Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf), ASSAf Council for their continued support of committee activities. Although mathematicians must construct their own discipline—which in the field of pure mathematics may have applications that have not yet become evident—the artificial division between pure mathematics and applied mathematics is not generally useful to students or researchers. 1 National Research Council of the National Academies, Mathematical Sciences in 2025 (Washington DC, The National Academies Press, 2013).
5 Plenary 1: EARTH AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Discussion
Mathematics and biology are both such big, old disciplines that it is difficult to train graduates in either, even though the mathematics that biology students learn in their first year may not be sufficient. The mathematics that biologists need must be clearly defined and this must then be clearly communicated within the higher education system. Careful consideration should be given to the level at which the required mathematics should be taught and whether curricula should be adapted to train biomathematicians.
A rule of thumb may be that the required mathematics should be taught when necessary, which may often be at the graduate level. The usefulness of the current departmental silos at universities must be considered in terms of which mathematics is taught in which departments. But perhaps mathematicians should be encouraged to challenge and step outside these parameters, to become more 'vulnerable'.
The issue raises the question of where – in which departments – the study of mathematics and its branches should actually take place. Mathematics is a cultural asset – not just about what will work in university classrooms – and it should be widely addressed in science communication policies and programmes.
6 Plenary 2: ECONOMIC SCIENCES
Discussion
However, mathematics courses alone may not be able to instill such an understanding, or at least need to be adapted to do so. Regardless of the importance of mathematical thinking on mathematical performance, it should be emphasized that mathematical manipulation is absolutely necessary for the discipline - students must be able to use symbols correctly. Students should graduate with a nuanced understanding of the economic models they have been exposed to, rather than a "missionary" view of the world.
Problem solving is fundamental to effective modeling and graduates must be able to reflect on the contexts of the problems they are dealing with. Large-scale changes to curricula may not provide solutions to the issue of integrating mathematics more effectively into related disciplines. University departments have recently been cramming more and more content into their science and maths degrees.
There is a lack of articulation between the research carried out by university economics and mathematics departments and the models demanded by the financial sector in wider society. It may be worth describing what kind of mathematics is most needed to solve South Africa's development problems.
7 Plenary 3: MATHEMATICS AND BIG DATA
Discussion
It is important to ensure that the mathematical sciences remain involved in big data studies, although mathematics should not subordinate itself to the new field. In this regard, although collaboration within the higher education sector and with relevant external actors is important, the crucial issue is to ensure that the fundamentals of big data studies are properly taught. At some universities, it is not possible to pursue majors in both mathematics and statistics, both of which are crucial for big data.
In this regard, it is notable that the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa has established a Chair in Big Data to explore issues in signal analysis. The study of big data raises sociological and ethical concerns about its role in the wider world, especially in terms of South Africa's development. However, big data as a field should not only be application-oriented, but also support the study of mathematics itself.
It is important that mathematicians and scientists come together to discuss the impact of big data as a research methodology and research area. Within higher education itself, the use of big data can enable more effective planning – for example in the production of more appropriately tailored courses.
8 Plenary 4: PHySICAL SCIENCES
Discussion
This can be done, for example, by presenting students with key problems at the start of their course – the challenge is to solve them later when they have the right tools. Greater communication on interdisciplinary issues should be promoted within universities (e.g. between autonomous units within departments), between universities and with relevant non-governmental and governmental bodies. More degrees need to be developed across departments for students studying a range of subject areas.
In this regard and to overcome compartmentalization, the structure of science faculties as a whole needs to be reassessed. At present, many university administrators and government officials are unwilling to listen to new ideas about how math and science should be taught in universities. The issue of universities' resistance to changes in curriculum issues needs to be addressed and whether this may represent a reluctance to move away from teaching the same content that academic staff themselves have taught as university students.
Some leadership for change in mathematics and science studies must come from faculty and the broader scientific community. The process should be proactive and collaborative, engaging students, but not dictated by their discourse.
9 Plenary 5: MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Discussion
The standards of BEd courses, which are lower than those for other courses, need to be raised. The number of engineering students who drop out of the faculty in the first two years of study is large. The status of mathematics teachers in South Africa needs to be raised to encourage more university students to enter the field.
Previously, five percent of the university cohort would become teachers and train the next generation, but this is no longer the case and the teacher shortage is increasing. Greater incentives should be given to mathematics graduates to teach in schools. The benefits of the many in-service teacher intervention programs being continuously implemented in South Africa (with heavy investment from the state, private sector and aid agencies) need to be properly evaluated and collated.
The question of the depth of mathematical understanding and training that a teacher requires is important. However, some of the pedagogical approaches used in African classrooms outside of South Africa, where there are often fewer girls and less interaction between students, cannot be transferred.
10 ConClUsIon
Lessons can be learned from other African models of teaching in schools, many of which use traditional pedagogy. Mathematics must be taught in a welcoming way that encourages everyone to learn – the subject must be framed as democratically available and not just the preserve of a predestined elite. In this respect, the type of mathematics education offered can be considered inadequate.
However, discussions about decolonization in the higher education sector need to be nuanced so that a complete view of what should be retained and what should be changed can be obtained. External economic factors, including employability and scholarships that may be available for some specializations (such as actuarial sciences) and not others, also affect the graduate and post-graduate pipelines. The need for specialist mathematics can be addressed in a range of ways, from picking up new skills on an ad hoc basis at postgraduate level to implementing radical changes to curricula.
Their studies should help them feel more at home in all worlds – the academic, the natural, the socio-economic, etc. Breadth rather than depth (less is more) can be a useful guiding principle, although research mathematicians be able to. also contribute valuable insights to mathematical understanding that can improve pedagogy in schools.
11 Way forWard
In addition, the conceptualization of individual mathematical sciences as discrete disciplines can hinder the development and implementation of interdisciplinary projects. Mathematics should not be seen as a discipline that is exclusively at the service of other disciplines – it is a two-way process. The systemic design of the school system, in which at least seven subjects are taught at the matriculation level, can hinder higher achievements in mathematics and science.
Each of the nine regional houses seeks to help teachers in their respective area bring innovation to their science teaching practice. Recognizing the broader needs of mathematics in society, any outcome study or report based on the presentations and discussions at the ASSAf workshop on Finding Synergies in the Mathematical Sciences should address bridging the gap between academia and society in terms of both the pedagogy and the subject . areas of the mathematical sciences. It must seek to present a comprehensive, nuanced account of the views of those who work within the individual mathematical sciences and in mathematics education.
It can also be used to raise awareness of issues among the networks of those attending the meeting, particularly the university staff who actually design the curricula. Dissemination of the report and implementation of its content can be managed by a commission consisting of members from: the field of mathematics; the field of mathematics education; mathematical sciences; the wider scientific community; industry; informal science and mathematics platforms such as science centers, museums, etc.;.
Chair: Marc Schäfer 10:00 - 10:30 Plenary 1
Chair: Zodwa Dlamini 13:30 - 14:00 Plenary 2
ParTICIPanTs
23 le Roux Kate University of Cape Town 24 Little Francesca University of Cape Town 25 Marshall Delia University of the Western Cape 26 McNamara Caryn (Caz) University of the Witwatersrand. 31 Ouifki Rachid University of Stellenbosch 32 Paterson Mark Reporter/Scribe 33 Potgieter Marietjie University of Pretoria 34 Prince Robert University of Cape Town 35 Reddy Daya University of Cape Town 36 Schafer Marc Rhodes University.
