Ateneo participates in MATHTED 2023

Delegates from Ateneo de Manila University Department of Mathematics recently participated in the 14th Biennial and International Conference on Mathematics Education (MATHTED 2023) held at the Philippine Science High School - Western Visayas Campus (PSHS-WVC), Jaro, Iloilo City from 19 to 21 October 2023. Organized by the Philippine Council of Mathematics Teacher Educators (MATHTED), Inc., led by Dr. Minie Rose Lapinid, MATHTED Vice-President and MATHTED 2023 Conference Chair, in partnership with West Visayas State University (WVSU) and PSHS-WVC, the conference had for its theme, “Future-Proofing Mathematics Education: Meeting Challenges and Optimizing Opportunities.”

The conference is a biennial gathering of mathematics educators and mathematics education researchers and serves as an avenue for dialog and exchange of new ideas, recent developments, and trends in mathematics education practice and research. This year, Ateneo de Manila University participated in the conference with a record-high number of participants which consisted of mathematics education students, alumni, and faculty.

The conference opened with a keynote presentation by the President of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), Professor Frederick KS Leung of the University of Hong Kong. Entitled “Future-proof Mathematics Teachers—What Do They Need to Know?” the keynote address emphasized that knowing mathematics content and pedagogy is not enough to be a good mathematics teacher. Teachers also must be reflective in their practice, continuously examining their beliefs, to develop knowledge about mathematics content as well as metacognition and understanding.

Following the thought-provoking keynote presentation was a plenary talk entitled “An Alternative Paradigm to Mathematics Education in Preparing for Future-Ready Learners” by Dr. Toh Tin Lam, Associate Professor from the Mathematics and Mathematics Education Academic Group of the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Beginning with the long-standing observation that students tend to dislike mathematics due to cognitive overload or perceived lack of relevance in the real world, the talk presented an alternative view of mathematics—that is, mathematics as communication. Integrating mathematics pedagogy and communication theory provides a way to design innovative material for mathematics teaching and learning with the goal of motivating students to learn mathematics.

Poster presentations and parallel oral presentations commenced on the first day and continued until the last day of the conference, providing invaluable opportunities for the conference participants to engage in discussion with a diverse group of mathematics educators and mathematics education researchers. Delegates from Ateneo de Manila University Department of Mathematics presented, through posters and oral presentations, developments in research on mathematical problem solving, the K to 12 curriculum, novel pedagogical strategies, mathematical proficiency of students and teachers, the role of technology in conceptual understanding of mathematics concepts, and more.

The first day of the conference concluded with the launch of the Special Interest Group Discussions on four areas: ethnomathematics, social justice in mathematics education, problem posing and problem-solving, and mathematics curriculum enactment. Discussions within these groups were productive—posing questions, promoting collaboration, developing social awareness, and potentially influencing policy.

The following day, Day 2, began with a captivating and energetic plenary talk by Dr Po-Shen Loh, Mathematics Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and former national coach of the USA International Mathematical Olympiad team. Entitled “Using Game Theory to Save the Next Generation from ChatGPT,” the talk started with an exploration of the capabilities of ChatGPT. By giving ChatGPT increasingly more difficult prompts, its power and limitations were revealed, leaving the audience in awe and shock at how easily it could be used to replace mundane work. Despite this, the talk concluded with a hopeful note that problem-solving is one aspect that artificial intelligence will have a hard time replicating and thus innovation and creativity becomes essential more than ever.

Following this insightful plenary talk were workshops on using manipulatives to develop conceptions of geometrical figures, using calculators in mathematics classes, using mobile applications to enhance mathematics learning, and using a free statistical program to enhance statistical learning.

Immediately following the workshops, Dr Carlene P Pilar-Arceo, Professor at the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics and the Philippine representative to the ICMI, delivered the conference’s final plenary talk, "Recall, Review, Reload.” With a retrospective-prospective tone, the plenary talk emphasized that in order to navigate the future of mathematics education, we must look back and scrutinize the challenges of the past, analyze how we overcame these challenges, review these challenges vis-a-vis the present, and make informed yet flexible decisions.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion about issues and concerns moving forward. The discussion revolved around the new MATATAG Curriculum: How different is it from the previous curriculum? What effects are expected in relation to student learning? What challenges are anticipated? Most importantly, how can mathematics teachers be assisted in implementing the new curriculum to maximize student learning?

Beyond the academic engagements, MATHTED 2023 also allowed the participants to explore the city—from trying out delicious food to learning about the history of the city. One highlight of the three-day affair was a gathering of the Ateneo delegates, dubbed Eagles’ Night, at the end of the first day of the conference to bond over dinner. Sharing stories and laughter, the Ateneo delegates formed new friendships and strengthened old ones. For them, MATHTED 2023 was not only about participating in the conference but also forming a closer community of mathematics educators and mathematics education researchers in Ateneo.

The success of Ateneo’s delegation at MATHTED 2023 is proof of the dedication of our students and faculty in contributing to mathematics education theory, practice, and policy.

We look forward to participating in the next MATHTED conference as well as other mathematics education conferences both here and abroad. We continue to engage in dialogue within and beyond the mathematics education community to contribute to the advancement of mathematics education in the country.