Math agency blames poor results on hasty teaching

Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa director Stephen Njoroge. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT | NMG 

By OUMA WANZALA
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Summary

• Students are taught to memorize yet the subjects require application and critical thinking skills.

A government agency tasked with providing in-service training for mathematics and science teachers is now blaming poor teaching methods for the lacklustre performance of the subjects in national examinations.

Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa Director Stephen Njoroge said students are taught to memorize yet the subjects require application and critical thinking skills.

“Let us not rush to cover the syllabus. Teachers should ensure students understand the concepts taught,” he said.

Mr Njoroge said hasty coverage did not allow students to understand the concepts in a subject, which is the goal of effective teaching and learning.

He said the focus of the teachers should be how well students have understood what has been taught.

The remarks come in the wake of a report by universities that revealed shocking details on the performance of science subjects in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education for the last three years, locking students out of high-profile courses such as engineering, medicine and IT.

The report released last month indicated a failure rate of about 90 percent in the subjects.