Mathematics Festival by CIU Teacher Candidates

The Mathematics Festivals, which were organized by the Classroom Teaching Department students of the Faculty of Education, Cyprus International University (CIU) in recent weeks and completed as the last one finished final activity of the term, turned into an unforgettable experience for the students. In the events attended by 350 students, the children had the opportunity to discover how fun mathematics can be and how it is part of life.

The festival included station activities, games, colorful three-dimensional materials, and applications based on mathematics program outcomes. In this way, students enjoyed playing with numbers and solving problems creatively. The activities, which were prepared differently from the classroom environment, stimulated children's sense of curiosity while also supporting cooperation, strategy development, and analytical thinking skills. At the same time, the acquisition of core values such as patience and collaboration came to the forefront as one of the important goals of the event.

The impact of the festival was revealed by one of the students saying “Mathematics was so much fun with the game, I wish it would never end.”   Teachers and school administrators emphasized that such activities greatly contribute to students developing a positive attitude to the course.

This festival, which has been traditionally carried out by the students of the Basic Education Department for the last seven years, was successfully held three times this year with the contribution of 9 CIU teacher candidates, in 2 private and 1 state primary schools. The Head of the Basic Education Department and faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sarem Özdemir happily evaluated the requests of the school principals to continue in the next term and took the first step for a more intensive and interactive mathematics festival.