A Study On The Problems And Countermeasures Of Teaching Mathematics Concepts In Upper Elementary School

Concepts are an integral part of the mathematical knowledge system and the starting point for students’ acquisition of mathematical knowledge.Students correctly identify the basic content of mathematical concepts from their own cognitive experiences and from teachers’ teaching methods and explanations.In addition,mathematical concepts in the upper elementary grades are more general and abstract than those in the lower elementary grades.At this age,children’s thinking is in the transition stage from concrete to abstract,and the urgent task for teachers is to deal with the contradiction between students’ cognitive development and the content of conceptual education.This study was based on cognitive developmental stage theory and conceptual learning theory and was conducted among upper grade mathematics teachers in elementary school M in Yantai.With the help of research methods such as classroom observation,structured interviews,and textual analysis,this paper provides an in-depth interpretation of the current situation of concept teaching in elementary school mathematics from three aspects: teachers’ perceptions of mathematical concepts;application of mathematical concepts(introduction,construction and consolidation of concepts),assessment and reflection on conceptual teaching.The findings show that the following problems exist in teachers’ teaching of mathematical concepts in elementary school classrooms: teachers’ superficial understanding of teaching mathematical concepts,the way some concepts are introduced ignoring students’ differences,the formation of concepts emphasizing memorization rather than understanding,the lack of hierarchy in consolidating concepts,and insufficient attention to assessment and reflection on concept teaching.The main reason for this is that teachers are deeply influenced by the concept of teaching to the test,neglecting the "human-centered" teaching method,their theoretical foundation is relatively weak,their teaching ability is out of touch with reality,and they lack the motivation for professional development.In order to improve students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and improve the quality of concept teaching,the following optimization strategies are proposed: teachers should change their educational philosophy and improve their teaching level;insist that students are the masters of the classroom and choose appropriate ways to introduce concepts;teachers should consolidate concepts flexibly and not just take "sea of problems";teachers need to optimize the evaluation of teaching and enhance self-reflection.Teachers should optimize the evaluation of teaching and enhance self-reflection.