A Practical Exploration Of Python Programming To Support Mathematics Teaching In Middle School

Guided by the general policy of the country,society and schools are paying great attention to the development of programming courses.Python programming courses are gradually entering primary and junior high school classrooms,while interdisciplinary courses aiming to cultivate comprehensive talents are also gradually taking root in schools.With the rich content of lower secondary mathematics and the high practical requirements of students,and the fact that some of the concepts in lower secondary mathematics are abstract,students need concrete experiences and intuitive feelings.Schools and teachers need to pay attention to the cultivation of students’ creativity and comprehensive ability,and design and develop corresponding integration classes.By applying programming to mathematics teaching,abstract mathematical knowledge and principles can be made intuitive and otherwise boring mathematics can become interesting,thus increasing students’ enthusiasm for learning,broadening their horizons,helping them to improve their ability to solve practical problems,and improving their mathematical and information literacy.Based on the theory of constructive attention learning and the theory of "learning by doing",this study uses experimental research,individual interviews,questionnaires and action research to investigate the teaching model of Python programming to support the teaching of mathematics in junior secondary schools and to verify the effectiveness of the study.The study is divided into three stages of progressive progress,and at each stage,teaching practice is explored and effects are analysed,with the aim of providing reference and guidance for the next stage of the study.The initial exploration of Python to support the teaching and learning of mathematics in junior high school was conducted by first looking for links to mathematics in the Python programming section of junior high school IT teaching,and further sorting out and expanding on the mathematical knowledge therein.The interviews revealed that students agreed and looked forward to the use of Python programming to solve mathematical problems and learn mathematical knowledge.Secondly,in response to the feedback from the students in Phase 1,the thematic Python and Mathematics course was designed and developed,and the teaching practice was explored.It was found that students had positive and active attitudes towards learning,higher self-efficacy and better completion of learning tasks throughout the learning process in the Python thematic mathematics course.Practical experience was gained for integrating Python programming into the teaching of regular mathematics courses.Finally,the study was aligned to the regular teaching of mathematics,with content selected from four sections-number and algebra,graphics and geometry,statistics and probability,and synthesis and practice-for instructional design and practical study.The study found significant improvements in students’ attitudes towards mathematics and technology in the Python supported mathematics curriculum in practice.Research has shown that Python supported teaching and learning activities in junior secondary mathematics have positive implications for students’ learning of mathematics.Students are more enthusiastic about such courses,have good completion of course learning tasks,have more positive attitudes towards learning,have a stronger grasp of knowledge and skills and more flexible applications,and have improved their mathematical literacy,information literacy and problem-solving skills in an integrated manner.