Exploration and Research on Integrating Programming Education into Junior Middle School Mathematics Classroom

Helping junior high school students to use calculators and computers for problem solving and investigating real-life situations is an objective of the junior high school mathematics curriculum in Ghana. Ironically, there is a technological drought in junior high school mathematics instruction in Ghana, with a suspicion that mathematics teachers’ competency in the use of calculators for teaching may be the source of this lack of use. This study sought to establish a correlation between junior high school mathematics teachers’ competence and the motivation supporting the use of calculators in teaching.  A descriptive survey comprising of a test and questionnaire was used to collect data from junior high school mathematics teachers in an educational district in Ghana. Teacher characteristics such as educational attainment, age, and gender in relation to teachers’ competency in the use of calculators were discussed in the study. The results showed that about 70% of the teachers exhibited a low level of calculator competence. Besides, novice teachers outperformed expert teachers in the calculator competency-based test. Additionally, mathematics teachers’ enthusiasm for using calculators in teaching was directly associated with the teachers’ level of competency. The findings may send a signal to stakeholders in their efforts to revising the Ghana JHS curriculum in order to actualize the curriculum desire for the integration of technology in the teaching and learning of JHS mathematics.

Development of computational skills with fractions has long been a part of the upper elementary and junior high school mathematics program. Current movements toward metrication have led some individuals to suggest that decimals will receive more attention in the mathematics curriculum with a corresponding de-emphasis on fractions. The suggestion may find an increased number of supporters, as recurring evidence indicates that pupil performance with fractions is discouragingly low. An alternative point of view is that although metrication may somewhat alter work with fractions, their importance within the structure of mathematics and to applications justifies their continued emphasis in the curriculum.

In examining the organized efforts to bring the junior high school mathematics curriculum into focus with its proper functions, two movements become apparent: the administrative reorganization which created the junior high school, and the attempts to redirect the objectives of junior high mathematics.

Traditionally, a good part of the junior high school mathematics curriculum is devoted to a grand review of fractions. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of teachers, this review often fails to achieve its aims, and many students still graduate from junior high school without a respectable working knowledge of fractions.

Ten specific suggestions for motivating junior high school students to learn mathematics.

The objective of this research is to describe the improvement of the competence of Olympic workshop participants in problem-solving of mathematics Olympiad for mathematics teachers of Junior High Schools in the Madiun Regency by using the qualitative descriptive approach. The subjects of this research were 66 participants of junior high school mathematics teachers workshop organized by Mathematics teachers in each junior high school or MGMP in collaboration with the Depatment of Education and Culture of Madiun Regency. The data collection were carried out with a written test in the description form consisting the results of pre-test, post-test, practice questions, presentations from each group and observation results during the workshop. The results indicated that the mathematics Olympiad workshop activities for Junior High School mathematics teachers in Madiun Regency could increase the understanding of workshop participants in solving mathematics Olympiad questions. This improvement could be seen from the answers of practice questions as well as from the presentations session whereas the teachers could clearly describe several topics such as an algebraic, number theory, geometry, combinatorics, and statistics. However, an advanced Olympics workshops are still needed to help the teachers of Junior High School mathematics Olympiad in Madiun Regency.