In the 4th Industrial Revolution, it is getting more important to understand computer science technique like AI. There is close correlation between computer science and mathematics. Discrete Mathematics is a field of mathematics that is suitable for the requirements of studying such modern science. Students learning discrete mathematics are provided with practical experiences in solving realistic mathematics problems.
Ministry of Education(ME) understood this and wisely put Discrete Mathematics as an optional course in the 7th National Mathematics Curriculum(NCM). Unfortunately, it has not welcomed by teachers and students, not because they were not interested in but because the system was not set up for adapting this new subject. The ME announced a 2015 new curriculum and started this year.
The purpose of this study is to emphasize the importance of the Discrete Mathematics in the school curriculum and to find out the effective teaching and learning strategy in math class.
The three major contents of the study are to;
1) investigate the concept of discrete mathematics based on the graph theory, which is a part of the discrete mathematics.
2) analyze the difference between the 7th NCM and amendments of NCM, 2007, 2009, and 2015, in regard to discrete mathematics.
3) suggest teaching-learning strategy for students to build up the mathematical thinking and mathematical power in math class.
Based on the results of this study, the following suggestions is made;
First, the basic concept of discrete mathematics have to be worked out every year or periodically.
Second, the efficiency for the learning discrete mathematics will be increased if we teach it through out from 1st to 10th grade in common mathematics curriculum rather than an optional subject in high school.
We hope many students have confidence in mathematics. So, next studies are required to design instructional models to help students suffered from poor learning.