Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Adam E. Marcus
Abstract
This review looks into the causes of the hatred of mathematics that has become so
common among our youth. The two main causes stem from teaching style: too much individual
work and too many rote tasks. Within the classroom, these things have inspired boredom rather
than enthusiasm for a subject which is essential to every adult whether they like it or not. In
order to improve upon our current methods of mathematics education, teachers must implement
collaborative and cooperative teaching styles within their classrooms, as well as provide more
opportunity for creative problem solving in order to prompt interest and enjoyment from the very
Introduction
as their least favorite subject, with many claiming that they even hate it. But while some see it
as young students simply enjoying other subjects, the neglect of mathematics skills that
accompanies a hatred of the subject leaves our youth unprepared for their future, one which
requires some mathematical skills from every individual, regardless of their attitude towards it.
Mathematics is an essential part of an adults life, whether it be in the form of taxes or car buying
or paying a mortgage, therefore our next generations of adults must all have a foundation free
from resentment of the subject, so that they may effectively carry mathematical skills forward in
their lives.
Within any classroom, a mix of individual and group work is important in helping
students succeed, as well as grasp the material better. However, in todays standard mathematics
Mathematics Education 3
education, individual work is far more common than group work, leading to decreased student
problems (Zakaira, Chin, & Daud, 2010). One such solution to this issue of individual work
and its lack of student communication is cooperative learning. According to Zakaira, Chin, and
Daud,
the cooperative learning approach resulted in higher achievement than the traditional
teaching approaches. The reason for the increase in students achievement could be
caused by the students involvement in explaining and receiving explanation in which the
concepts can be easily understood. Cooperative learning gives more space and
opportunities for students to discuss, solve problems, create solutions, provide ideas and
In addition to increasing achievement in mathematics, the same study also stated that,
probably because when students work in group they feel that they can depend on others
for help and therefore increase their confidence in solving mathematics problem. This
may indirectly change their attitudes towards mathematics. Cooperative learning also
and among classmates in general. Cooperative learning actively involves students in the
However, while cooperative learning may be a very effective set of processes which help
students work together to solve problems and accomplish goals, teachers should simultaneously
Mathematics Education 4
learning is defined by its central idea that students should work together and build off one
another not just during group activities but all the time. With both collaborative learning
philosophy and cooperative learning processes, teachers will be able to create the optimal
learning environment for their students, one which inspires the communication and reasoning
Todays education system is so focused on statistics, rather than education. They value
improving a students mathematics scores first and promoting true understanding of the subject
second. As a result, teachers teach the students how to do problems by showing them a process
and having them practice it until they can do it in their sleep. What they fail at, however, is the
a childs growth in mathematics involves more than just mastering computational skills.
replication of the work of others. Problem solving is the heart of genuine mathematical
Additionally, most students simply complete their mathematics work and classes out of a sense
of professional obligation. They have little appreciation and are disengaged from the subject.
Mathematics Education 5
opportunities to work with other students. This is because they resent mathematical learning as
preferring collaboration and group work within all contexts, teaching styles and learning
Conclusion
processes which will not fail them and practicing those processes for hours on end, causing many
students to become bored of the subject, breeding hatred of it as well. Instead, our educators
must focus on collaborative and cooperative teaching styles that allow the students to work and
communicate with one another, as well as more creative problem solving over rote memorization
if our next generations are to graduate to adulthood prepared to face the inevitable mathematical
Research List
Mann, E. L. (2006). Creativity: The essence of mathematics. Journal for the Education of the
Nardi, E., & Steward, S. (2003). Is mathematics TIRED? A profile of quiet disaffection in the
366.
Concepts Which Will Help Us Understand the Underlying Nature of Interactive Learning.
Zakaria, E., Chin, L. C., & Daud, M. Y. (2010). The effects of cooperative learning on students
6(2), 272-275.