Dear Editor,

The results from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were discouraging for Jamaica in mathematics.

In Jamaica, 26 per cent of students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, significantly less than the 69 per cent average for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. At minimum, these students can interpret and recognise without direct instructions. Disappointingly, almost no students in Jamaica were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test.

Girls outperformed boys in mathematics by 13 score points and in reading by 35 score points in Jamaica. Globally, in mathematics boys outperformed girls in 40 countries while girls outperformed boys in 17 countries. In reading, girls, on average, scored above boys in all but two countries that participated in PISA 2022 (79 out of 81).

The International Day of Mathematics is a worldwide celebration that is observed annually on March 14. It is also known as the Pi Day, because the mathematical constant π can be rounded down to 3.14. The theme this year was ‘Playing with Math’.

The International Day of Mathematics is an opportunity to explain and celebrate the essential role that mathematics and mathematics education play in breakthroughs in science and technology, improving quality of life, empowering women and girls, and contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The teacher-student ratio plays a role in how mathematics is received by students. The larger the class size, the more likely that some students will be left behind. Sadly, many students over the years have fostered and developed a phobia for mathematics. In many families this dislike for the subject is accepted and even passed along from generation to generation.

Then there is also the sore issue of out-of-field teaching. Out-of-field teaching occurs when a teacher is assigned to teach a subject without specific training in that subject area. Unfortunately, few have spoken about this issue due to its ubiquity. The practice is very much unprincipled. Highly qualified teachers may actually become highly unqualified if they are assigned to teach subjects for which they have little training or education. Out- of-field teachers should be concerned about the negative impact their teaching might have on student learning, such as lower achievement scores.

Societies also need to move away from long-held gender stereotypes which imply that males are more proficient in mathematics than females. Research has shown no cognitive biological differences between men and women in mathematics. Without a doubt, the acquisition of mathematical skills is akin to gaining life skills and accessing lifelong learning opportunities.

The time has come for an unbiased and holistic approach to the teaching of mathematics. It is imperative that governments worldwide invest more resources in the training of teachers of mathematics, especially since mathematics is one of the core STEM subjects, the others being science, technology, and engineering.

Governments should continue to build the capacity of teachers in mathematics amid concerns about the ongoing migration of qualified educators from the Global South to the Global North. Currently, the teaching of mathematics is carried out using a straightjacket approach. What is needed is an approach to the teaching of mathematics that will encourage critical thinking skills.

Mathematics can be a gateway to exploration, experimentation, and discovery as well as a source of fun. Let us recommit ourselves to rid the society of the negative utterances and stigma that are attached to the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Wayne Campbell

waykam@yahoo.com