Answer to Question #212555 in Math for Sphesihle Zuma

Question

1.briefly discuss any three challenges that learners might experience in learning additio and subtraction of common fractions. How could you (the teacher) address the identified challenges?

2.contextualisation of mathematics content and concepts can improve learner motivation, learning and persistence. Briefly discuss this statement and explain the principles that support the use of contextualisation of content.

Answer 1

1.Briefly discuss any three challenges that learners might experience in learning addition and subtraction of common fractions. How could you (the teacher) address the identified challenges?

• Difficulties in commemorating math procedures such as that of getting the least common multiple(LCM) of denominators of two fractions before adding or subtracting them.
• Inconsistency in math sequences of addition and subtracting fractions such that of dividing the least common multiple(LCM) with the denominator of each fraction before multiplying it with its numerator.
• Mistakes of subtracting numbers instead of adding them in addition and subtraction of fractions.

As a teacher I could address the above challenges through the following ways:

• Giving of regular tests and assignment to boost the learners' memory of math concepts.
• Motivating the learners to build positive attitude towards mathematics.
• Reinforcing the theoretical math concepts by performing the relevant simple real life demonstrations to learners.

2.Contextualisation of mathematics content and concepts can improve learner motivation, learning and persistence. Briefly discuss this statement and explain the principles that support the use of contextualization of content.

When learners are able to place the learning content and concepts in their relevant situations, they are able to relate the significance of the content to their real lives. This attempt makes them to be optimistic that whatever they are perusing has a purpose.

Principles that support the use of contextualization of content.

• Prior knowledge principle. It's proven that contextualized content can help learners activate their past knowledge and solve problems more effectively.
• Principle of promotion of conceptual change. Learning can be improved by contextualizing knowledge via interactive classroom engagement activities that encourage students with the significance of a subject.
• Principle of promoting metacognition. Contextualizing content allows students to reflect on their learning by connecting ideas from a familiar tangible context to an abstract notion, allowing them to understand their own personal relationship to these concepts.