Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, in collaboration with international partners, has organised a Mental Maths Awareness Programme for 500 primary school mathematics teachers in Bauchi State to introduce innovative teaching methods to improve pupils’ understanding of mathematics.
The event, held yesterday at the university’s 1,000-seat Lecture Theatre, Yelwa Campus, focused on promoting pattern-based learning techniques to make mathematics easier, more engaging and less intimidating for children at the primary school level.
The vice chancellor of ATBU, Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Garba, described mathematics as one of the strongest foundations for learning, innovation and national development.
He observed that despite its importance, many children, and even adults, associate the subject with fear, anxiety and frustration.
According to him, the awareness programme seeks to change that perception by equipping teachers with practical mental mathematics strategies that encourage critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving.
Represented by Prof. Haruna Yusuf, the VC added that, “Mathematics should not be a subject to fear but a language of thinking, reasoning, creativity and problem-solving. By strengthening teachers’ confidence and providing them with practical mental mathematics strategies, we can transform how children experience mathematics from their earliest years.”
The vice chancellor disclosed that the programme is being implemented through a landmark international research grant awarded to ATBU under the Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA), funded by the European Commission through the Global Gateway Initiative and coordinated by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) alongside international partners.
He noted that ATBU emerged as the only Nigerian university among six institutions selected from 94 applications worldwide, describing the achievement as a testament to the university’s growing reputation for research excellence and innovation.
According to him, the project focuses on improving early number learning through the Mental Starters Learner Workbook while supporting both pre-service and in-service teachers to strengthen children’s mathematical thinking.
He added that the initiative is also building a new generation of mathematics education researchers by supporting doctoral students and expanding research capacity within Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the project leaders, Prof. Balarabe Yushau and Dr. Lawan Abdulhamid, for securing the highly competitive grant and strengthening ATBU’s international collaborations with institutions such as Dublin City University, Ireland, and Rhodes University, South Africa.
He urged participating teachers to embrace the new teaching strategies, noting that they have the potential to make mathematics more meaningful and enjoyable for thousands of children across the state’s schools.
Earlier, the lead facilitator of the programme, Prof. Balarabe Yushau, explained that the initiative introduces a new approach to mathematics teaching by helping learners understand patterns rather than merely memorising formulas.
He said many pupils struggle with mathematics because they are taught procedures without understanding the concepts behind them.
“Our focus is to help students understand the patterns that exist in mathematics. Once they understand those patterns, solving mathematical problems becomes much easier,” he explained.
According to him, most major discoveries and breakthroughs in mathematics have been achieved through recognising patterns, a practice largely missing from conventional classroom teaching.
He revealed that the project began by training nearly 100 pre-service teachers from Colleges of Education during the 2025 and 2026 academic sessions. These teachers are being monitored throughout their teaching practice, with continuous mentoring, classroom observations and feedback to improve their instructional methods.
Prof. Yushau said the next phase of the project will extend to selected in-service teachers, with the long-term goal of expanding the initiative nationwide if it receives government support.
He clarified that the current programme was an awareness event rather than a full training exercise, explaining that participants would have opportunities to collaborate with the project team and benefit from future intensive capacity-building programmes.
Highlighting the project’s impact, Prof. Yushau disclosed that assessment results have shown remarkable improvements in pupils’ performance, with some learners recording gains of nearly 80 percentage points after undergoing the new teaching approach.
“We have not recorded a single case where a participant remained at the same performance level after the intervention. Both teachers and pupils have shown significant improvement and are enthusiastic about this new way of learning mathematics,” he said.
