Why Do Filipino Students Hate Math

Alan Schoenfeld, a math professor at Berkeley, videotaped many students solving math problems. He was particularly interested in one of his students, Renee, who was determined to find the solution to this one question. Schoenfeld was especially intrigued by Renee because she took her time, and although she was not successful the first couple of times she was persistent and determined. Though it was a simple question, she became frustrated, but continued to think out loud and experiment with different methods to solve the problem. Schoenfeld reviewed her tape and compared it to others, what he discovered was extremely interesting. Other students, when presented with a question that they could not answer within the average of two minutes would give up. Renee was not like the others, she spent a full twenty-two minutes until the moment she said, “Ahhhh. That means something now” (Gladwell, 245). What Renee took away from this experience that the others who gave up did not, is that she learned something new and has pride from taking the time and effort to understand the concept. Schoenfeld then reached his conclusion that math is,"...not so much ability as attitude. You master mathematics if you are willing to try" (Gladwell, 246). Schoenfeld’s video of Renee proves that students are willing to work much harder than others. Likewise the TIMSS is a

For the past three years of my high school career, and now my fourth, I have made it an obligation to continually expand my horizons in regards to math; when I cannot fully grasp an idea or concept, rather than giving up, I relentlessly pursue the idea until it is understood. During freshman year, math did not come easily to me. I was forced to go in early some days because, simply, I did not comprehend the concepts. However, taking initiative with my school work, and constantly working through problems that were difficult can be deemed one of the best decisions I have made. Although my final grade may not have been an

Mathematical understanding influences all areas of life from social to private and civil. Therefore maths education is widely believed to be the single most important aspect to establishing opportunities for young people; unfortunately, many struggle with mathematics and become indifferent as they continue to encounter obstacles with regard to engagement (Anthony & Walshaw, 2009). Knowing a

My passion for mathematics was fixed at the age of ten, on the morning that my mathematics teacher told I would be sitting the Junior Maths Challenge, 'as practice for when you are older'. As I nervously started to answer the questions, a whole world began to open before me. I revelled in the problem solving, answering questions of a nature I had not seen before. My teachers were delighted when I emerged from the exam hungry for more. Since then I have consistently demonstrated my aptitude, achieving gold awards through to senior level, and scoring highly in the European Kangaroo.

Disturbingly, “nearly one-fifth of high school students and over 50 percent of middle school students are enrolled in math classes whose teachers neither majored or minored in math” (Drew, 2011, p.9). In 2000, 31 percent of high

The author explains how many students, especially those in the focused-upon second grade class, have difficulty explaining their “mathematical thinking process”. While they may provide correct answers using memorized calculations, they are unable to demonstrate their conceptual understandings or explain how they achieved the right results. As stated by the researcher, “it is important for students to be able to demonstrate their mathematical thinking as well as their method of solving a problem” (Kostos & Shin, 2010, p.223).

Matthew Misiura is a math teacher at Susquehanna Community High School. Mr. Misiura explains that he always pushes for “content mastery” in his math classes. However, Mr. Misiura’s teachings are more than an average algebra and precalculus class. Mr. Misiura pushes for students to learn about the real world. He pushes for students to always work to their full potential. In a year in his classroom, I not only learned precalculus and trigonometry, but I learned how to view situations from a different perspective. Some students, when given back a test in which they failed, would cry, act childish, or simply complain. Mr. Misiura was able to reinforce the belief that the only way to learn is to make mistakes. He often stated that, if you already

As those who love physics or chemistry, or biology, are most likely to understand difficult and complex concepts and be successful in their respective subjects, I became more successful at understanding mathematical concepts as my junior year progressed and as my senior year began. Calculus became an infinitely easier subject and one that I could comprehend with relative ease, even easier than traditionally “easy” subjects for me such as history or language arts. I learned that I could fly through problem sets and enjoy it, and for the first time in my school life, I was the one answering my peers’ questions instead of being the designated clueless classmate. Learning to love something that is so essential to life made me enjoy myself and my life more than I had previously, and I no longer felt the self-doubt of not being “gifted” in mathematics in a group of mathematically “gifted” students. I feel markedly more confident in my mathematical abilities, both presently and in the future as a student majoring in

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).

As my transcripts reveal, I have taken substantial courses in both statistics and mathematics. Three years' painstaking study equipped me with a solid mathematical foundation and a deeper understanding of Statistics. I vividly recall the excitement of exchanging ideas with my peers and the achievement of solving questions independently. Moreover, sharing my passion, I helped some of my classmates for the preparation of final exams. I taught them the methods of regression analysis, the connection between stochastic processes and time series, and wide application of mathematical statistics, etc. Through teaching them, my devotion to Statistics became even deeper. In the final evaluation, I received scores above 90 in those statistical lessons. More importantly, my understanding was largely consolidated and

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.

When I have taken “AP Statistics” on eleventh grade, realized that was really difficult and challenging course. In the class it was easy

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.

Maths is ubiquitous in our lives, but depending on the learning received as a child it could inspire or frighten. If a child has a negative experience in mathematics, that experience has the ability to affect his/her attitude toward mathematics as an adult. Solso (2009) explains that math has the ability to confuse, frighten, and frustrate learners of all ages; Math also has the ability to inspire, encourage and achieve. Almost all daily activities include some form of mathematical procedure, whether people are aware of it or not. Possessing a solid learning foundation for math is vital to ensure a lifelong understanding of math. This essay will discuss why it is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence (Anghileri, 2006, p. 2) and why mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri).

Mathematics, like every creation of man, have evolved without really knowing how far you can get with them: the scope of the computer, physics, chemistry, algebra, all are evidence of this. Every aspect of our culture is based in some way or another in Mathematics: language, music, dance, art, sculpture, architecture, biology, daily life. All these areas of measurements and calculations are accurate. Even in nature, everything follows a precise pattern and a precise order: a flower, a shell, a butterfly, day and night, the seasons. All this makes mathematics essential for human life and they can not be limited only to a matter within the school curriculum; here lies the importance of teaching math in a pleasure, enjoyable and understandable way. Mathematics is an aid to the development of the child and should be seen as an aid to life and not as an obstacle in their lifes.