Integrated Thematic Approach to Teaching Mathematics

Integrated Thematic Approach to Teaching Mathematics
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Integrated Thematic Approach to Teaching Mathematics
People use mathematics and related content in day-to-day situations, including business transactions, mental determination of time & distance, and even cooking. Ideally, the student's ability to link mathematical lessons or concepts in various daily contexts is the core goal of mathematics education. But this notion always encounters the explanations that mathematics is complicated, boring, and unrelated to everyday life. Scholars (Helmane, 2017) agree that such notions emanate from the way contemporary mathematics is taught: by focusing on completing the syllabus where students spend time internalizing content instead of applying it. A thematic approach solves this problem by emphasizing the use of central themes that allow students to link mathematics to their daily lives. According to Handal and Bobis (Handal & Bobis, 2004), this approach can empower students because it capitalizes on students' real-world experience and knowledge and enhances affective and cognitive outcomes. However, the au...