said maths was a subject where concepts build on each other.
Pournara explained, “We see many learners having difficulty with negative numbers and algebra in Grade 8. If these difficulties are not addressed, the difficulties start to compound. Learners who battle with integers will battle with algebra. Those who battle with algebra will battle with functions, and ultimately with calculus if they even get there in Grade 12.”
Pournara referenced research that showed high school learners were only mastering Grade 8 maths concepts in Grade 10 or 11. “This shows that they can learn maths but they are learning it too late and they are losing out on concepts that build on the fundamentals.” It was possible to reverse this but learners and teachers needed to identify where these gaps were and deal with them, he added.
Pournara said learners should not be ashamed of asking for help, and if possible, learners should buy lower grades’ textbooks or find examples with good explanations online.
It was crucial to cover these gaps as many tertiary institutions required their applicants to have a good maths mark. To do this, learners needed to comprehend that maths was a subject that required both understanding and practice.
Pournara said to do well in maths exams, you can’t have one without the other and shared the following tips:
- Take responsibility for your own learning and don’t expect your teacher to do all the work (ask your parents or your extra lesson teacher, if you have one)
- Attempt all your homework every day. If you get stuck, move on and plan to ask your teacher or peers for help the next day
- Identify any concepts that you don’t understand from the previous years. Make a plan to deal with them. If you have gaps in your knowledge, they will hold you back so fill up those gaps as well as you can and as soon as you can
- Hunt down past exam papers and practise them
- Make sure you have a calculator and that you know how to use it well.
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