Combat Training is Transforming Young Girls in Beere Community, Ibadan.
Summary
About the Community:
Beere, despite its rich cultural heritage, has been described as a neglected area within the capital city, with issues like indiscriminate waste disposal and insufficient healthcare services. Many families struggle with financial constraints, limiting access to quality education.
About the Program:
The Maths Combat Abacus Training at Yejide Junior Girls' Grammar School, Ibadan, empowered `70 students with essential mathematical operations and arithmetics skills through a two-month, hands-on program. Focused on counting, addition, and subtraction, the training improved cognitive abilities, concentration, and confidence in mathematics. Using interactive methods like demonstrations, games, and competitions, students progressed from basic counting to complex arithmetic. Despite initial challenges, 85% completed the program successfully, with 99% reporting enhanced cognitive skills.
The program's success highlights the need for expansion to more schools, advanced topics, and digital tools, ensuring more underserved students gain valuable problem-solving and academics.
Training Methodology
The program adopted a hands-on approach to ensure active learning
- Demonstrations: Instructors illustrated calculations in real-time
- Interactive Practice: Students worked in small groups to solve problems
- Step-by-Step Excercises: Instructors illustrated calculations in real-time
- Progressive Difficulty: Students progressed from basic counting to complex arithmetic.
- Games and Competitions: Fun activities were incorporated to make learning engaging.
Challenges and Solutions
The program adopted a hands-on approach to ensure active learning
- Initial Resistance: Some students were unfamiliar with the abacus and hesitant to use it.
- Solution: Encouragement and real-life applications helped them adapt.
- Diverse Skill Levels: Students had varying mathematical abilities.
- Solution: They were grouped based on skill levels to allow for personalized learning
- 99% of students reported enhanced cognitive skills, including concentration, memory, and problem-solving.
- Increased confidence in mathematics was observed, positively impacting their academic performance.
Conclusion:
The success of this program highlights the need for continued support and expansion of such initiatives in underserved communities like Beere.