Alternative way of teaching maths increasingly
popular in Czech schools
A If you ask Czech kids what is their most hated
subject at school, the answer is nearly always the same: mathematics. This may
soon change, however, with more and more schools pushing an alternative way of
teaching mathematics, the so-called Hejný method. It has now been adopted by
more than 350 schools around the country and for the first time this year, it
will also be tested in grades five to nine.
B While Czech students show only average results
in mathematics in international competitions, the number of those who dislike
the subject is overwhelming. In an
attempt to address the problem, an increasing number of Czech teachers are
switching to the Hejný method, which allows children to discover math on their
own, instead of memorizing formulas. They claim that children who are
being taught the alternative way are showing very good results.
C The method was founded in the late 1980s by
mathematician Milan Hejný, who was unhappy with the way the subject was taught
at schools. Along with a group of colleagues he developed a new teaching method
that would allow children to enjoy the process of learning. The system is aimed
at constructing a network of mental mathematical schemes, which are formed by
each student individually.
D But how exactly does this work in practice? I
asked Megan Fraley, who has been using the method with four-graders in the town
of Jesenice: “We try to use different
kinds of materials, if we are learning for example to calculate the size of an
area, we have little cubes that students can use, to measure and count,
and then try to multiply them to get the answer. If we are doing shapes, we
might use pretzels, for instance, to
help them figure out angles and directions. It means using a lot of visual and
concrete objects to help them work out the problems.”
E Some teachers refuse to adopt the method because
it requires a radical change of approach on their side. Instead of telling
children how things work, they have to let them solve things on their own and
try to interfere as little as possible. Megan Fraley again: “The teacher is really just supposed to facilitate
the learning process and oversee the students but without actually getting
too involved, to try to let them figure it out by themselves or working in
groups as well, that is another method, and to help them get the answer, to
help with the steps in order for them to reach the conclusion on their own.”
Adjusted to (1)
overwhelm – převládat
pretzels – preclík
1) Read the article and match each of the headings to
a paragraph.
1 Hejný method is successful
2 Usage of the method in practice
3 Foundation of the method
4 The role of the teacher
5 Introduction
2) Read the article and answer the questions.
1 What is the attitude of Czech students towards
mathematics like?
2 Who is Milan Hejný?
3 Why did he invent the method?
4 Why is this method more and more popular?
5 How is it used in practice? What are the
difficulties?
3) Explain the following words and phrases.
1 average results
2 memorizing formulas
3 alternative way
4 measure and count
5 facilitate the
learning process
4) Answer the following questions.
Why is mathematics unpopular? Should mathematics
be a compulsory component of Maturita examination? Why? What should be the most
important principles in mathematics teaching? What tools are nowadays used in
education of mathematics? How do children learn math in preschool? How to teach
mathematics creatively?
Video:
Tips, sources of information:
Source:
(1)
FRAŇKOVÁ,
Ruth. Alternative way of teaching maths increasingly popular in Czech
schools. Český rozhlas [online]. 2014 [cit. 2015-09-21]. Available
at:
http://radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/alternative-way-of-teaching-maths-increasingly-popular-in-
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