Teacher deficiencies multiply math misery

In recent years, the discussion surrounding mathematics education in Jamaica has been enriched by the increased availability of data highlighting the low levels of performance of our children. Indeed, there is consensus on the matter - there is a need for critical steps to be taken to break the cycle of underperformance in the subject which has plagued the education system.

Data from the administration of the Grade Four Numeracy Test, the Grade Six Achievement Test and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) mathematics examinations point to the fact that a significant number of our primary and secondary students are failing to grasp and master critical concepts and ideas.

In the debate, there are some who may question the significance or importance of mathematics education. Responding to this could be a discussion in and of itself. But I will highlight two reasons why current student-performance levels should create concern.

The first is that the teaching and learning of mathematics is the means by which an individual develops skills which are critical to him functioning daily. The ability to work with money, read a clock, utility bill or bank statement are just a few examples of everyday activities requiring the application of mathematical skills.

Interestingly, international definitions of literacy have evolved over time to include skills associated with numeracy, along with those associated with reading - an indication of the recognition of the significance of numeracy skills to the growth and development of an individual. A low level of performance in mathematics, particularly at the primary level, is an indication that our students are not developing critical life skills.

The second reason is that in the context of the global world in which Jamaica now competes, the knowledge fields of mathematics and science have gained increased importance because of their significant connection to the emerging marketplace. Our failure to ensure that our children develop the knowledge, skills and competences which are offshoots of sound mathematics teaching - including problem-solving and critical thinking skills - is an indication that our nation's economic survival is under threat.

Pre-service teacher education

But what exactly is contributing to the low levels of performance in the subject. The issues are many, ranging from those related to the quality of teachers and teacher educators, to matters of leadership, the lack of accountability, the limited availability of resources, and the attitudes of parents, students and teachers towards the teaching and learning of the subject.

I would like, however, to use this column to address one of the contributing factors I do not believe gets adequate attention in the discussions in which we are often engaged - the matter of pre-service teacher education.

The general response of education reform to addressing matters of student performance is to design in-service professional development programmes for teachers. While these are important and contribute to the continued growth and development of the teacher, in-service professional development on its own is not a strategic approach to improving teaching and learning, and as a result, student performance. Efforts to improve teaching and learning by addressing weaknesses in pre-service teacher education have the potential to positively impact classroom experiences for the long term.

There are two matters as it relates to pre-service teacher education that I believe need urgent attention. The first is related to mathematics matriculation standards, and the second, the design and focus on our programmes.

Educational jurisdictions which have made consistent strides in their efforts to improve the performance of their students in mathematics have reviewed matriculation requirements for the subject for entry to the teaching profession at both the primary and secondary levels. Countries such as Japan and Singapore require that individuals entering teacher-education programmes who will be required to teach mathematics have a pass at the Advanced Level. This acknowledges the fact that "... learning is a product of the interaction between what the learner is taught and what the learner brings to the learning situation ... ." (Goulding, et al p. 690). The lower the matriculation requirements, the lower the level of knowledge and skills the individual is being expected to bring to the teacher-education experience.

Higher matriculation standards in Japan and Singapore certainly contributed to their student teachers outperforming the Jamaican student teachers on a subject matter audit instrument as evidenced by the results of the 2011 comparative study conducted by the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Teaching at The Mico University College. With a requirement of at least a Grade III in CSEC mathematics, a grade which CXC says indicates that the individual has a "... a fairly good grasp of the key concepts, knowledge, skills and abilities required by the syllabus ..." (www.cxc.org), the performance of the Jamaican students is not surprising. Of greater concern is that according to the 2009 Monitoring and Evaluation component of the Ministry of Education's National Mathematics Strategy, 35 per cent of primary teachers have not attained a pass in the subject at the CSEC level.

This, therefore, means that several of the teachers currently deployed to the system lack the levels of mastery needed to support meaningful learning. As a result, their students are not exposed to instruction which will support them mastering foundation mathematics ideas. Eventually, these same students graduate from our secondary system and enter teacher-education programmes and eventually the profession - completing one more rotation in the cycle of underperformance.

At present, it is clear that we are not yet in a position to match the matriculation standards of countries such as Singapore and Japan. It is important, however, that we identify and implement strategies which will militate against the weaknesses our student teachers have. Recommendations towards this end are considered later.

In addition to addressing matriculation requirements, it is critical that we also attend to our programme design and focus. At present, our programme is limited in its ability to support the student teacher in developing a critical knowledge construct - pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). PCK was described in the 1980s by Lee Shulman, who defined it as a "... special amalgam of content and pedagogy that is uniquely the province of teachers ...".

Traditional teacher-education programmes (including those used in Jamaica) are designed around developing the subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge of the student teacher. Courses related to subject matter are designed and delivered separately from courses which support the development of the pedagogical knowledge of the potential teacher. Recent studies designed to evaluate the impact of PCK on the performance of students have shown a positive correlation between PCK and student performance.

In a recent study, I conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the mathematics component of a typical Jamaican primary teacher-education programme to determine its impact on the PCK of the student teachers. Among several observations, the results showed that at the end of completing the mathematics course requirements, the student teachers:

still had critical conceptual gaps;

were not able to make connections within one topic and across topics; and

were unable to identify and interpret mathematical errors or identify teaching strategies effective in the teaching of foundation concepts.

Interactive paradigm

The traditional approach to teacher education is limited in its ability to support the student teacher in beginning the journey of developing their PCK. Reform of teacher-education programmes is trending towards the use of the integrated approach which sees students being engaged in courses designed to develop subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge simultaneously. This looks different in several contexts, but sees much more interaction between subject departments and education departments, along with more deliberate sequencing of courses. Student teachers are also consistently exposed to experiences in the field, with increases in length and intensity throughout the course of study.

If we are to improve student performance in mathematics, in addressing the matter of initial teacher education, it is critical that we take some steps, some which must have their genesis at the policy level. We must, over time, establish and maintain higher mathematics matriculation standards for entry to teacher-education programmes for persons training both at the primary and secondary levels.

In the interim and for the long term, we must conduct subject-matter audits for primary and secondary mathematics student teachers. In response, non-credit/qualifying courses must be designed and delivered to address identified weaknesses, and institutions must be held accountable for ensuring that graduates meet established minimum standards so that they are able to support meaningful learning.

Developing teacher quality

Our teacher-education programmes must be reorganised to ensure that they are focused on the development of the PCK of the student teacher. Courses must be designed and delivered with consideration for the future professional needs of the student teacher. We must abandon the approach of divorcing content from methodology and actively engage our student teachers in exploring the ways of representing mathematical ideas along with the strategies for teaching the subject meaningfully.

Consideration and implementation of these recommendations is a matter which must be addressed at the policy level as we cannot afford to leave such matters to chance. It is important that in establishing policy, we ensure that systems are established and maintained to ensure that they are effectively implemented.

There are no short-term fixes, there are no Band-Aids. We need a strategic, comprehensive approach to tackle the problems with which we are faced if we are to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Many countries have made significant strides in their drive to improve student performance levels in mathematics. Jamaica has the potential to do the same. For the sake of our nation, I pray that we will be able to find our way and finally address this problem.

Tamika Benjamin, PhD, is director of the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tamikabenjamin@hotmail.com