In a bid to address the growing shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers—particularly female teachers—and to improve students’ critical thinking and learning outcomes, the Teach Girls Tech Foundation, in partnership with Elsevier MSSF, has organized a capacity-building workshop for public school teachers in Rivers State.
The training, tagged “The i-MatheElevate Teachers Workshop,” targeted Mathematics teachers from public primary and junior secondary schools and was held at the Centre for Information Technology and Engineering (CITE), University of Port Harcourt.
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The initiative is designed to introduce innovative and technology-driven teaching approaches that can transform the teaching and learning of Mathematics in classrooms.
Founder of Teach Girls Tech Foundation and Convener of the i-MatheElevate Project, Engr. Ujiro John, explained that the programme was conceived to be inclusive, irrespective of gender or disability, with special attention to groups often neglected in Mathematics education.
She noted that the project commenced in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, where one teacher was selected from each of 40 public primary and junior secondary schools, alongside teachers from three special needs schools.
According to her, participating teachers are being trained to deploy modern instructional tools and technical games such as coding, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), Rubik’s Cube, abacus, artificial intelligence and other interactive learning strategies to enhance students’ engagement and long-term performance in Mathematics.
Formerly launching the workshop, Professor Nduka Wonu, a Senior Lecturer at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, called on the Rivers State Government to institutionalize statewide professional development programmes for Mathematics teachers.
He described the challenges facing Mathematics education as multi-dimensional, involving students, teachers, parents and government, and stressed that all stakeholders must collaborate to reverse declining outcomes.
Professor Wonu emphasized that effective Mathematics teaching requires teachers who can properly diagnose classroom challenges and apply modern, creative strategies to stimulate learning.
He described Mathematics as the foundation of science and development, urging continuous training for teachers to keep pace with evolving pedagogical methods.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, the Director of Science and Technical Education, Mrs. Inisefiekabo Tam Job, commended the Teach Girls Tech Foundation for the initiative.
She assured participants that the state government is taking steps to empower Mathematics teachers across Rivers State as part of broader efforts to strengthen science and technical education.
The organizers expressed optimism that the i-MatheElevate project would, over time, contribute significantly to improved Mathematics proficiency among students and help bridge existing gaps in teaching capacity within the public education system.