The development of mathematical understanding and its application to Libyan secondary school mathematics [Ressource électronique] / Bashir Hosni Zeguan

Doctor of education : The University of North Carolina at Greensboro : 1982

Bibliogr. p. 193-202

It is unfortunate that man> students in Libyan schools and elsewhere dislike mathematics and are even afraid of studying it. This is partially related to the fact that mathematics is presented in an extensive fashion in both scope and depth of content and does not provide opportunities for the student population to understand it. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the problems of the method of presenting mathematics in Libyan secondary schools and to develop principles for understanding mathematics. There were four subordinate problems inherent in the main problems: 1) to study and analyze the characteristics of the new mathematics program in terms of content and method of presentation; 2) to study the problems of Libyan secondary school mathematics, specifically to determine weaknesses in the content and method of presentation; 3) to explore and develop criteria for understanding mathematics; and 4) to evaluate method of presenting mathematics in Libyan secondary schools in terms of the developed criteria. Information for this study was gathered and presented by different methods. Chapter I provided a general background of the problem. Chapter II included a general review of the international development of mathematics education. Chapter III presented analysis and critique of the Libyan secondary school mathematics. Chapter IV attempted to develop criteria for understanding mathematics. Chapter V described the experimental procedures. Six hypotheses were utilized for this study and were tested by analyzing response between form A and form B, using Binomial test of proportions procedures. The results indicated there were significant differences between the two presentations, and significantly more teachers preferred method of presentation B than method of presentation A. Based on the analysis of the Libyan Mathematics program and the evaluation of method of presenting mathematics in the secondary school, this study reached the conclusion that the Libyan secondary school mathematics program needs to be modified to provide opportunities for secondary school students to understand mathematics and to be in accord with international school mathematics. The writer made 17 recommendations to the Libyan mathematics education specialists to undertake a revision of the entire secondary school mathematics program in the country, using this study as a possible guide.