IMPROVING CAPACITY IN MATHEMATICS FOR SENIOR STUDENTS AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

IMPROVING CAPACITY IN MATHEMATICS FOR SENIOR STUDENTS AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen

 Lecturer, Faculty of Primary Education, Hung Vuong University,

Vietnam

Nguyen Quoc Thuy

Lecturer, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University of Education,

Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Doan Trang

 Lecturer, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University of Education,

Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Students with difficulties in learning mathematics at primary schools still exist objectively and the percentage of these students increases gradually with grade levels. The following article presents the current situation, influencing factors, and measures to improve the ability in mathematics for senior students at primary schools in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam.

Keywords: reality, support, senior students, tasks, learning mathematics.

1. Introduction

The objective of primary education is "to help students develop comprehensively in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and basic skills, develop personal capacity, dynamism, and creativity, shape human personality” [1]. However, in learning maths, primary school students often fail to complete their learning tasks, manifested in weak academic performance, substandard academic results, which are not caused by intellectual and physical defects. or special circumstances. In order to properly assess the situation and come up with appropriate solutions, during the research process, we divided students into 3 groups based on their completion of math tasks:

+ Group 1- Do not complete tasks regularly: students in this group have difficulty in all math content in elementary school. Showing weak learning ability, slow math thinking ability, empty background knowledge, not completing all math content for a long time.

+ Group 2- Do not complete the task at a time: students in this group do not complete a certain part in math not because of weak academic ability but because of poor calculation skills, limited spatial imagination or not focus on learning.

+ Group 3- Complete the assigned tasks in math.

The survey area was conducted in Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen provinces with typical mountainous terrain in the northern region of Vietnam. The three primary schools selected for the survey have typical characteristics in terms of facilities, teachers' qualifications, and students' living conditions in the northern mountainous region. The number of students, teachers, and administrators at each school at the time of the survey (the school year 2020-2021) is as follows:

The results of identifying groups of students in the schools surveyed are as follows:

The above results show that in primary schools with different characteristics, the proportion of students in groups 1 and 2 has a significant difference. It shows that the school's facilities, the qualifications of the teachers, the living conditions of the students are the factors that determine the quality of their learning. However, despite the variation in student proportions, the number of students in group 1 objectively persisted in each primary school. Average student ratio of group 1: 4.5%; group 2: 8.3%; group 3: 87.2%. With this percentage of students, we investigated the characteristics of intellectual development and activities to support children when learning math at school.

2. Actual situation of primary students' learning maths based on intellectual development characteristics and supporting activities in primary schools in the northern mountainous areas of Vietnam

2.1. Developmental characteristics of the intellectual type of students at the end of primary school

We explore the tendency to develop students' intelligence according to Howard Gardner's point of view [2]. The study was conducted through conversation, interview, observation ... and especially evaluated by multi-factor test by Thomas Armstrong [3]. The multiple-choice sheet includes 80 situations describing preferences for 8 types of intelligence. Students mark the sentence that is correct for them. Each situation is marked with 1 point. The maximum score for each intelligence group is 10 points. The classification of development trends with each type of intelligence is determined as follows: Level I (good type: score from 9 to 10 points or more); Level II (good grade: score from 7 to 8 points or more); Level III (medium grade: score from 5 to 6 points or more); Level VI (weak grade: less than 4 points). The results of finding out the tendency to develop types of intelligence in primary students are as follows:

Table 1.

Level of development of different types of intelligence

From the above results, it can be seen that the group of students tends to thrive in spatial, motor, language and extraversion intelligences. However, the children achieved the best level with spatial and motor intelligence. In the type of linguistic and extroverted intelligence, most of them only got good grades, very few students got good grades. In particular, most students have limited logical and mathematical intelligence (Excellent: 0%; Fair: 10%; Average: 45%; Weak: 45%). Musical, natural, and introspective intelligence are mostly average.

2.2. Supporting activities students in  learning maths

We learn about different types of student support and teachers' assessment of the need for these types of support (1- not necessary; 2- necessary; 3- very necessary). The results obtained are as follows:

- Results of findings the teacher's activities to support senior students in learning  mathematics in the organization of general lessons

Table 2.

Results of finding the teacher's activities to support senior students  in the organization of general lessons

From the statistics, it can be seen that most of the math teachers think that it is necessary to improve the requirements of students at final grades. However, setting specific goals for each student in each lesson has not been implemented by many teachers (70.6% of teachers have not yet). Therefore, most teachers do not know how to design learning content suitable to the capacity of senior students (88.2%). Many teachers have also built more extensive exercises, taking into account the factor of fitness for students to practice more in class (80.9%). It can be seen that most math teachers are interested in supporting activities for senior students. However, the support of students is also dependent on the program and the requirements of the general knowledge and skills standards. Many teachers still lack detailed techniques in supporting activities such as detailed planning techniques for each student's support activities on a weekly and monthly basis, techniques for adjusting lesson content appropriately with students in group 1 and group 2.

- Result of finding ways to support senior students with difficulties in learning mathematics by group cooperation activities

Table 3.

Result of finding ways to support senior students by group cooperation activities

Most math teachers appreciate the need for groups of supporting friends. However, the forms of support through the group are not yet flexible. Two popular forms applied were the group with good students (91.2%) and the pair of friends (89.7%). The organizing extracurricular activities to strengthen the solidarity and responsibility among students to share, sympathize and support each other in learning maths has not been established paying attention (4.4% of teachers) and organizing to guide fairly good students the method of guiding weaker students is still less interested in implementing (only 14.7% of teachers).

- The results of finding the forms of teaching organization in the classroom with students in groups 1 and 2 in learning maths through observing the lessons.

Through observing 30 teaching lessons for the final grades at Linh Thong, Doi Can, Kim Dong primary schools in the 1st semester of the 2020-2021 school year (25 lessons of the main course, 5 lessons of tutoring) we found that in all math lessons there were supporting activities for students, specifically: instruction during the lessons, detailed explanations, assignment of tasks and guidance to good students to help weak students, appropriate exercises for group 1 students to do. In the lessons, teaching methods were applied such as presentation, explanation, visualization, group discussion, and learning games. We also found that teachers carefully prepare teaching aids such as pictures, real objects, models, projectors. Teachers organize teaching according to the model of group cooperation. During the tutoring sessions, students review old knowledge that they are still unsure of. The teacher explains in detail, enhances students' practice, and analyzes mistakes for students.

3. Some suggestions to enhance math ability for senior students at primary schools

From the survey situation, it shows that senior students at primary schools have difficulties, many of them do not complete their study tasks because mathematics in the final grades has much new and difficult knowledge and it is very logical with each other. Senior students at primary schools in mountainous areas are often poor in math, especially those in group 1 who have limited mathematical logic. The supporting work for them in studying is very active but has not paid attention to the cognitive characteristics and strengths of their intellectual type.

In order to support senior students at primary schools effectively, we recommend a number of measures as follows: Need to identify students in group 1 accurately, if possible, in group 2, too; Define goals and make detailed plans for supporting students, especially students in group 1; It is necessary to design learning content in accordance with the ability of groups of students; Use teaching strategies, differentiated and individualized teaching methods that pay attention to the dominant intelligence type in students to help them have more opportunities to succeed in math; Build a system of exercises to practice basic, extended, and advanced math skills in groups of students; Enhance forms of group learning, cooperate with students' families to support them to learn better.

4. Conclusion

In primary schools in Vietnam, mathematics is one of the main subjects taking up a lot of time. Many senior students have difficulties in learning and are depressed in mathematics, even though they do well in other subjects. Teachers need to understand the intellectual characteristics of each student in the class so that they can have strategies and educational methods suitable to each child's ability. Teachers need to apply the characteristics of intellectual development and supporting activities in teaching mathematics for primary school students to help them develop comprehensively; Besides teachers must innovate teaching methods, approach and assess students, thereby improving the quality of education.

References:

1. Ministry of Education and Training. (2006). Standard program of knowledge and skills in primary school subjects. Vietnam Education Publishing House.
2. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic Books.
3. Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/read/117634400/multiple-intelligences-in-the-classroom.