A mathematics PhD from premier U.S. school Harvard University and Vietnam’s youngest professor in 2020, the 43-year-old now serves as director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences under the Ministry of Education and Training.The chief editor of the primary school mathematics textbook series shares his views on the current state of mathematics learning in schools in an interview with VnExpress.
Prof. Le Anh Vinh. Photo from his Facebook pageSome experts claim most students have only a vague understanding of real-world applications of math, such as financial investment. What is your view?I think that assessment is accurate, and it is not a new issue.At the primary level, most mathematical knowledge and content originate from questions and problems related to children's daily lives. In reality, however, many students perceive mathematics as a separate world disconnected from their lived experiences. As they move into middle and high schools, the increasing level of abstraction widens that gap further.For example, in the school curriculum, simple interest is introduced in lessons on percentages, while compound interest appears in exponential functions. If students are only asked to plug numbers into formulas to get answers, it is merely a technical exercise. But if they understand why interest exists and what it represents in the relationship between money, time, risk, and financial decisions, then mathematics truly becomes a tool for understanding life.Even at university level, students in some programs still study advanced mathematics focused heavily on calculation techniques, formulas, and models rather than use math as a tool to understand real problems in their field. This makes mathematics feel even more burdensome and detached.What do you think is the biggest bottleneck making mathematics in schools so rigid?The excessive focus on results.Students are mainly evaluated based on whether their answers are right or wrong, and whether they solve problems quickly or slowly. This unintentionally creates a standard where speed and correct answers define excellence.When the goal narrows to finding the correct answer, both teachers and students tend to skip intermediate thinking processes to reach the result as fast as possible.There are two broad approaches to teaching mathematics. One focuses on memorizing formulas, procedures, and solving techniques. The other begins with fundamentals: helping students understand concepts, why mathematical tools exist and the contexts in which they are used.Many teachers are forced to choose the first approach because of limited time, overcrowded classrooms, and, especially, exam pressure, since tests mainly measure speed, technical ability, and familiarity with standard problem types. Over time, students become accustomed to learning by templates and exams continue to be designed to evaluate exactly that style of learning.This creates a cycle: teaching methods shape learning habits, learning habits reinforce exam design, and exam design in turn dictates teaching methods. Eventually, the system reaches a kind of equilibrium that nobody wants to or dares break.
