What causes poor performance by pupils in mathematics?

Answer 1

There are many causes for poor performance generally. Causes that are more specific to mathematics are:

• Social acceptability. Celebrities often claim publicly - and proudly - that they were "useless" at mathematics at school. Few would be as proud about being useless at reading!
• Poor teaching. Until recently, in the UK, teachers who had not studied mathematics beyond GCSE could teach mathematics in primary schools.
• Students are often taught the mechanics rather than the rationale. Something that is explained, and so is better understood, can be adapted to a range of situations.
• Changing methods of teaching means that many parents are unable to support their school age children. Parents may also be weak themselves.
• Much of the middle school curriculum appears irrelevant to students.

A bit more on that last point. Some mathematical knowledge is crucial for everybody. Without it they will be compromised in everyday situations [is 3 for the price of 2 better than 35% off? Is 5% interest every 6 months the same as 10% every year? No - and the difference WILL hurt if it is on your mortgage].

But in the same way that most car drivers would not have a clue about the workings of an internal combustion engine, not everyone requires knowledge of some aspects of secondary school mathematics. For some professions the knowledge is required, but not for all. And I speak as someone who absolutely loves maths, who studied maths till he breathed mathematics, who was employed as a mathematician (statistician, actually) for 30 years and now, in retirement (ha ha - try affording that!), teaches mathematics. And even uses a variation on the word as his username.

There are many causes for poor performance generally. Causes that are more specific to mathematics are:

• Social acceptability. Celebrities often claim publicly - and proudly - that they were "useless" at mathematics at school. Few would be as proud about being useless at reading!
• Poor teaching. Until recently, in the UK, teachers who had not studied mathematics beyond GCSE could teach mathematics in primary schools.
• Students are often taught the mechanics rather than the rationale. Something that is explained, and so is better understood, can be adapted to a range of situations.
• Changing methods of teaching means that many parents are unable to support their school age children. Parents may also be weak themselves.
• Much of the middle school curriculum appears irrelevant to students.

A bit more on that last point. Some mathematical knowledge is crucial for everybody. Without it they will be compromised in everyday situations [is 3 for the price of 2 better than 35% off? Is 5% interest every 6 months the same as 10% every year? No - and the difference WILL hurt if it is on your mortgage].

But in the same way that most car drivers would not have a clue about the workings of an internal combustion engine, not everyone requires knowledge of some aspects of secondary school mathematics. For some professions the knowledge is required, but not for all. And I speak as someone who absolutely loves maths, who studied maths till he breathed mathematics, who was employed as a mathematician (statistician, actually) for 30 years and now, in retirement (ha ha - try affording that!), teaches mathematics. And even uses a variation on the word as his username.

There are many causes for poor performance generally. Causes that are more specific to mathematics are:

• Social acceptability. Celebrities often claim publicly - and proudly - that they were "useless" at mathematics at school. Few would be as proud about being useless at reading!
• Poor teaching. Until recently, in the UK, teachers who had not studied mathematics beyond GCSE could teach mathematics in primary schools.
• Students are often taught the mechanics rather than the rationale. Something that is explained, and so is better understood, can be adapted to a range of situations.
• Changing methods of teaching means that many parents are unable to support their school age children. Parents may also be weak themselves.
• Much of the middle school curriculum appears irrelevant to students.

A bit more on that last point. Some mathematical knowledge is crucial for everybody. Without it they will be compromised in everyday situations [is 3 for the price of 2 better than 35% off? Is 5% interest every 6 months the same as 10% every year? No - and the difference WILL hurt if it is on your mortgage].

But in the same way that most car drivers would not have a clue about the workings of an internal combustion engine, not everyone requires knowledge of some aspects of secondary school mathematics. For some professions the knowledge is required, but not for all. And I speak as someone who absolutely loves maths, who studied maths till he breathed mathematics, who was employed as a mathematician (statistician, actually) for 30 years and now, in retirement (ha ha - try affording that!), teaches mathematics. And even uses a variation on the word as his username.

There are many causes for poor performance generally. Causes that are more specific to mathematics are:

• Social acceptability. Celebrities often claim publicly - and proudly - that they were "useless" at mathematics at school. Few would be as proud about being useless at reading!
• Poor teaching. Until recently, in the UK, teachers who had not studied mathematics beyond GCSE could teach mathematics in primary schools.
• Students are often taught the mechanics rather than the rationale. Something that is explained, and so is better understood, can be adapted to a range of situations.
• Changing methods of teaching means that many parents are unable to support their school age children. Parents may also be weak themselves.
• Much of the middle school curriculum appears irrelevant to students.

A bit more on that last point. Some mathematical knowledge is crucial for everybody. Without it they will be compromised in everyday situations [is 3 for the price of 2 better than 35% off? Is 5% interest every 6 months the same as 10% every year? No - and the difference WILL hurt if it is on your mortgage].

But in the same way that most car drivers would not have a clue about the workings of an internal combustion engine, not everyone requires knowledge of some aspects of secondary school mathematics. For some professions the knowledge is required, but not for all. And I speak as someone who absolutely loves maths, who studied maths till he breathed mathematics, who was employed as a mathematician (statistician, actually) for 30 years and now, in retirement (ha ha - try affording that!), teaches mathematics. And even uses a variation on the word as his username.