- Mathematics serves as an effective medium for developing logical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving skills
- Two-day interactive session titled ‘The Art of Teaching Mathematics: From Fear to Fascination’ organized at the Regional Science Center
Various educational and public awareness activities are being promoted across the state to foster interest in science and technology, encourage innovation, and cultivate a scientific temper. In this context, the Chhattisgarh Regional Science Center, Raipur, organized a two-day interactive session on September 22 and 23, themed ‘The Art of Teaching Mathematics: From Fear to Fascination,’ with the aim of making mathematics instruction simple, engaging, activity-based, and creative. The event was held under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Science and Technology, Shri Vijay Sharma, and under the leadership of Shri Sonmoni Borah, Principal Secretary of the Science and Technology Department, and Shri Prashant Kavishwar, Director General of the Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology and the Regional Science Center.
On the first day, September 22, approximately 120 science and mathematics teachers from four development blocks of Raipur participated in person. The session was also broadcast online for other teachers in the Raipur district. During the training, teachers were introduced to various techniques for teaching mathematics by linking it to activities, experiments, experiences, and daily life, rather than limiting it to textbooks, formulas, and calculations. Through hands-on activities, it was demonstrated that even complex mathematical concepts could be conveyed to students in a simple, engaging, and accessible manner.
On the second day, September 23, a special interactive session was organized for B.Ed. and D.Ed. students. Participants included B.Ed. and D.Ed. students from SCERT, B.Ed. students from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, and students from the ITEP program. The objective of the session was to familiarize prospective teachers with innovative, activity-based, and practical methods of teaching mathematics, enabling them to present the subject in the classroom more effectively and enjoyably in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shailesh Kumar Singh, Project Director (In-charge) of the Chhattisgarh Regional Science Centre, Raipur, stated that mathematics should not be treated merely as a subject of formulas and calculations for students; instead, it should serve as a medium for thinking, understanding, questioning, and finding solutions. Describing activity-based and experiential learning as effective ways to explain mathematical concepts intuitively, he encouraged the prospective teachers to adopt innovative teaching techniques in their classrooms.
Mr. B. N. Rao, Director of the All India Ramanujan Society and Math Coach at the Ramanujan Talent Search Foundation, Bengaluru, interacted with the participants over both days of the training, providing guidance on innovative and activity-based mathematics teaching methods. Through hands-on activities, practical examples, mathematical games, and real-life scenarios, he demonstrated how mathematical concepts could be made simple and engaging. He placed special emphasis on encouraging teachers to inspire students to think, reason, question, and find solutions independently, rather than simply providing them with answers.
During the session, it was also highlighted that small experiments, activities, quizzes, and creative exercises play a crucial role in fostering interest and curiosity about mathematics among students. The two-day program aimed to connect both current and prospective teachers with innovative mathematics teaching methodologies. A key emphasis was placed on the fact that mathematics is not merely a subject of numbers and formulas but an effective medium for developing logical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving skills in students. The team at the Chhattisgarh Regional Science Centre, along with relevant officials and all collaborators associated with the event, played a significant role in the program’s successful organization.