Mathematics underpins everything we know and can know about the world

Pearson Africa’s Dr Benadette Aineamani weighs in on why maths is about more than numbers

06 December 2021: There has never been a more urgent need for South Africa to prioritise STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. According to the New York Academy of Sciences, sub-Saharan Africa requires 2.5 million more engineers to address Africa’s most pressing developmental concerns.

At school-level, the subject that underpins careers in all these sectors is mathematics. And yet in 2020, it was reported that 300 schools across South Africa no longer offer mathematics as a subject. This is an alarming fact not only because of the centrality of mathematics to careers in science and technology but because the skills acquired in the subject are so much more than just “numbers”. .

Dr Bernadette Aineamani, Director: Product & Services at Pearson Africa, agrees, she explains: “There is a perception that pure maths is notoriously difficult, but what learners need to realize is that it as much a language as English or Xhosa. When we start applying trigonometry, calculus and algebra to everyday problems and showing learners how to solve them, we will begin to inculcate a culture where people think beyond the numbers and become curious about how the skills and concepts we acquire in mathematics can help us solve global problems.”

Pearson South Africa is on a mission to help people make progress in their lives through learning. The company understands that preparing today’s students to become workplace-ready necessitates supporting today’s educators with the right tools to teach mathematics for understanding – Mathematics needs to be in a way that builds mental discipline,logical reasoning and mental rigor.

Many schools believe that mathematical literacy is a worthy alternative to more complex, theoretical, “pure mathematics.” The former deals with commonplace applications of mathematical skills in everyday activities such as calculating interest or budgeting. However, what learners need to bear in mind is that by taking mathematical literacy instead of pure mathematics, they will be automatically excluded from careers that are in the filed of engineering, health sciences; Actuarial Science ,Computer Science and many others , at most of the institutions of higher learning globally. From a macro-societal point of view, this decision also has a negative impact on the national goal to promote STEM-based careers.

“What I, and many other academics, advocate for, is the realization that mathematics is so much more than numbers. Let’s consider a contemporary example – sensor tools that are used to analyze whether a goal in a soccer match is valid or not, work according to complex algorithms; which ultimately are the workhorses of what we understand as artificial intelligence. Mathematics also allows us to build models that can be used to describe how the world works and hence make future predictions, for example mathematics models that have been used to predict the impact of global pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s also consider that maths is crucial to understanding the phenomena behind climate change – one of our generation’s most crucial issues to solve. We need learners at school level, to appreciate the practical applicability of pure mathematics instead of opting for the ‘easier’ option,” says Aineamani.

In a paper by Elizabeth M. Hughes (The Pennsylvania State University) and Sarah R. Powell (The University of Texas at Austin), the interdisciplinary link between literacy and mathematics is outlined. It is argued that ‘mathematical language’ involves the integration of numbers, symbols, words and images in ways to form a ‘mathematical language.’ In a sense therefore, learning and studying pure maths can be compared to studying a foreign language – acquiring it can open up several avenues and possibilities that are simply beyond the reach of the ‘illiterate.’

“The more graduates understand the real-world value of mathematics, the more they will be able to see value in working hard to come to grips with the complex, theoretical side of the subject. If we are to truly promote STEM-based careers, the starting point lies within primary and secondary schools, which form the foundation for further education and training. The education system needs to do everything it can to show how pure maths relates to everyday life in more ways than we can imagine. Taking maths at school is about more than learning to work with numbers – it’s the subject that can empower us and change the way see the world and how we interpret what we see in the world. Mathematics underpins everything we know and can know about the world,” concludes Aineamani.

CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.