Book a Math tutor in Kota Kinabalu

Are you looking for math lessons in Kota-kinabalu, Malaysia? If you are an upper secondary student in Malaysia looking for private teachers of math tutors in your area, Superprof is here to help you find the best tutor for you.

No matter if you choose an Arts or Science stream in your upper secondary career, mathematics is a subject that every student needs to feel comfortable in in order to pass the crucial Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM, or Malaysian Certificate of Education).

But what is taught in highschool math in Malaysia? How can you improve your math skills in highschool? And what is the hardest thing to understand about math? Keep reading to find out more.

What is taught in highschool math?

In the Malaysian educational system, forms 4 and 5 make up the upper secondary level, and students typically attend one of three types of school: Academic (arts or science stream), Technical and Vocational (technical, vocational or skills training stream) or Religious.

Students are required to take four core subjects regardless of streaming: Bahasa Melayu, English, mathematics, Islamic studies or moral education and history.

When it comes to mathematics, the approach taken in Malaysia is that the subject should be a friendly one. The curriculum is structured so that any student can approach it instead of having a more “specialised” form.

The curriculum is organised on three main strands: numbers, space and connections. These three bases are chosen based on the belief that in everyday living one is often faced with these elements in the order listed. That said, the curriculum in upper secondary also focuses on solving mathematical problems encountered in one’s daily life.

Some things that are considered as part of the mathematics upper secondary curriculum are the following:

• Numbers such as in counting and calculating
• Shapes, such as recognising and identifying the properties of shapes and their measurements
• Relationships, such as being able to recognise and use patterns, rules, general principles, laws, associations and so on in numbers and shapes.

How can I improve my math skills in highschool?

If you are feeling stuck in your math classes and feel like you need a bit of extra help, hiring a private math tutor could be the best answer for you.

That said, there are also some tips you can use in order to improve your math skills and ace your exams:

• Maths are progressive so it’s important that you focus on mastering a first topic before moving on to the next topic. For example, it will be extremely hard for a student to understand calculus if he doesn’t quite get adding and subtracting.
• When working on a math problem, try not to "map out a path from problem-to-answer" in your head before writing anything down. You should try to first write down the problem and then solve it one step at a time.
• Try to find a quiet place to study or do homework. This way you will be able to focus much better.
• If someone asks you for help, try to explain the topic to them as best you can. This is because those who can teach others have a true grasp of the material. The process of rephrasing information back to someone else and breaking things down will increase your own understanding.
• Never work math problems in pen. If you make a mistake, it will make it way harder to correct and not be confused by the writing.
• Don't work problems very late at night. Try to be as present and clear in the head so your complete focus is on the task at hand.
• If the problem lends itself to it, draw a picture of the problem. Since we are visual beings, the process of drawing the situation causes us to internalize what the problem is really asking for.

The final tip we can give you is to find a private math tutor in Kota-kinabalu that can help you reach your goals. This way, you will be able to focus on key problems and solve them with direct support from the tutor.