Don invents hip-hop song to solve mathematics problems
Following the dismal performances of students in mathematics examinations, a lecturer in the department of early childhood education, University of Ibadan (UI), Dr Ishola Akindele Salami has invented hip-hop songs to solve mathematical problems.
Dr Salami whose primary interest is in early childhood education stated that the hip-hop song developed is aimed at enhancing knowledge of pupils at the primary school foundational level.
According to Salami, the failure of dreaded mathematics is attributable to poor childhood learning-friendly tools to enable students to grasp the right formula to use in solving mathematical questions.
Prof Salami noted that a person who can solve simple mathematics problems can quickly reflect on how to solve societal problems adding that the Nigerian government should embrace more child-friendly strategies who make dreaded subjects simple.
While speaking with newsmen on the invention, the University of Ibadan teacher stated that the hip-hop song invented, and tagged “Matmusic” comprises of tracks of songs with Mathematics ideas, principles and procedures as messages.
The 2019 WAEC results released indicated that out of the 11, 892 candidates who sat for the examinations, only 3, 102 obtained five credits which included English and mathematics.
The results of WAEC published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) covering 2016 and 2018 indicated that candidates with five credit and above with both Mathematics and English in the southwest zone were less than 40 per cent.
“Learning Mathematics has always been a serious challenge for many learners starting from primary school level across the whole world. One of the reasons for this is the nature of the subject, which is rule-governed and abstract.
To do well in mathematics, one has to remember a lot of rules and procedures. Past efforts to make the subject learning-friendly focused largely on preparation of effective teachers and methods of teaching it.
Songs have also been used as instructional strategies to teach mathematics but there is a dearth of information on effort targeting child-friendly music to teach mathematics. It was discovered that one of the music types children love to listen to, is hip-hop music. This is because of the beats, rhythm and danceable melody it has. It was also discovered that when children love given music, they tend to remember all the lyrics. So, if Mathematics principles, formula, and ideas can be put into child-friendly music like hip-hop, this should enhance the learning of the subject. It is against this background that hip-hop music on primary mathematics was written and composed. We are still hoping the government in the southwest will see this invention and embrace it for adoption at the primary school level. The song incorporate the curriculum at the primary basic level”.
