The sessions of the sixth conference of Teaching and Learning Mathematics, which was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Vice President of the University for Educational Affairs and organized by the College of Education in cooperation with the Saudi Association for Mathematical Sciences, discussed 53 scientific papers. More than 70 researchers and specialist in teaching mathematics participated in preparing these papers.

His Excellency the Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Ali bin Muslih Al-Matrifi, pointed out that the sixth conference for teaching mathematics, that will last for three days, will discuss different problems for the teaching and learning of mathematics in the light of modern orientations and international competitiveness. The conference contains ten sessions, in addition to five workshops specialized in the development and improvement of teaching and learning mathematics.

In the first session of the conference, the Director General of Education in Makkah, Dr. Muhammad Al-Harithi, in his scientific paper that was presented on his behalf by his Assistant for Educational Affairs, Dr. Aminah Al-Ghamidi, tackled the process of keeping pace with educational development in developing curricula. He stated that this should be performed in a way that suits modern educational inputs, such as the integral curve of mathematics and sciences, development of learner's cognitive reserve, and empowerment of the student for him to manage his ideas in a extraordinary way that contributes in solving cognitive problems and in organizing them effectively.

Dr. Aminah Al-Ghamidi added that the goal of this scientific paper attracted the attention of teachers, supervisors and educators to the integral curve for learning sciences and mathematics. It also aimed at providing information related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) input, and regarded them as learning strategies inside the class.

She recommended using the integral curve in teaching mathematics to general education students. It should also be used to associate contemporary trends in education to the outcomes of education that affect the learning community, which helps developers to provide students with scientific outcomes that suit scientific practices in the future.

The Vice President for Educational Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Aziz bin Rashad Suruji, asserted that mathematics is a basic component of education upon which other fields are based in natural, technical and medical specializations. Moreover, its applications are used in different fields and activities of life, which requires those responsible for it to pay specific attention to the subject, and develop its teaching, content, methods and teachers.

Dr. Suruji hoped that this conference may produce quality recommendations that upgrade the educational outcomes and turn these initiatives into a desired reality that contribute in serving the educational process, especially those related to methods of mathematical sciences and their modern technologies. Next, he praised the efforts exerted by all participants, as well as their scientific research.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Association for Mathematical Sciences, Dr. Ubaid bin Jufain Al-Qahtani, pointed out that this participation constitutes an outstanding addition to this conference because of what the university and the college have of efficient cadres and abilities. He asserted that the association, being the scientific association concerned with mathematical sciences: pure and applied, and the teaching of mathematics, seeks to achieve the aspirations of its members.

Dr. Al-Qahtani declared the establishment of an award and a scientific journal for math teachers to enrich developmental and research ideas. Then he praised the efforts exerted by Umm Al-Qura University in hosting this conference.

The Head of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Khalid Al-Shareef, pointed out that this conference was held in the light of the accelerating scientific and technical transformations, to achieve the aims of the Saudi vision 2030 that stress the importance of keeping pace with modern developments and of achieving advanced results in international indicators to promote economic and competitive abilities.