U.S.

Math Deficiency 1

Running Head: U.S. MATH DEFICIENCY

The Deficiency of Math in the United States

Logan W. Lantz

Glen Allen High School

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Introduction

In a 2004 Gallup poll, 37% of students said math is the the most difficult subject in

school (Saad, 2005). The goal of this research is to determine why math is difficult and whether

it is because of the school or the student. This is important because as of 2015, the US ranks 40th

globally in mathematical achievement, which is unacceptable for American standards. The

United States can improve their schools as whole, national curriculum, and the achievement of

their students by decreasing the focus on grades and increasing the focus on learning. Some

students have difficulties due to their learning styles and brain types. Left brain thinkers tend to

see things in sequential pieces while right brain thinkers see things more as a whole (Fleming,

2018).

A solution of this well known issue is to look towards other countries who are successful.

In Finland schools, one of the most successful countries academically in the world, teachers are

selected from the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates and are given the same status as

doctors and lawyers. There are no ranking systems in these schools and there is only one

standardized test required for the students when they are a senior in high school (Hancock,

2011). There is no homework and students are put in the same classrooms, no matter their level

of achievement. The gap between the worst and best student is the smallest in the world

(Hancock, 2011). This brings up the questions: Why is math difficult for students? Should the

United States model math curriculum off of other countries? Considering the various reasonings

behind students’ difficulties with math, the United States should adopt similar policies to Finland

by eliminating the ranking system and making effective teaching decisions to increase

motivation.
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Why U.S. Math Achievement is an Issue

Student opinion demonstrates that math is the consensus favorite subject. In a 2004

Gallup poll, 24% of students said that math was their favorite subject, which was the highest

ranking subject (Saad, 2005). This statistic shows promise for the field of mathematics however,

this preference displays conflict as 37% of students say that math is their most difficult subject.

If math is the most liked subject in school, it should not also be the most disliked. Steps need to

be taken in order to resolve this issue. Saad also highlights that 56% of adults say that basic math

is required in their job on a day to day basis (2005). The importance of math lies in the facts, and

these statistics are credible due to the experience of these adults in the workforce. The lack of

student mathematical interest in the United States is an issue due to the need of math later on in

life. According to Achieve, Inc., 90% of 2010 college graduates believe that some form of

education is required after high school, illustrating the importance of math comprehension in

lower levels of education (2013). If students cannot understand math at a secondary education

level, they will have trouble in higher education as well. Achieve, Inc. (2013) argues that,

“Completing advanced math courses in high school has a greater influence on

whether students will graduate from college than any other factor—including
family background. Students who take math beyond Algebra II increase their
likelihood of persisting to sophomore by about 20 percentage points and nearly
double their chances of earning a bachelor’s degree.”
Students fail to realize the importance of mathematics to their future partly due to their lack of

motivation and their teachers. According to Potvin and Hasni, students’ loss of interest in science

and math subjects correlates with their loss of interest in school as a whole (2014). Therefore,

math is not an outlier, as general interest in school declines over the years. Potvin and Hasni

(2014) researched that,

“Many of the students planning to continue study in the science, technology,

engineering, and math (STEM) fields reported on experiences that they did not
enjoy in secondary school science. Students often reported being bored, not
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having a good sense of the career options in science fields, or simply enjoying
other classes more. However, because of some vision of the career they wanted,
or the flexibility that study in STEM would give them, these students planned to
continue in science. The students who did not plan to continue in STEM reported
similar educational experiences, but for this group, the experiences were strong
enough to deter them from wanting to continue study of science and mathematics
at an advanced level.”
This lack of interest due to school experiences significantly decreases the amount of future

STEM workers. Technology has been developing over the past few decades and is the future for

human society, illustrating the need to increase student attentiveness in the classroom. The

United States is ranked too low on a global scale in academic achievement and should not be

acceptable by American standards. This country needs to adopt policies similar to academically

successful countries such as Finland.

Student Difficulties

There are many reasons as to why students have difficulties in the math classroom

Strauss argues that a problem students have is the slow progression of the approximate number

system in the early stages of development in young children (2013). This system allows people

to estimate a number for a group of similar objects, which is more important for younger

children. This irregular development causes delays to the comprehension of math as a whole and

sets the child back from their peers. “Numerical change detection scores at 6 months of age

predicted some of the variance in both ANS acuity and the Test of Early Mathematical

Achievement in 3.5 year olds” (Szkudlarek & Brannon, 2017). In “Why math seems more

difficult for some students,” Fleming takes a different approach and states that since math is a

cumulative subject, students who have “average” grades in elementary and middle school have

difficulty in high school and college because they have not mastered the foundation of

mathematics (2018). Teachers do not have the time to make sure every student knows every

topic so some students are left behind. Most teachers have very rigid structures in their
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classrooms due to required curriculum, therefore extra help for students often requires out of

school time or a disruption for the rest of the class. Then, once students are behind, these

“weaker performing students in particular resort to memorisation strategies in studying

mathematics” (Välijärvi et al., 2003). Memorization typically results in short term knowledge, as

the material is forgotten once the test has been taken.

In 2014, 26% of 12th graders in the United States were proficient in math because they

have been learning it all wrong (“Math isn’t hard it’s a language,” 2014). They have been taught

that fractions are an impossible concept to manage quickly and some high schoolers still have

trouble with the idea. Randy Polisac asserted that math needs to be taught as a language because

that is what it was created to be, as is was used to create structures and trade (“Math isn’t hard

it’s a language,” 2014). Adding one apple to four apples should make just as much sense to a

student as adding one third to four thirds. Students should be able to make the connection that

five apples and five thirds are the sums for both problems. The same amount, yet different

objects. Teachers should present information”in a bewildering assortment of ways; in attempting

to engage students, textbook writers too often introduce graphic distraction, and format the pages

in ways that obscure the basic concepts” (Kenney, Hancewicz, Heuer, Metsisto, & Tuttle, 2005).

In a 4th grade classroom, Kenney observed that,

“The teacher began by discussing whole numbers; she then moved to the
distinction between even and odd numbers. When asked to classify numbers as
even or odd, one of the students, a recent Hispanic immigrant with limited
English skills, consistently marked the numbers 6 and 10 as odd. When asked to
explain, he said, “Those whole numbers are not multiples of 2.” Additional
conversation between teacher and student did little to clarify the problem until I
asked the student what he meant by “whole numbers.” It was only when he
answered “6, 8, 9, 10, and maybe 3” that we realized that this student had
constructed a mental model of “hole” numbers—that is, numbers formed by sticks
and holes—and that this was, to him, a totally consistent explanation” (Kenney et.
al., 2005).
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Teachers and others who influence the way math is taught need to realize that students need to

learn math in simpler terms in the beginning and introduce topics slowly and in easier ways that

students can understand the material. In math, vocabulary is confusing because two words can

mean the same thing and symbols are convoluted because they look like other symbols (Kenney

et. al., 2005). Math terminology needs to be more friendly to the common student being

introduced the topic, not the expert who has studied it for years.

In 1988, a study was conducted that examined the math anxiety in middle and high

school students (Wigfield & Meece). Typically, difficult math problems caused the students to

show either negative emotions or actions. A common response was for the students to worry

about whether they are getting the problem right or doing the correct processes. Another

response was for them to display nervous habits, such as tapping their fingers or shaking their

legs. Students who experience anxiety ”are overly concerned with the possible consequences of

failure. The negative emotional states that these self-focused cognitions evoke can interfere with

attentional and learning processes so that test or task performance is impaired” (Wigfield &

Meece, 1988). One benefit of math anxiety is that it is positively correlated with the amount of

work students put towards math as well as the importance of math to students. Overall, Wigfield

and Meece discuss how math anxiety affects math performance in students and whether that

effect is positive or negative. Ultimately, it was found that math anxiety correlates more with

lack of confidence in math rather than ability in the subject (Wigfield & Meece, 1988).

Students have the ability to succeed yet, they simply feel worried about performing well

in math. The U.S. should take steps to eliminate the ranking system of students within schools to

decrease competition and better learning experiences. In “Top of class: The effect of rank

position on later student achievement,” Murphy and Weinhardt found that rank position in
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primary school affects later performance in school (Murphy & Weinhardt, 2012). It is horrible

that students are given a number at such a young age to measure their success and it severely

hurts self-confidence. “If relative performance amongst your peers affects your confidence, and

confidence has an impact on non-cognitive skills like resilience and persistence, then pupils who

gain in confidence would perform better” (Murphy & Weinhardt, 2012). Typically, the students

who perform worse will receive more help from their teachers while the more successful students

will not have as much assistance. This causes the worse students to improve and the better

students to do worse. After a test, the top students will get less one on one time and then get

lower grades the next time around (Murphy & Weinhardt, 2012). The way that student ranking

systems in schools currently work causes an unsolvable cycle of varying success within the

classroom for students.

Motivation and Math

In ”9 Strategies for Motivating Students in Mathematics,” Alfred Posamentier argues that

a large part of student success in the classroom is due to intrinsic motivation. “Many students

demonstrate intrinsic motivation in their desire to understand a topic or concept, to outperform

others, or to impress others” (Posamentier, 2017). Similarly, Adele Gottfried studied the

correlation between motivation and mathematical achievement. In a longitudinal study, students

from 9 to 17 years old were examined and it was determined that both achievement and

motivation decline over time (2007). Gottfried analyzed her results and determined that,

from childhood through adolescence, across varied populations, those with higher
academic intrinsic motivation have been found to be more competent in school,
generally evidencing significantly greater academic achievement, more positive
perceptions of their academic competency, lower academic anxiety, and less
extrinsic motivation.
In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences published an article stating that there is a critical

need for math skills in our increasingly technological society (Gottfried, 2007). Gottfried also
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found that “poorer initial levels of math achievement place students at-risk for long-term declines

in both math achievement and motivation” (Gottfried, 2007). Students who lose interest in math

and sciences tend to also lose interest in school as a whole. In “Analysis of the decline in interest

towards school science and technology from grades 5 through 11,” Potvin and Hasni (2014)

reason that,

“The problem of interest in school S&T, and the assessment that is usually
provided of it in the literature, might be difficult to distinguish from a more
general loss of interest in school, and thus the problem we see in the “absolute
measure” of the decline for S&T might benefit from a reflection on how to
interest children (or avoid disinterest) in school as a whole.”
Students tend to be less motivated in math due to their loss of interest in schooling altogether.

According to a 2003 National Research Council report on motivation, about 40 percent of

students say to be disengaged from school (Crotty, 2013). Students are most likely not going to

gain anything from the curriculum placed before them if they are not provided with the

motivation to complete the tests and assignments. According to studies reviewed by Edward

Deci, students who have more motivation in school have higher achievement and report more

satisfaction (Crotty, 2013). Happiness correlates with motivation, and when student are

motivated, they are more likely to succeed.

Finland Schools

Hancock discusses an overview of the Finland school system. Teachers are selected from

the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates, while there is no ranking system in these schools

and there is only one standardized test required for the students when they are a senior in high

school (Hancock, 2011). Students of all levels of achievement are put into the same classrooms

and they are taught a third language beginning at age 9 (Hancock, 2011). The New York Times

presents the fact that all high school students in Finland schools must take physics, chemistry,
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biology, philosophy, music and at least two foreign languages, making it a very difficult

curriculum (“Why other countries,” 2013).

Another source presents the reasoning behind Finland’s success in schools, since

“Finland showed the highest mathematical literacy performance in the OECD and the second

highest performance within all countries” (Välijärvi et al., 2003). Another interesting finding this

research brought about was that the gender gap between the performance of boys and girls in

Finland was smaller than other OECD countries; however, boys typically had a stronger self

concept of mathematics than girls (Välijärvi et al., 2003). Finland focus heavily on equity,

whether that is in the quality of education or socioeconomic status. Surprisingly, the more a

teacher was involved with students, the worse a student achieved, yet this can be explained by

the fact that lower performing schools reported more teacher support (Välijärvi et al., 2003).

Mandatory Schooling and Race

Although critics may argue that the United States student achievement is low due to the

aspect of mandatory schooling, it does not have a large effect on student success. High

attendance rates actually improve student achievement in the classroom (Caviglia-Harris, 2006).

Compulsory attendance does not heavily affect student performance and even student attendance.

Through experimentation, Caviglia- Harris found that,

Students in the large class were more likely to be absent even with the attendance
policy (when compared to students in the smaller section with an attendance
policy), however, they did not perform significantly better or worse after
accounting for student characteristics and other factors. It appears that the large
class design can increase the incentive to miss class. However, this is just one
marginal factor in determining the student’s decision to attend (Caviglia-Harris,
2006).
Ultimately, SAT scores are the best predictor of success in school and although attendance can

impact grades, it is insignificant compared to other predictors (Caviglia-Harris, 2006). Although

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the attendance policy does have an effect on grades, it is not large enough to consider it

important to address.

Another factor that could affect the success of Finland compared to the United States

could be the uniformity of Finnish people’s ethnicities versus the diversity of the United States.

As of 2007, 91 percent of non-Hispanic Whites, 83 percent of Blacks, 60 percent of Hispanics,

80 percent of adult Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 71 percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives

over age 25 had at least a high school degree (Hochschild & Shen, 2014). Although more whites

are educated on a high school level than Asian Americans, a smaller percentage of that group has

a bachelor’s degree, 32 percent compared to 44 percent (Hochschild & Shen, 2014). Finland

does have a less diversified culture, primarily consisting of Anglo-Americans, and an argument

can be made that this accounts for the differing levels of success between the United States and

Finland, but the U.S. is currently taking steps to decrease the achievement gap and this diversity

should become negligible in the coming years.

Conclusion

Overall, the United States has a present issue at hand that needs to be solved, the lack of

academic achievement compared to other countries, especially in mathematics. Many factors

have been found to affect student performance, including “students’ own interests, attitudes, and

learning strategies, learning opportunities offered by home and school, and parents’ and schools’

expectations” (Välijärvi et al., 2003). Also, students experience math anxiety which inhibits their

performance due to the expectations of them and their uncertainties.

Finland provides a unique national curriculum where students have more of a say in what

their education looks like. Students are able to choose more of their classes and less course are

required for their students to take. Classes do not assign homework, which decreases the amount
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of stress students feel on a daily basis, giving the more time to spend on extracurriculars and

other activities. The United States demoralizes the perception of becoming a teacher because

they have very low wages compared to other jobs and are not given the status they deserve.

Increasing the quality of education within the United States can start by increasing the quality of

teachers put in front of the students teaching them the lessons. Furthermore, the ranking system

does promote competition, but it merely lowers self-confidence among all students. Of course,

students desire to be the top of their class, but that is not a realistic goal for everyone to have, so

most often than not a student feels like a disappointment. The United States can take many steps

to improve the math achievement throughout the country, along with the achievement of all other

subject by promoting autonomy and eliminating ranking system which only treat the students as

numbers, not people.

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