Why students and adults either like math or hate math?

Students and adults either like math or hate math. There is usually no gray area. In the article Why So Many Students Hate Math ( And How To Fix it) published on March 28, 2019, on the website Oxford Learning https://www.oxfordlearning.com/why-kids-hate-math-how-to-help/ The article states 4 reasons why students hate math. The reasons are that the subject is dull, has lots of memorization, makes mistakes and there are only a few ways to make grades. However, in the book Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead and Live Without Barriers by Jo Boaler author of Mathematical Mindset she believes that math anxiety occurs because we believe that we have the skills to do math or we don’t have the skills to do math.

Math has always been a subject that most believe that there is only one answer. And only one way of getting to the answer. Now some math researchers and educators are trying to change it. Math researchers are showing that there are multiple ways to get to the answer. The researchers are teaching math educators to have a growth mindset which shows multiple ways of getting to the answer.

If we think about teaching math as a puzzle and how it is all interrelated. It provides an open mindset. Change is happening in math instruction by showing Addition is related to Subtraction. Multiplication is related to division. Decimals, percentages, and fractions are just different ways to state the same integer. Teaching math needs to be taught like figuring out a puzzle. We also need to teach math in multiple ways and the students decide what is the best way to solve the problem. Also, students need to feel good about making mistakes. Making mistakes is a great way to learn. Many researchers have shown that making mistakes is the best way to learn.

Teaching math aims to build a learning environment that has a growth mindset. Building a growth mindset starts with knowing that everyone can obtain the skills needed to be successful in math through effort, practice, and work. We also need to establish a learning environment where it is okay to fail and be able to try again. We need to eliminate the negative connotation of failing. Many times, we learn the most when we have failed and tried again. We learn better ways to obtain the information for success for ourselves.

Here are some examples of growth mindset encouragement statements. The purpose is to encourage the students to work through the difficulties and know they can get it in the end. For example, “The goal is not to get it right instantly. The goal is to understand each step which leads to the next step. Ultimately it is for you to see the connections and build understanding. Compared to “It is Okay that you are having trouble. Sometimes math is not a strength of some children.” We need to build an environment that normalizes learning struggles. Learning struggle is a part of the process of learning and understanding. It communicates to the students that challenges can be overcome. Another statement to use to encourage children is “yet”. I am not a math scholar yet. But I will be. The last suggestion is to provide challenges. Say to the children, that these questions are going to challenge you. I do not expect you to get it right away. The goal is to provide opportunities for growth and problem-solving. Celebrate the growth of your students.

Building a learning environment that encourages problem-solving and challenges. Watch the children change their ideas from I can’t do math to I may not be able to do it yet. It gives the students encouragement and the foundation to overcome struggles. Ultimately they find ways to solve problems.