Oliver Thiel is the first mathematics professor at DMMH and the world's only professor in kindergarten mathematics, a field he has worked with since he joined DMMH in 2011.
The Physicist Who Became a Math Teacher
- Actually, I am a physicist, says Thiel, who holds the equivalent of a master's degree in astrophysics from the Free University of Berlin.
- It was difficult to get a research position in astrophysics, so some friends suggested I should become a kindergarten teacher, the professor explains. In the congregation he belonged to, he was responsible for a children's group and enjoyed being in the company of children.
Since large parts of the physics degree could be integrated into teacher training at Humboldt University in Berlin, he chose that path instead. When his professors realized Thiel's background in mathematics, he was exempted from the usual coursework and instead worked as a student assistant. After his studies, he continued with a doctoral scholarship that resulted in the dissertation "Modeling the Educational Path Recommendation in Berlin."
- Parallel to my teacher training, I took further education as a therapist for children with math difficulties.
After his doctorate, Thiel continued working at Humboldt University. There, he became increasingly interested in mathematics didactics while researching the transition between kindergarten and school. He was interested in how much math children knew when they started school. Mathematics is not part of kindergarten teacher education in Germany, but eventually, there was a demand to introduce the subject in kindergartens. Thiel researched, among other things, how kindergarten teachers who did not have mathematics in their education worked with this.
Many Are Afraid of Mathematics
After getting in touch with math teacher Anne Hjønnevåg Nakken at the EECERA conference, Thiel started at DMMH. Together with Nakken, he wrote the textbook "The Core of Mathematics" (2014) because they were dissatisfied with the curriculum literature.
- In the beginning, it was just Anne and me; now we are 4 teachers working with mathematics.
But even though the faculty group has grown, it does not necessarily mean that students are more interested in mathematics.
- Many are afraid of math. It is one of the most important things we teach, but kindergarten mathematics is something completely different from the mathematics they have experienced in school. Many believe that mathematics is numbers and calculations, and that is not the most important thing in kindergarten at all. Expanding the view of mathematics involves a lot of aesthetics, seeing connections, and exploration.
Professor Oliver Thiel and the rest of the Mathematics Faculty at DMMH facilitate practical-oriented teaching.
- My wish is that when students become kindergarten teachers, they are able to see the mathematics happening in children's lives, address it, and help the children gain a deeper understanding. They need a certain theoretical foundation. It's not enough to take a plan someone has published and execute it, thinking they have met the mathematics requirement in the curriculum. I have experienced that they ask ChatGPT and get a plan, but then they haven't understood what it's about.
Changing Teaching Methods
- I like teaching, but research is also important to me, especially the contact with kindergartens. That's one of the reasons we have the mathematics room. We can make teaching more practical, and kindergartens can come here.
Thiel has researched a lot on students' attitudes towards mathematics and how teaching can change those attitudes.
- It has shown that the way we teach doesn't have much effect. So we have changed a lot. We no longer have traditional lectures but run all theory on video. Then we work practically in the teaching sessions. We start each session with what we call a warm-up, a playful test, e.g., a Kahoot, about what they will cover in the session. We get good feedback on that.
In addition to researching student learning and working with university and college pedagogy, Thiel is involved in several international projects.
- Through the EU project vidumath, school students made their own videos in math teaching. The research group continued with a project on mechanical toys in kindergarten. When this was finished, we started with ViduKids, where we made math videos with children in kindergarten.
Meeting People Through Religion
The professor is a co-leader of a scout group in the Pentecostal congregation Betel. Through the congregation, he has met many people.
- It would have been very difficult to get to know people outside of work in Norway. Being a Christian means that no matter where you go, you meet people.
Both through work and the congregation, Thiel travels a lot. Betel has mission work in many different countries, including Uganda, India, Malawi, Thailand, and Cambodia. That's when the camera often comes out. He is also part of a hiking group in the congregation but prefers to hike at his own pace so he can take photographs.
- I actually like not to walk so fast; I want to see and enjoy nature and take pictures. I walk to look at things around me. So I might also discover things that those who rush by don't see. There are many physical phenomena and mathematics in nature.
And if the waves are not too high and the wind is not blowing too hard, you can find the professor in a small kayak on the fjord with his paddling group, perhaps while scouting for patterns in the water?