Question

Which learning or instructional theories would you consider for teaching beginning algebra to 14- and 15-year-old students? Why? How would this choice differ from the theories you would select for teaching foreign language or social studies to the same group of students? Why?

Answer 1

Language and science or maths study to a large extent. Maths or any science is universal, it has got fixed equations, no matter of country, language, religion etc. Whereas The language has a lot of impact on understanding, thinking, habits. The language to a large extent also tells about the nation of any country. For instructional theory for algebra would be to do step by step equation. To assume x as the finding factor in the question in algebra. Then proceed according to the questions. Before that, you should able to understand the question, what you have to find out, that missing factor you should consider as x. The language used is only about the numbers. Whereas in teaching a foreign language to 13-14 year old would involve understanding their mother tongue initially. As any foreign language can be best communicated through native language or any language used. This would involve the understanding of the thumb rules, teaching interesting facts about the country, grammatical rules to make the things and the language more concrete or to give it a base. Any student would apply his own logic of language first, and it is necessary to deal with these differences or to explain these differences to students very softly. Hence teaching any language would also involve showing them any movie clip, introducing the map of the country etc.