Review the way to teach and test Math, no more tricks and riddles

TPO - Responding to Tien Phong reporter, Professor Ngo Bao Chau, Director of Science , Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, said that the current program is not heavier than past programs, not heavier than other countries. But in the immediate future, it is probably necessary to consider the assessment and teaching methods, and absolutely not use tricky math problems anymore.

TPO - Responding to Tien Phong reporter, Professor Ngo Bao Chau, Director of Science, Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, said that the current program is not heavier than past programs, not heavier than other countries. But in the immediate future, it is probably necessary to consider the assessment and teaching methods, and absolutely not use tricky math problems anymore.

Need to review teaching and assessment methods

Dear Professor, it is known that the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics has just conducted a survey and evaluation of the mathematics subject in the 2018 general education program. Could you share some evaluations of the mathematics program that Vietnamese high school students are currently studying?

At the request of the Ministry of Education and Training , the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics has established a research team to compare the math program of high school students in Vietnam with that of other countries.

This is a comprehensive comparative study of the content, duration, teaching and learning methods of mathematics, along with the forms of testing and assessment. The research team was established in October 2024, completed and put into work, and has had some initial results, including collecting the framework program of a typical country for comparative research and starting to create a questionnaire.

This is a long-term research project, but the research team plans to release some initial conclusions early this summer.

At present, I can only share some of my personal thoughts because the comparison research team has not yet reached the final stage.

Some opinions say that the current general education math program is too heavy, with many difficult exercises, which is a challenge for students at all levels. This is also an important factor leading to students having to take extra classes, otherwise they will not be able to solve their homework in class as well as serve the exams. What is your opinion on this issue?

In countries like China, Singapore, Korea, and Israel, the general math program is basically much heavier than in Vietnam.

The A-level programs of the countries in the British Community go much deeper, especially in applied mathematics, than the program in our country. The programs in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are probably lighter than the program in Vietnam. We see the differentiation between countries in the top group, which is the group of countries with ambitions to develop technology.

I have also heard many parents complain that the current general math program is too heavy, and that parents themselves cannot help their children with their middle school homework. However, if we compare the current general math program with the past, we see that it is not heavier, in some places it is lighter, only the probability and statistics section has been supplemented with content and implemented earlier.

Basically, adding statistical probability content is reasonable and necessary because it is the most essential mathematical knowledge in modern life.

The fundamental difference between the current and past curriculum is not the total amount of knowledge, but the way the knowledge content is arranged according to the school years. According to the current regulations, each semester students must study enough parts of geometry, algebra, probability and so the content is arranged in a concentric spiral model.

Each topic will be covered multiple times, in multiple classes, each time in a little more depth. This model makes sense pedagogically because learning generally follows a concentric spiral. However, the consequence is that each semester, students are expected to learn too much without learning anything in depth. Perhaps this is one cause of the feeling of overload.

What we need to require from students is to grasp the concept and have mathematical thinking, the ability to calculate and apply, not to force students to do difficult exercises that are only for specialized students.

In addition, and perhaps more importantly, we need to rethink how we teach mathematics and how we assess it. What we need to demand from students is conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking, the ability to perform calculations and applications, not the difficult types of problems that are reserved for gifted students. This demand must first be reflected in testing and assessment, and then spread to teaching and learning.

Lighten the program, future will face human resource difficulties

According to you, what are your opinions and suggestions to improve the quality of math teaching as well as create interest, passion, and love for learning in students instead of forcing them to learn?

In some technologically advanced countries like Israel, high school students study mathematics extensively and deeply not only because of passion but also because studying mathematics is the surest way to enter technology and ensure economic independence. The healthy trend that I hope for is that, in the future, there will still be a small group of students studying mathematics out of passion, but the vast majority of students will study mathematics for a living. Teaching and learning mathematics in high schools also needs to evolve to match this trend.

How do you compare the way students learn math in the US and in Vietnam, Professor?

Public education in the US is very differentiated. Children in poor neighborhoods learn very little math, while children in rich neighborhoods learn a lot of math, more than in Vietnam.

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 29 to strengthen management of extra teaching and learning. In the long term, many opinions say that it is difficult to manage this activity because there is supply, there is demand. In your opinion, what is the root cause of the problem of extra teaching and what is the solution to reduce it and move towards schools not giving extra teaching as the will of the Ministry of Education and Training this time?

Basically, there is nothing wrong with tutoring if it is voluntary. If for one reason or another students are forced to attend tutoring, then it is wrong.

In fact, some teachers, instead of ensuring that they teach the entire general education curriculum in regular classes, require students to attend extra classes to finish the teaching. This is wrong.

"It is necessary to ensure students' basic right to not have to take extra classes, just need to study seriously in class to complete the general education program," said Professor Ngo Bao Chau.

In addition, many people reflect that if they do not attend extra classes, they cannot take exams. If that is true, it is necessary to review the assessment and teaching methods. It is necessary to ensure the basic right of students not to have to attend extra classes, just need to study seriously in class is enough to complete the general education program.

" There are opinions that the current general education math program is too heavy, and if we don't take extra classes, we can't teach it all. In my preliminary assessment, I see that the current program is not heavier than past programs, not heavier than other countries," Professor Ngo Bao Chau.

A legal framework for extra teaching and learning is necessary so as not to violate students' legitimate rights, including the right not to have to attend extra classes.

I think that paid tutoring needs to be registered as a specific form of service business and must comply with certain regulations to ensure the rights of all participants.

A specific legal framework for private tutoring and learning is necessary but should be kept simple so that teachers, if they wish, can register themselves without costly legal assistance.

Some people say that the current general education math program is too heavy, and that it cannot be taught without extra classes. In my preliminary assessment, I see that the current program is not heavier than past programs, nor heavier than other countries. But in the short term, we probably need to consider the assessment and teaching methods, and absolutely not use tricky math problems anymore. In the long term, we need to reconsider the application of the spiral concentric model and pay more attention to ensuring the flow of knowledge.

If the general math program is made lighter, Vietnam will certainly face difficulties in human resources to compete in the technology field in the future.

Traditional extra classes are no different from school classes.

Nowadays, Vietnamese parents are quite confused and worried that their children will do poorly in school and be at a disadvantage when tutoring and extra-curricular classes stop operating. What advice do you have for parents when their children learn Math in particular and self-study methods in general?

I don’t think that tutoring classes will stop operating. If anything, the spontaneous tutoring classes will have to register as a service business and comply with some new regulations for tutoring.

In addition, parents and students have the option of online support programs which I believe will improve in quality over time.

Traditional tutoring classes are not really that different from school lessons. In the future, students can find supplementary lectures on online learning programs as well as exercise systems to practice on their own. In future tutoring classes, instead of teachers asking students to answer, it is better to let students ask teachers to answer. This is the tutoring or office hours model in British and American schools that I find very effective (but expensive).

If the general math program is made lighter, Vietnam will certainly face difficulties in human resources in the future to compete in the technology field - Professor Ngo Bao Chau.

Ha Linh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/gs-ngo-bao-chau-xem-lai-cach-day-kiem-tra-mon-toan-dung-meo-muc-danh-do-nua-post1718647.tpo