Professional Development for Teachers of Mathematics

At a time when mathematics is becoming more important in our everyday lives and more relevant in applications in industry and the emerging technologies, there are signs of a decrease in numbers of students and their interest in the subject. Teachers must be encouraged to take a new approach to generating enthusiasm amongst students by showing them that mathematics is an integral part of the future. To achieve this, opportunities for renewal of teachers' knowledge and updating of skills should be made available. In this paper, emphasis is placed on mathematics in the real world and how it can be used to develop the more general skills such as self-teaching and communication which are an essential part of preparation for entry into higher education or the workplace.