Mathematics Education Forum Chitwan

Mathematics Pedagogies and Assessment Practices in Semester System at Tribhuvan University

Bed Raj Acharya — 2022-12-31

The study sought to evaluate the goal of developing a student-friendly semester system in the context of Tribhuvan University, Nepal, by examining the teaching-learning and evaluation methodologies used in the semester system of mathematics education. Using a qualitative research methodology, this study was conducted. Three mathematics educators and six students were carefully chosen as the study's primary participants. Guidelines for interviews, observations, and focus group discussions (FGD) were utilized to collect data. Transcribing, coding, classifying, and producing themes sequentially were employed to examine the textual material. It was discovered that mathematics teacher educators utilized collaborative and communicative teaching-learning practices, resulting in more student involvement with learning. In addition, they have chosen a blended approach to instruction that emphasizes using information and communication technology (ICT) resources. They have been used in a variety of ways for teaching-learning mathematics. However, they have placed less emphasis on think pair and share tactics in the mathematics teaching-learning process. Thus, the delightful teaching of mathematics through digital tools, the Moodle platform, flipped pedagogy, art-based learning, and transformative techniques represented shifts in educational practices.

Undergraduate Female Mathematics Student's Identities

Tara Paudel — 2022-12-31

The main purpose of this study was to explore the undergraduate level female mathematics student’s identities construction in Nepal. The study adopted narrative inquiry methodology with four female participants from Tribhuvan and Kathmandu University, Nepal. There is an attempt to explore how females have been able to construct identity with the barriers they cope up with while making their career. Vygotsky's cultural- historical activity theory was the theoretical meniscus. The result revealed that female mathematics teachers struggled with societal bars, discrimination, transitional phase, setting up identity mark point during the process of constructing student’s identity at undergraduate level. The result revealed that during this phase, every female student face challenge and take steps towards their career which in turn out to be a milestone for their empowerment as well as identity construction. This research encourages, motivates, inspires and empowers every female mathematics students who aims to shape up their identity in mathematics field.

Does National Curriculum Fit for Working Class Children? A Gap in Math and Science Teaching

Shurendra Ghimire — 2022-12-31

This paper highlights the issue of imposing middle-class norms of schooling on working-class children and its consequence on low learning achievement and perpetuating socioeconomic differences in learning. A study was carried out to explore the teachers' role in contextualizing teaching in schools where students are from the working class. Math and science subjects teaching of a dozen of teachers were observed, and complemented with interview. Thus generated information was analysed in the background of the school setting, and the teachers' role as mediators between students' concrete experiences and disciplinary formal concepts of textbooks. The study suggested that teachers stressed the transmission of knowledge than mediating students' experience to formal learning; teachers' language use in the classroom is insufficient triggering students thinking and conceptualisation, meanwhile teacher preparation and development are not oriented to the contextualised and integrated teachings. Their teaching was not only problematic to achieving the national objective of education encouraging critical thinking, and developing problem-solving skills but also demanding middle-class habitus, aspirations, resourcefulness, performance, etc. in the working-class children.

Critical Self-reflective Engagement to Improve Professional Development for a Teacher Educator

Rameshower Aryal — 2022-12-31

The conventional banking model (Kalsoom, Kalsoom & Mallick, 2020) of rote-recall culture of pedagogical practices might promote subject-centric memorizing, rather than understanding and critical exploration of knowledge. Critical reflection might articulate the depth and breadth of experiences of learners and might build connections between the past, and present and construct a vision for the future. In pedagogy, different forms like poetry and autobiographical reflection capture learners' personal experiences and can be considered as one alternative model for a meaningful and critical understanding of the core complex phenomena of the diverse world. To this connection, the paper investigates critical self-reflection as one of the transformative tools utilizing Habermasian Knowledge Consecutive Interests (technical, practical, and emancipatory) as theoretical referent and metaphors as a tool for critical discourses of phenomena. This paper tries to explore, creating connections between the issues raised and the learner's experience, might articulate the depth and breadth of the learner's experiences through critical self-reflection. Among many ways to express critical reflection, the first entails having the capacity to uncover, scrutinize, and modify our deeply ingrained preconceptions in order to potentially bring about significant change (Mezirow, 1991) and placed a strong emphasis on critical action while reflecting on power relations (Brookfield, 1995) of the pedagogy practice.

Mathematical Analysis of Hemodynamic Parameters of Blood Flow in an Artery

Jeevan Kafle — 2022-12-31

In blood rheology we study volume flow rate, blood pressure, velocity, viscosity and shear stress of blood. Cross-sectional area plays an important role for smooth flow of the blood. But some other parameter like composition of blood, length of vessel also affects in the flow rate and pressure of blood. Velocity and volume flow rate are derived by using Poiseuille’s equation.This work presents a mathematical model of blood flow that was created using the N-S equations and computer simulation. Graphs are used to analyze the results.

A Comparison of Advection Diffusion Equation Solutions, Observed Data, and Statistical Results

Prem Sagar Bhandari — 2022-12-31

In this paper, the statistical procedure is compared to the analytical solutions of an advection-diffusion equation describing air pollution spread in a limited atmospheric boundary layer from a continuous point source. The equation is formulated by assuming the eddy diffusivity and wind velocity as the constant and the power law of vertical height. It has been observed that the expected concentration for eddy diffusivity and wind velocity as constants has a worse agreement with the actual concentration than the expected concentration for wind speed and eddy diffusivity as variables.

Engaged Reading: A Pathway to Transformative Mathematics Learning

Basanta Raj Lamichhane — 2022-12-31

Conventional mathematics teaching-learning activity seems unable to foster creative, critical and reflective thinking in learners because it incorporates transmissionist pedagogy. A piecemeal, linear and reductionist approach prevents holistic learning that results in the mindless replica of mathematical knowledge, facts, skills and algorithms. It has socialized the learners into non-questioning roles, helped create and maintain passive identities, germinated feeling of inferiority, and lessened self-confidence and power to control their actions. It also conceals social, cultural, historical, political, affective and spiritual dimensions of mathematics education and its interconnection to real-world problems and develops literacy for 'stupidification' so that learners remain unconscious and unaware of unjust practices, power dynamics and hegemonic ideology. In this context, this editorial explores how to unearth the aforementioned components that restrict the mathematics education within the grips of dominate power structure, hegemonic ideology and pouring pedagogy and aims to envision an alternative empowering and transformative pedagogy. I realize that engaged reading is one of the most significant contributors that liberates mathematics from the 'one-size-fits-all' pedagogy and helps develop the learners' agency so that they can become change agents. Engaged reading incorporates cognitive, affective, academic, and social aspects of learning and illustrates the political (power structure), ideological, cultural and historical embeddedness. Furthermore, this paper illuminates three interconnected roles: - engaged reading as/for critical reflective practices, engaged reading as/for agentic development and engaged reading as/for transformative learning. Finally, I briefly present the overview of the issue.