So 80 cent plus 60 cents plus 60 cents is?

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Should we start embedding a Critical Mindset in our maths today?

Last week, one of my friends posted in our chat that some parents were upset about a teacher’s grading of a mathematical answer provided by a year one student. The mathematical question, written in Bahasa Malaysia, stated: “Ahmad membeli sebuah buku dan dua batang pensel seperti di bawah. Hitungkan jumlah wang yang perlu dibayar.” The literal translation is, “Ahmad bought a book and two pencils as shown below.”. The article was published on says.com.

The picture included a book costing 80 cents and a pencil costing 60 cents each. The answer given by the year one’s student was: 80 cents + 60 cents + 60 cents, which totaled RM2.00. The teacher marked it as the wrong answer as it should be 200 cents. This situation caused a stir among Malaysian parents, who voiced their discontent over the teacher’s dismissal of the child’s answer.

As our chat continued, I turned to my daughter and asked her how she would respond. She said her math teacher advised them to answer with “200 cents” and then put “RM2.00” in a bracket. It seems everyone has a valid point. However, as I read further into our discussion, I wondered why there is such a rigid approach.

In my humble opinion, mathematics should be approached with a critical thinking mindset. Critical thinking is essential in mathematics; it involves more than just finding the correct answer. It entails analyzing problems, understanding underlying concepts, and evaluating different approaches. By doing so, we can apply logic to solve complex questions effectively.

Why am I addressing this in my topic today?

Well, in today’s digital transformation landscape, we spoke about a critical thinking mindset and problem-solving skills. I believe a mathematics critical thinking mindset provides the foundational skills needed to navigate complex, data-driven challenges, optimize processes, and innovate effectively. Perhaps, let me address a few pointers as to why this critical thinking mindset is so crucial for our education today;

  • It helps to structure problem-solving skills as it mathematically trains people to approach problems methodically, analyzing information and breaking it down into manageable parts. So for digital leaders and drivers, it helps them to tackle complex challenges, such as re-engineering workflows, and integrating new technologies so that they can align with the organization’s evolving digital strategies.
  • Having a mathematical critical thinking mindset emphasizes logical thinking, quantitative analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. This approach is also particularly important in digital transformation as today is all about data insight and data-driven decision-making. With a mathematical critical thinking mindset, one is better equipped to interpret data correctly, draw them to meaningful insights, and further make informed decisions.
  • These complex mathematics can help to handle ambiguity and complexity as mathematics problems often have multiple paths to a solution. Therefore, as organizations can experiment with new technology and strive to adapt to rapid market shifts, the critical thinking mindset helps to encourage teams to test hypotheses and approaches and seek possible solutions.

I’m not a mathematics expert, but my argument is whether education should prepare students for the future by focusing on rigid mathematical answers or by integrating practical applications and embedding a critical-thinking mindset. So, what do you think?

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