KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The annual international conference entitled " Mathematical Education" started at the Pedagogical University on October 5.

The conference, which is being held for the 11th time, is organized by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, Science Committee of Armenia, ASPU, Perm State University, National Research Saratov State University of N.G. Chernyshevsky,  Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy and Solikamsk State Pedagogical Institute.

Representatives of a number of universities and the education sector, teachers and students are participating in the conference.

In her speech, ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan expressed hope that this year solutions to the problems presented at the conference will be effective too. Problems of mathematics education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are the most urgent as always and their solution is a priority all over the world, she stressed.

The ASPU rector emphasized the importance of the conference as it dwelt on the problem and choice of teaching methods, development of a number of human qualities through mathematics education, as well as student participation. She stressed that representatives of this subject will provide solutions to a number of issues in tomorrow's schools.

"Such conferences and platforms are important for the teaching community; even if they do not offer specific solutions, at least they help identify and formulate urgent problems, thanks to them it will be possible to ensure the desired quality at different levels of education. This is also required by the current situation and security threats of our country," Srbuhi Gevorgyan said.

Hamlet Mikayelyan, Professor at the Chair of Mathematics and its Teaching Methods, says in our changing world it is vital to focus on education issues. He says the conference is a good platform to understand whether these changes are adequately addressed.

The professor regrets to say that unlike his foreign colleagues, the work with students differs in Armenia; professional and methodical questions are not properly addressed either.

Hamlet Mikayelyan emphasized the importance of joint discussions with future and current teachers, their active participation in the annual conference. He stressed that especially in the case of ASPU, connection between schools and universities should be strong in all specialties.

In the plenary session, the professor presented a report on the measurability of characteristics of textbooks and their teaching perception.

The author of a number of textbooks says one of the important components of the development of public schools is the effective organization of the textbook development process, and the creation of quality textbooks is largely determined by the existence and correct implementation of effective criteria for their evaluation.

Professor Mikayelyan also spoke about the degree of measurability of textbook characteristics and evaluation, saying that an unprepared teacher does not even correctly perceive the issue of measurability and interprets it in his/her own way.

Manuk Mkrtchyan, Professor of the Chair of Mathematics and its Teaching Methods presented a theme entitled "Advanced ideas fail in the old system", at the same time urging the presentees not to be offended by the content of his speech.

In his speech, he referred to the general education standards regularly developed and approved in Armenia, education development programs and noted with regret that despite the ongoing reforms, they do not provide the desired results and do not contribute to the improvement of education quality.

Professor Mkrtchyan also spoke about the educational significance of mathematics as a subject, and the teaching process as the main component of the learning system.

He thinks that today the pedagogical community is strongly influenced by the reality of the organization of the current teaching system not only with its pedagogical value system, but also with its pedagogical worldview.

He says that a different reality is not only alien and unacceptable for the current pedagogical community, but also unnatural and unreal. "And unless this problem is solved, we will witness endless and useless educational reforms and establishment of constantly revised educational standards," Professor Mkrtchyan concluded.

Within the framework of the conference, the participants also addressed a number of issues of mathematical education.

The conference will run until October 7.