• Ei assessed 1000+ in-service mathematics teachers of classes 3, 4, 5 and 6 students across 152 schools in India, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia

• Staggering 80% teachers faltered on concepts such as ratio, proportional reasoning, algebraic reasoning, estimation, and logical reasoning – skills crucial for real-life problem-solving

• While 73.3% of the teachers answered questions based on grade 4 concepts correctly, only 36.7% could answer the questions that test the understanding of grade 7 concepts

A two-and-a-half-year study by Ei, a leading education technology company, reveals significant misconceptions among in-service Maths teachers regarding primary and middle-grade concepts. Alarmingly, up to 58% of teachers displayed misunderstandings in some areas, a rate comparable to middle-grade students. Additionally, about 75% of teachers failed to correctly answer half of the assessment questions, highlighting a critical gap in their subject knowledge.

Methodology: The study, titled “Analysis of In-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Subject Knowledge and Misconceptions on Primary and Middle Grade Mathematics Concepts,” analyzed the mathematical knowledge of 1,357 teachers across 152 schools in India, UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Teachers participated in the TIPS (Teacher Impact Programmes) – Math Subject Knowledge – Level 1 assessment, which evaluates both subject and pedagogical knowledge and provides detailed feedback to teachers and principals. Among the participants, 80% were from India, 18% from UAE, and 1% each from Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Key Findings: The study highlights critical issues in the mathematical proficiency of in-service teachers, revealing that 75% struggled to answer 50% of the questions correctly, and only 25% could answer a quarter of the questions accurately. An alarming 80% of teachers had misconceptions in key areas such as ratio, proportional reasoning, algebraic reasoning, estimation, and logical reasoning—skills essential for real-life problem-solving. While 73.3% of teachers correctly answered grade 4 questions, only 36.7% could handle grade 7 topics. This parallel between teacher and student misconceptions suggests a cyclical problem in math education.

Key areas of misunderstanding included:

– Decimal Comparison: 36.3% of teachers misunderstood how to order decimals, incorrectly comparing the decimal part of numbers as whole numbers, which reflects a fundamental error in place value and decimal properties. About 60% of students shared this misconception.
– Understanding of Perimeters: 32.9% of teachers incorrectly believed that the perimeter of a shape formed by joining parts is the sum of the perimeters of those parts, showing a lack of understanding of basic geometric properties.
– Probability: 16.4% and 25.9% of teachers wrongly asserted that the probability of an event cannot be a fraction or a decimal, or stated it cannot be 0 or 1, indicating significant gaps in understanding fundamental probability concepts.
– Ratio and Proportional Reasoning: 58.9% of teachers incorrectly believed that the ratio a:b changes to a+k:b+k when ‘k’ is added to both quantities, revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of ratio concepts that could severely impact teaching quality in subjects requiring proportional reasoning.

Nishchal Shukla, Vice President of Content Development and Pedagogical Research, said, “The implications of these misconceptions are far-reaching. Misconceptions among school teachers not only hinder students’ ability to grasp fundamental concepts but also underscore a systemic issue within the education landscape. As the Indian National Educational Policy 2020 advocates for competency-based assessments and holistic development, it raises pertinent questions about educators’ preparedness to meet these evolving standards.”

Sridhar Rajagopalan, Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer (CLO) of Ei, stated, “This study serves as a wakeup call for our education system, which has long prioritized rote learning, leading to deep-rooted academic misconceptions passed down through generations of learners. India’s low ranking of 72 out of 73 countries in the PISA assessment underscores the prevalence of rote memorization in classrooms and the widening gap in conceptual understanding caused by familiar textbook-style questions. The skills students acquire are heavily influenced by the types of questions they encounter, with rote learning undermining critical and creative thinking. While the NEP 2020 represents a positive policy step, schools and teachers must now take responsibility for upskilling and breaking this cycle. The evolving demands of the modern world necessitate an education that fosters critical thinking and innovation, requiring educators to lead by example with the necessary skills.”

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