Generally, Mathematics is considered to be a difficult subject for majority of students at all levels. Why is Mathematics so tough for students? How can we make this subject more insteresting to our students?
Where I live, I think students dislike math because of the way it is taught and generally presented. The fundamentals or rules need to be taught in a way that is enjoyable and the level of stress reduced. Those I believe to be the reasons why, how to fix the issue is something I struggle with daily. My sole math student is my daughter, and the school system has her stressed already. As a parent I channel that stress into something fun that her and I do together a little each night. My personal aim is to change her perceptions of the subject from that of stress maker to challenge maker. The other challenge is to let the teacher know without being reduced to 'yet another complainy' parent. Perception, communication, perception communication etc......one mental barrier at a time.
I think, Mathematics is like learning any music. The more you involved in it, the better you understand it and comprehend with it. To develop harmony with it, one needs to engage with it. So there is no shortcut.
What teachers normally do is Scare the student.
If a student is casual, not involved, and suddenly Loaded with calculations et al, believe me his/her mind would get into truancy, never to return.
So get them involved, let them start enjoying the harmony and predictability, .....
and enjoy!
hello friend...
in my view there are different ways that can be applied for mathematics, it depends upon the level at which you are teaching. Life related examples you can added in your teaching. move from specific to general, i.e. cite the example first and then you can move to the generalisation ( inductive approach)...
In higher classes we can move from Deducto-inductive approach
we can also introduce physical participation of students .. as involve them in statements...
In class X, slightly less than half century back, I had severe problems in trigonometry. A Professor of mathematics ( Doctorate in Mathematics, and from a poor family) came to our place, and devoted for me about 20 minutes using an inductive approach. And, confidence wise, the whole world of trigonometry was/ has been under my feet. Such could be the teaching ability of a teacher.
@Ghumaan, I really get a swinger reading " Life related examples you can added in your teaching", could you please elaborate
Thank you for the remark, Prof. Jayanti. I know the the importance of the involvement of the learner as well as the teacher in the subject. As a teacher at college level, can we expect always that a new student comes into our class would have an interest in Mathematics? It is challenge for us to create interest and attitude in our students towards Mathematics.
You are absolutely correct Prof. Thareja. Some teachers can really reveal the beauty of the subject before us within a small time. I have similar experiences while I was doing my PhD coursework. One great professor could provide me and my classmates a clear picture about the fundamentals of Category Theory in a day's session of five hours. But one thing is sure, such magnificient teachers are less in number. I would like ambitious..) to be such a teacher. That is why I am so much eager to gather the opinions of experts and stalwarts in this arena. Thank you so much for your remarks.
Prof Gouravjeet, Thanks for the answer. Your point is very much valid. Learnning process is effective when they are correlated to real life examples. But is it possible in teaching Mathematics, especially Abstract Mathematics, at higher levels?
I recall having a session with my class for 5 nonstop (no interruptions) teaching them a technical topic (ductile cast iron). when I left the students - they did seem to realise they would have missed the lunch otherwise.
Never really noting it was five hours since. One of them remarked. "It seems we were just hypnotised." But that sort of a session happened only once in my 40 years of teaching.
Where I live, I think students dislike math because of the way it is taught and generally presented. The fundamentals or rules need to be taught in a way that is enjoyable and the level of stress reduced. Those I believe to be the reasons why, how to fix the issue is something I struggle with daily. My sole math student is my daughter, and the school system has her stressed already. As a parent I channel that stress into something fun that her and I do together a little each night. My personal aim is to change her perceptions of the subject from that of stress maker to challenge maker. The other challenge is to let the teacher know without being reduced to 'yet another complainy' parent. Perception, communication, perception communication etc......one mental barrier at a time.
While teaching mathematics, few things make interesting:
1. As teacher, one must be motivated and take interest
2. Teach maths slowly
3. Attach problems with real problem
4. Devise simple method to remember formulas, equations, derivations, etc.
5. Become a popular teacher among students
6. Don't take long sessions initially
7. Etc. ... .
MAybe most important point to consider quality of maths teaching is that it is at the very center of all science and religion and philosophy. Thus if properly understood, mathematics has all the keys to understanding and manipulating the universe in an effective way. thus a mathematician should be not only a consumer of his own education, but a conscient and fully consicious and religious being and Yogi and sage fully aware of every moment and every small event entering his aura such that he can see all the mathematical problems his students are working on. Thus he also needs to be a doctor of medicine and a pharmacologist to be able to give to his students good medicine. And so on. You might ask whether such level of teacher education is at all possible, but in medieval times university education was exactly targeted at reaching such educational standards. Also Aristoteles, Plato, Pythagoras and many others provided in their works a complete philosophy of such education and model of the universe. Furthermore, among the Jews Moses Maimonides claimed to have produced by his Mishneh Torah a supplementary work to the Torah, that he considered to be sufficient for all challenges of life and no other book would be needed.
Creative Mathematics offers books, music, supplies and manipulatives entertaining and powerful tools that can help improve.
http://www.creativemathematics.com/learn/index.php/teaching-resources-and-materials
Dear @Sudev, let me bring another related thread to this one.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_can_we_make_the_mathematics_lovable_for_the_students#view=5550f57a5f7f7151ba8b4567
Dear all,
Mathematics is an invisible, unobserved but innate and ubiquitous activity that we all humans in particular and nature in general do to live and survive. It is hardly impossible to list an activity of humans which is devoid of mathematical thinking or computations and making decisions for optimal results. The pelikans do the best mathematics, using the path of shortest/fastest time to catch a prey down from their position without showing any mathematical expression. The difficulty is when we make what is always true in nature and what we do, visible, computable, expressible using symbols, abstractions and formulations.
Abstractions and descriptions through them (even things we always do) are the cause of the problem in most cases. Such problems can be eased by being conscious of the nature of mathematics and willingly acquaint and be familiarize oneself to these new things, regular contact is imperative which will lead to not fearing but knowing it and develop the desired affection. I think this is just how our brain and cognition functions, the less we know and the less we experience something but more intrusive and become vital in every activity, the more scary and distasteful it will become - mathematics is just that.
Therefore we have to make sure that students know at very early age and through their school lives that mathematics is not intrinsically alien but innately natural to each of us which is learnable and very vital to think right and make proper decisions for a better society.
Dear Dejenie,
the early entrance and accustoming are the central point. And if you start early you must present fun, success and a kind of game which matches the young age of your pupils.
I absolutely go along with Daryn regarding mental barriers and Krishnan regarding entertaining and powerful tools.
Additionally, I think that interest in the subject can be raised by making it relevant.
Mathematics is often perceived as something very theoretical and very complicated, and it often remains unclear where when and how all this theoretical stuff can be applied.
When exercises are close to everyday live situations of the student, when you succeed to instill the desire to solve a specific exercise/ challenge in the first place and - only in a second step - present the solution/ mathematical approach, the student will be hungry to learn and open for something new.
I think to show more “beautiful sides” may make Mathematics more interesting and student-friendly in our teaching:
1, beautiful logics in mathematics,
2, beautiful reasoning in mathematics,
3, beautiful forms, models in mathematics,
4, more beautiful examples close to our life,
5, beautiful creations in mathematical history,
6, responsible, love, friendly ways to dig up students’ mathematical talents, solve each of their mathematical difficulties,
…
In Iraq as other Arabian countries less attention to the importance of math. My opinion is to change the way of teaching math in our school and start with the level daycare with simple and as Krishnan Umachandran's answer "Creative Mathematics offers.."
@Akira: I think fear is the basic precondtition for all understanding. However, it is true that we should learn to accept our fears and pray to get relieved from them. As for your statement about mathematicians and theoretical physicists that would be very much suitable for deining a role-model of physicists and mathematicians..
Mathematics is a wonderful common sense,
to understand the harmony in nature magnificent;
which is complex, in the utmost and true sense...
as from guided state, one could draw real inference!
Mathematics is indeed... a simple common science,
Integrating harmony, and mathematics, in alliance,
the wondrous language, & popular in terms of @ finance
Its' unique, and abundantly rich in terms of substance,
So beautiful, so loving as one looks as a fiancee,
But on the thought of marrying you, why do I go dancing?
copyright 2015, Priyavrat Thareja
Deaar Colleagues,
Good Day,
It’s a challenge faced by all educators, but overcoming boredom may not be as tricky as you think. The secret is to remember to illustrate the big picture. For students, math can easily feel like a tedious jumble of facts; it’s not always obvious how the parts join together to become a coherent whole. A pile of cardboard pieces is not very interesting — until someone reveals that they fit together to create a puzzle.
Below are five suggestions that will hopefully help your math students see the method behind the madness. These tips will be helpful whether your preferred lesson medium is PowerPoint or poster board.
1. Tell a Story. 2. Open with a Hook. 3. Emphasize Your Main Points.
4. Choose Images over Words. 5. Address the “Why”.
For further reading see the first link, please.
How to Make Math Easy
Oftentimes, when it comes to math, some people struggle with the concepts, finding it too difficult. But follow these few steps and Math will be easy in every class. (See these two articles : ( http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Math-Easy
- and http://www.examiner.com/article/simple-ways-to-make-math-easier-to-understand ).
http://www.knewton.com/blog/teacher-tools/five-ways-to-make-math-lessons-more-engaging/
http://gulfnews.com/culture/education/how-to-make-maths-fun-for-students-1.1200253
http://www.koobits.com/2012/10/23/5-tips-how-to-make-math-fun-for-kids
http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/w_e_jodo_gyan.htm
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2010/08/18/tln_george_mathmeaningfulforall.html
Mathematics is a subject requiring an innate skill like music, art, languages or poetry. All of these abilities are talent related and can only be fully acquired in those with the ability. Everyone has some ability here but only a few can really master it.
Rather than trying to make mathematicians out of those who do not have the ability we should nurture the talents they do have. While it is clear that mathematics is an essential skill in our technological world it is not essential that everyone does it. The world would be a very boring place if we all were mathematicians and logic is only one facet of humanity.
We will never teach anyone to be a Newton or a Bhaskara, We will never educate anyone to be a Picasso or a Rubens. We can't train a new Homer or a Shakespeare. We must educate our young to nurture the talents they have, there is no need to worry, plenty of them will be mathematicians.
Akira
The question was "How can we make Mathematics more interesting and student-friendly?"
The answer is to some extent that we can't. I am not interested in the ridiculous English game known as Cricket. No one, not all of the best Cricketers in the world could teach me about it in a way that would interest me. This is the same with every other subject. I find science and mathematics fascinating, many others don't.
We should not coerce people into things they have no talent for. Many will never master anything but a rudimentary ability in mathematics but that is no problem. A rudimentary ability is all that most people need.
hi dear Sudev Naduvath,
Gauss: "Mathematics is the mother of science and mathematics mother's account."
1 using appropriate examples
2 provides the overall framework of the course at the beginning of teaching:
3 management and the ability to maintain order in the classroom:
4 teaching based on the views of structuralism
5 at home
More emphasis should be spent understanding
By placing the student enough time, let him be the case.
Every student who is forced to return to the basic concepts, solve problems, understand their own,
Gradually feel the need to follow the instructions may lead to the algorithm used.
Boost the number of students currently the price is not seriously considered.
Students must learn about the result of a careful calculation before it guesses and can cope with the estimates.
“What exactly is mathematics? Many have tried but nobody has really succeeded in defining mathematics; it is always something else. Roughly speaking, people know that it deals with numbers, figures, with relations, operations, and that its formal procedures involving axioms, proofs, lemmas, theorems have not changed since the time of Archimedes.”
Stan Ulam
Three things are necessary in holistic education:
(i) Mathematics
(ii) Communication
(iii) Common-science.
One must know what one talks about - logically.
Be able to analyse that (in mathematical terms "(involving axioms, proofs, lemmas, theorems)" ; "applying appropriately views of structuralism
Be able to communicate with peers/ students / intelligentsia, and to maintain the dialogue "using appropriate examples"
Thank you Kanda and Tahir
This is a good question with many possible answers.
The short answer: Revert back to classical geometry, visualizing geometric structures and their relationships.
By connect the explanation of any subject with real environment of the students, Beside using variety teaching methods.
Dear Sudev,
I agree with you that mathematics is a difficult subject for most of students at different levels of education. I specialize in computational mathematics and teach students different computer applications. I observe that it is interesting for them and can help them understand a lot of mathematical topics. By the way Akira said very important thought about teaching and money. I support his idea.
Yes, teaching and money should not be excluded, but as Akira mentioned, they often are. I don´t like his drug dealer proposal, I´d prefer a more honest job.
The most popular language iis that of money> Maths, Finance, et al.
maths needs o be pure , developmental, inducing new learning, new analysis, newer sketching ( schematisation), new thinking and so on. Once maths get weighted in terms of Finance apply a -ve sign to mathematical attributes
It is miserable that sometimes we are not able to make mathematics more interesting but have to stuff our students some mysterious things, the more we try to explain the more doubts be aroused and we feel more helpless.
Just see following divergent proof of Harmonic Series (given by Oresme in about 1360, very elementary and important, can be found in many current higher mathematical books written in all kinds of languages):
1＋1/2 ＋1/3＋1/4＋．．．＋1/n ＋．．． （1）
=１＋1/2 ＋（1/3＋1/4 ）＋（1/5＋1/6＋1/7＋1/8）＋．．． （２）
>1+ 1/2 ＋( 1/4＋1/4 )+（1/8＋1/8＋1/8＋1/8）＋．．． （3）
=1+ 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 + ．．．------>infinity （4）
We teach our students that we can produce infinite numbers each bigger than 1/2 or 1 or 100 or 100000 or 10000000000 or… from infinite Un--->0 items in Harmonic Series by “brackets-placing rule" with modern limit theory and change an infinitely decreasing Harmonic Series with the property of Un--->0 into any infinite constant series with the property of Un--->constant or any infinitely increasing series with the property of Un--->infinity.
@Mirsolav: Mathematics is nowadays lacking in a lot of aspects. you see still professors with all kinds of handicaps and archaic deviations from modern society and still they are employed by university. Maybe that is the way how the most handicapped people become the visible teachers of the others. Teaching is also maybe only conducted on the basis of results not so much paying attention to the style of the teacher. Can we expect from average maths teachers that they are experts in church law, Talmud, Bible, Medicine, Geography, History... to make a pleasent experience to their pupils? The Mafia teachers you refer to are the result of a society, where the average teacher has no deep knowledge or required connection to mysticism and esoteric teacings of the religions and completely depends on the visible authorities of his religion and government. Thus stupidity and ignorance is passed on to the following generation as well even in mathematical teachings.
Linking the subject to be explained with the real reality, means of clarification, the diversification of teaching methods. Establish a parental relationship with the student, because the student's love for the teacher will lead to his love of the subject. A lot of examples that facilitate subject understanding.
Teachers also should not push away the real parents. instead they should be like Rabbis being able to redeem the pupils in case of necessity from difficult thoughts. Then every pupil can develop nicely.
@Qasim , well said,
Developing "a parental relationship with the student, because the student's love for the teacher will lead to his love of the subject." calls upon a Low student: teacher ratio. But there is already a shortage of teachers (worse: good teachers).
On the contrary - the few teachers lighten up their load, when some students are snubbed.
Besides with Values going down, there is a decline in implicit respect (substituting compensation) for teachers.
We can scientific techniques of mathematics to students in our Amzsh
It is better to teach science in a fun and effective way to use our
Akira, I think what you presented above is a long being suspended syndrome of infinite related fundamental defects (confusions): what are infinite, infinitesimal, 0, limit theory, infinite related numbers,…? Anyone working in present traditional infinite related science branches (mathematics, physics, …) is sure to be confused with infinite, infinitesimal, 0, limit theory, infinite related numbers,… And some fallacious cases many be produced naturally by this syndrome.
Something should be done sooner or later to get rid of those infinite related fundamental defects and it is now on the way.
Yours, Geng
Making math lessons interesting to students is a big challenge for every math teacher. Dealing a heterogeneous group of students in the classroom is also a challenge. Teacher must be friendly and approachable for every students. Teacher must be able to link the topics to the life experiences of the learner. Every topic must be well-connected to the previous learning experiences also. Blending of topics to life experiences and previous learning experiences in an effective way, students will show interest to learn mathematics .
Some write-ups in this are are attached herewith.
http://www.intmath.com/blog/how-to-make-math-class-interesting
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Math-Easy
http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/creative_ideas.html
http://www.jstor.org/stable/27956247?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Akira, sometimes we complain that students are not taught “correct “finite--infinite” related mathematic”, but now I fully understand that at least since Zeno’s time, everyone (including you and me) in present traditional “finite--infinite” related science theory system have to teach our students all the theories in our text book. After all, we have no choices and so do our students. Sometimes we are helpless to teach our students something we are not agree in the bottom of our heart but sometimes we teach our students “wrong mathematical things” unconsciously because we ourselves are within the defected present traditional “finite--infinite” related science theory system------ some fallacious cases are produced logically by many reasons.
I think the thing really worries us scientists is: only a few people care how to avoid “purposely or unconsciously teaching our students wrong mathematical things” or how to solve the defects in present traditional “finite--infinite” related science theory system disclosed by the growing family members of “finite--infinite” related paradoxes.
Something should be done sooner or later to get rid of those “finite--infinite” related fundamental defects in our science------ it is a huge project, and I will try to do something in the rest of my life.
Yours, Geng
The teacher must have interactive with students, and use variety of ways in discussion the lectures.
Simply teaching mathematics is boring. Devising own methods, short formulas, short derivations, pausing, etc. may make maths teaching effective and interesting.
I think, to make mathematics more interesting is for teachers to be an interesting person. Mathematics is just like any field of study, the thing is, students are usually traumatized by the way math teachers present themselves and the subject before their students. Often, mathematics teachers have that holier than thou attitude, making students feel inferior and lose confidence in themselves.
It also helps if the teacher can relate the topic to real life situations or when practical uses are shown. This is specially true to students who are non mathematics majors or whose fields do not require much mathematics.
I am a fascinated by the discussions on aircraft here. The F35 is a multi role combat aircraft and not of the same designation as the SU35 or the F16. The things that make an aircraft superior to another today are rather more complicated than its aerodynamics.
That may have been true in WW2 and the early jet age but a modern warplane is a weapons platform not a dogfighter. The now ageing SU35 uses lookdown-shootdown radar and carries a formidable range of medium and long range air to air missiles. It is a very manoeuvrable aircraft but is its capability in avionics and range that make it superior.
Modern warplanes use their own avionics and the avionics of dedicated command and control aircraft to gain their advantage. When the F18 was introduced, again many years ago now it was compared to the phantom by two Vietnam veterans in a superb analysis of its capability. They concluded it was little better and that a phantom with updated avionics would probably beat it in a fight. The phantom was not known for its air display characteristics.
As for the stealth aircraft, no one ever said they were indestructible. The purpose of stealth is to make things difficult to see, it does not make them invisible that is media hype. AAA would bring down an aircraft even if it was invisible. It was fired randomly during WW2 and was very effective even when not aimed.
The Serbs developed a method for using the ancient SAM missile system that worked. Instead of firing them in twos they fired them in threes. No matter how aerodynamic your aircraft you can't dodge three at a time.
The teacher personality plays a role in making students more interesting for learning mathematics. When the students like their teacher will help to increase the student intersting. Also, the rich environment plays a good role for supporting the teacher
It is all a part of the process of evolution (of science). Some one proposes. Its acceptance (or realisation of follies in it) depends upon the complexity. No sooner it is made simpler, or inputs are attached to the satellite-knowledge attached to the proposal, the truth of hollowness starts revealing itself. One can accuse nobody. Even the process of proving the Lie a Lie increases the knowledge. The irony however is when these (useless) things are forced upon a novice (for useless outcomes). The crux is in the meaning -that interests the learner, and his /her level.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Education