(A) Why Mathematics?

Mathematics may be defined as a powerful language that involve the use of numbers and symbols to convey a message. It is therefore important that the reader understands and interpretes this language properly otherwise there is a great likelihood of having a communication breakdown.

In this project, the sole objective is to try and highlight some of the problems associated with training of females in Mathematics and suggest workable solutions to those problems. In Mt. St. Mary's College Namagunga, there are about 700 students in total, 600 are in Ordinary level-where Mathematics is compulsory, and the remaining 100 are in Advanced level where the subject is not compulsory. In the school (a girls' school), the students perform well in all the subjects at the end of their Ordinary Level and also at the end of their Advanced Level. However, the students who are currently not studying Mathematics came up with interesting results.

The students believed that they did not continue with Mathematics at Advanced level because lack of interest in the subject, others wanted to get focussed on the Art subjects and a group of students thought that for the courses they wanted to do later at the University, Mathematics is not an essential subject. Of course, these reasons are Mathematically interesting because firstly, interest counts alot in whatever small activity we do. There are certain subject combinations such as Literature, History and Mathematics at Advanced level that are not offered in this country. Hence, technically a Mathematics enthusiast opting for Literature and History as first two subjects can not add the third subject as Mathematics. Again, the lack of freedom to choose any three subjects for your advanced level subject combination is concretised by the Tertiary Institutions' pegging of certain subjects as relevant to admission to certain courses. This to an extent this is correct for science based courses such as Medicine, but may be untrue to a student hoping to study say, sociology at a University. Infact, the student may need knowledge of Mathematics to do well in Research Methods in Sociology at the University!

Reasons advanced by other students on the issue of why they like Mathematics are numerous. Some think that Mathematics does not involve a lot of cramming and writing a lot of notes. Indeed, an attempt to cram the way in which a problem has been solved has often made students present wrong solutions to correct problems. And the issue of volumes of notes has all to do with the symbolic way in which problems are presented and represented in Mathematics. This presentation is precise and at times rigid. This, students of Mathematics have to learn and use. The fundamental question here is: "How do they learn these Mathematical concepts?" This in essense points a finger at the teaching methodology, which is a subject to be tackled later. A certain group of students though that Mathematics is an interesting subject which is easy to understand if you are willing to study. Ever taught someone not willing to learn, or have you ever felt like not studying? This tendency definitely will affect our capacity to understand a concept. A view from one student was; "Mathematics is interesing because you actually see how things happen!" Does this mean Mathematics is a practical subject? Or does this student imply that it is like adding anhydrous copper(II) sulphate crystals to water an getting a blue colouration? Or does she imply that you can not concoct a solution to a Mathematical problem , Mathematics is the Science of honesty? Students wrote about facts such as; developing a liking for Mathematics because they liked the teacher. At this point, can we use an anology such as "user friendly" as in computer software? In most countries, where the examination system is so centralised, there is great pressure on students passing of the set examinations. Mathematics is treated as a compulsory subject especially, at Ordinary level,GCE,or junior high school. This makes students force themselves to treat Mathematics as a "necessary evil" and hence work towards, atleast, passing it. Many students think that Mathematics helps them to solve everyday problems and this then posses fundamental questions: How do we connect Mathematics to our daily lives? How do Mathematics teachers relate the subject while teaching their students to the daily life situations?

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Labongo Badru (Mr.)

E-mail <labongob@hotmail.com> OR <labongo@msmn.ac.ug>