Factors Contributing to Poor Math Performance

Teachers rarely interact with students without some expectancies about how they will perform academically (Trouilloud, 2002). Trouilloud asserts that expectations are thought out as assumptions that teachers make about the academic performance of their students, based on the information they know about their students (Trouilloud, 2002). These assumptions can be either objective based on the student's past achievement or subjective based on teacher’s prejudices and stereotypes (Trouilloud, 2002). Trouilloud research revealed a strong connection between teachers expectation and students overall academic achievement (Trouilloud, 2002). In other words, the higher the expectation teachers have towards students, the higher the students’ academic achievement (Trouilloud, 2002).

The nature of students is that of an instinctive ability to learn. Students of ages and all grade levels reflect their surroundings and respond according to their interpretation. Naturally it is not only the influence of a classroom that shapes a student but many outside factors that determine students’ goals and abilities; for example, healthy encouragement from parents. Students may find a natural ability to perform in one area of education and with help may fine tune their ability to better their understanding of other areas. Students have a better understanding of education when it is relevant to their needs and everyday life.

Teachers have a pivotal impact on students’ desires to stay in school and motivation to succeed. As a student myself and the act of studying to become an educator, I realize how crucial it is for students to know that a teacher cares about his or her academic success and him or her in general. I was shy growing up which in turn led to a lack of confidence in myself and my abilities, and my teachers provided me with the skills I need to succeed, Seeing that tie in and how my teachers have shaped into who I am today led me to see that impact on a personal level and how a teacher can truly change a person’s life.

“ Students do become behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively involved in the learning activities their teachers provide (e.g., write an essay, solve a math problem), and their extent of effort, enjoyment, and strategic thinking does predict important outcomes, such as achievement. But students also do more than this. Students also, more or less, proactively contribute into the flow of instruction they receive as they attempt not only to learn but also to create a more motivationally supportive learning environment for themselves ( Bandura,

Chapter 4 describes Tom’s school experience in Pennsylvania and Poland, and discussed the relationship between math and many American students. Tom did not like math and thought he was not good at it. When he was asked to solve a problem in his class in Poland, he tried to make an excuse to avoid going to the board to solve it, which the book hinted typically worked in his American classes. However, he was still asked to solve the problem, which he could not do. The book explained that math is a difficult subject for many American students, and that on the PISA assessment American students score pretty low. Despite the bad reputation of American students being bad at math, the state of Minnesota ranked proficient in math. Overall, the chapter explained why students struggle in math and what Minnesota did to produce high test scores (Ripley, 2013).

attitude to learn. Students should also prepare for tests and do the homework to help

Students are often told that the path to success tends to be a lonely one because only they can get themselves there. For the most part that is true, they must be self-motivated and passionate about their future, but along the way they get to meet special people that want to see them to accomplish their goals. From an early age the relationship built between students and teachers has molded and impacted the student’s life. The relationship they have with a teacher can define the attitude that student has with the subject being taught. A lot of emphasis is put on students when they fail a course and they question their effort. Although, the root of the problem is not always the student, but the method the instructor is using to teach the student.

However, further in depth research unveiled that there is a steady decline in mathematics performance in Australian school’s. This is due to unqualified teachers. Due to shortage of qualified maths teachers, thousands of children are being taught maths by teachers who are specialised in humanities subjects.

More importantly, creating positive student-teacher relationships can prevent discipline issues from arising. By establishing a persistent tone of mutual respect, students will participate in class activities with confidence that they and their opinions are valued. Students also should be taught how to appreciate the unique contributions each student brings to the class, as well as how to effectively resolve issues that may arise. I believe that demonstrating genuine respect to students and showing interest in their concerns will allow the effective use of instructional time, positive relationships to prevail, and minimal discipline problems to avail.

Hence, after we look at all these case studies, we could conclude that the students’ academic performance is clearly tied to teacher’s expectation. In other words, the students who were deemed as “better” or “good” ends up achieving better also due to the higher expectation that the teacher was giving to them. These result, especially Rosenthal and Jacobson’s, demonstrated extremely powerful self-fulfilling prophecy on the part of the teacher. This is because when a teacher forms certain expectations towards their students based on whatever characteristics

However, regardless of their ‘substantive aim’ it is imperative that learners understand the importance of transferable skills if they are to achieve their full potential and their long term career goal. Numeracy is one of the skills must highly valued and sought by employers and lack of this can have a great adverse effect on the individual, “The acquisition of at least basic mathematical skills – commonly referred to as “numeracy” – is vital to the life opportunities and achievements of individual citizens. Research shows that problems with basic skills have a continuing adverse effect on people’s lives and that problems with numeracy lead to the greatest disadvantages for the individual in the labour market and in terms of general social exclusion. Individuals with limited basic mathematical skills are less likely to be employed, and if they are employed are less likely to have been promoted or to have received further training.” Smith (2004, p.21)

The researcher’s main concern was to investigate differences in math perception between those students scoring highly versus those students scoring poorly on national exams. The researcher thought that the solution would be due to cross-cultural differences in achievement.

In Mel Levine’s article All Kinds of Minds, he states that “motivation drops from a bad grade, family issues, what they hear on the bus, or a remark from the teacher” ( Levine 38). Such emotions such a those given can make an impact on how he or she views themselves plus can last for a long period of time. In contribution to the attribution theory, the outcomes of behavior will take a rise. The best concept in overlooking those emotions is simply developing a positive state of mind. The more the student thinks positively, the less negative emotions will intrude.

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the behaviour and educational success of students and as such they carry a huge responsibility in the classroom. Everything the teacher says or do has a great impact on students’ lives as students depend on the teacher for guidance, for determining acceptable and social behaviour in the classroom and more importantly their learning and academic success. In addition, the role played by the teacher in fostering students learning causes them to exhibit certain attitudes which could have a long lasting negative or positive influence on students. Based on research it was surmised that high teacher expectation mean that the teacher believe that the student is a high-achiever and the dynamics

Mathematics is a type of reasoning. Thinking mathematically includes thinking in a rational way, developing and checking conjectures, understanding things, and forming and validating judgments, reasoning, and conclusions. We show mathematical habits when we acknowledge and explain patterns, build physical and theoretical models of sensations, develop sign systems to assist us stand for, control, and review concepts, and create treatments to address issues (Battista, 1999).