The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana has successfully organized a training program for over four hundred and fifty teachers in the field of mathematical sciences.
This initiative is in line with AIMS Ghana’s mission to provide training and professional development in Mathematical Sciences for high school teachers across Africa.
The annual conference, known as “Helping Teachers Teach Mathematics Conference (HTTMC)”, is a collaborative effort between the Centre for Education Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and AIMS Ghana. The conference aimed to equip teachers in Africa with the necessary tools and techniques to enhance their teaching of mathematics based on the core high school curricula, as well as introduce new approaches and applications of modern mathematics.
The conference, which featured a blend of online and in-person sessions, served as a platform for mathematics teachers to connect, share ideas, and learn from seasoned mathematicians, educators, and consultants. One of the highlights of the conference was a presentation by Comfort Mintah, a lecturer at the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Education Mathematics and Computing, who emphasized the importance of adopting a more applied and interactive approach to teaching mathematics.
Ms. Mintah highlighted the impact of teaching methods on students’ perception of mathematics, noting that a fun and engaging teaching approach can help alleviate students’ fear of the subject. She also emphasized the importance of promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills through practical applications of mathematical concepts.
Professor Rich Dlin, from the University of Waterloo, further emphasized the need for a more flexible and creative approach to teaching mathematics, focusing on problem-solving and leveraging the power of mathematical thinking for the future. Other speakers at the conference addressed various topics, including innovative communication strategies to destroy the phobia for mathematics and the use of concrete, diagrammatic, and symbolic approaches in geometry.
