A good grounding in mathematical methods should equip students with an incisive, logical mind

A good education in mathematics can help a student flourish in many areas of their studies because the skills and methods they will learn are highly transferable. A good grounding in mathematical methods should equip students with an incisive, logical mind able to tease out useful information from a given problem: a talent sorely needed for success in the humanities.

When I am teaching mathematics I aim to draw attention to the relationships that exist between different concepts through teaching the theory that binds them together. Mathematics is not a subject of disparate topics where questions are just the manipulation of isolated processes; there is a wealth of fascinating theory that links the topics which, once understood, makes the mathematics relatable and understandable. This is often best understood by doing exercises that are set up using words and problems, rather than abstract numbers with no bearing to any examples.

I encourage students to work slowly when grappling with a new topic in mathematics so that they can concentrate on the ideas that guide their processes: it’s important they can see where each new development comes from.

This method can be used for work in other subjects, too. Arguments in a philosophy essay, for example, cannot skim over theory, but neither can they be bogged down in minutiae, students must identify the important conceptual links that are relevant to their work.

Daniel Jones, BA (Hons) in Mathematics and Philosophy, University of Liverpool, UK