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WHY DO STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH MATH

Submitted By Vinya P

WHY DO STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH MATHEMATICS

Mathematics is a universal language that can become very confusing as the content continues to stretch with more advanced skills. Difficulties in mathematics can occur in many ways. Some struggling mathematics learners will have difficulty recalling basic computational skills. This may be due to not mastering the appropriate skill level at an early age. Some students will struggle with making connections between numbers and the quantities they represent. Also, understanding how symbols relate directly to the math can be a difficult concept to grasp. And finally, many students who struggle understanding math often times do not know the language. The language of math includes unique terminology, symbols, word problems, and verbal explanations that are not an everyday use for many young students who struggle. Math is abstract, not always tangible, and multi-computational. Because math builds on itself, the importance of mastering skills as a student learns them is top priority. But, like most things, students will master these levels at different times. Therefore, teachers must decide on appropriate accommodations for their students. Offering multiple opportunities for students to learn can influence their success.

Most of the students are struggling with mathematics. The major problem for struggling with mathematics is the teacher centered classroom system. The systematic teaching approach is essential for effective classroom learning. So we must need the child-centered classroom system. Teachers need to employ a wide variety of strategies to develop understanding of math concepts and encourage positive attitudes.

Students fall below their exceptional level of mathematics achievement for a variety of reason. When we asked why they were not as successful in learning mathematics, many people replay that “they never understood mathematics”, or “never liked it because it was too abstract and did not relate to them”. These reasons and others can be categorized in general as environmental or personal individualized factors.

Environmental Factors:- Mathematics instruction must provide many

opportunities for concept building, relevant challenging questions, problem solving, reasoning, and connection within the curriculum of real world situations. We know that most of the students who are taught in a way of rote memorization. Instead of recognizing and relating mathematics concept and generalization.

Our curriculum ,spiraling provides opportunities for learners to deal with content developmentally over time.

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Concepts can be built upon and related to previous learning throughout the curriculum, as students become more proficient and experienced in mathematics. However it is critical that the same content not be taught year after year, in almost the same manner of delivery.Another important thing is when the mathematics content being aught is unconnected to `student’s ability’ level; serious achievement gaps result. This situation may occur if students are absent frequently or transfer to another school during the academic year. Too few life experiences, such as trips to neighborhood stores or opportunities to communicate with others about numbers through practical life examples can make mathematics irrelevant for students.Personal or Individual FactorsThe memory ability is one of the major components of this factor. Some students are not able to develop mental strategies for remembering how to complete algorithmic procedures and combinations of basic facts.However strategies to improve capacities for remembering facts, formulas, procedures, ideas can be taught. Another aspect is “attention span”.

Most of the students are able to concentrate only in a specific span of time. So effective teachers should use attention getters such as drawings and learning aids. Next one is the language of mathematics, most of term are confused by words hat also have special mathematical meaning such as “volume”, “yard”, “power”, and “area”. Lack of understanding of mathematical terms such as “divisor”, “factor”, “multiple” and “denominators” seriously hampers students abilities to focus on and understand terms and operations for algorithms and problem solving.Many students, despite a good understanding of mathematical concepts, are inconsistent at computing. They make errors because they misread signs or carry numbers incorrectly, or may not write numerals clearly enough or in the correct column. These students often struggle, especially in primary school, where basic computation and "right answers" are stressed. Often they end up in remedial classes, even though they might have a high level of potential for higher-level mathematical thinking.

Many students, despite a good understanding of mathematical concepts, are inconsistent at computing. They make errors because they misread signs or carry numbers incorrectly, or may not write numerals clearly enough or in the correct column. These students often struggle, especially in primary school, where basic computation and "right answers" are stressed. Often they end up in remedial classes, even though they might have a high level of potential for higher-level mathematical thinking. Some students have difficulty making meaningful connections within and across mathematical experiences. For instance, a student may not readily comprehend the relation between numbers and the quantities they represent. If this kind of connection is not made, math skills may be not anchored in any meaningful or relevant manner. This makes them harder to recall and apply in new situations. Recommendation:Students who struggle with mathematics may do so because they are unable to “see” the larger picture, make associations, or remember basic facts.

They need not only high-quality teaching, but well-planned instruction explicitly structured to develop a specific sequence of skills. In addition, providing a mix of direct instruction of new skills and concepts, guided practice, opportunities for complex thinking and problem solving, and time for discussion is even more important for the struggling student than for students in general.

■ Provide an example of a correctly solved problem at the beginning of every lesson;

■ Have students verbally or visually explain how to solve a problem; ■ Introduce only one concept at a time and teach it to mastery; ■ Teach in small chunks so that students get lots of practice, one step at a time; ■ Provide learning aids, such as calculators, to help students focus on conceptual understanding; ■ Routinely model the use of estimation and have students estimate a reasonable solution before starting any computation;

■ Teach families of facts; and ■ Demonstrate all concepts with manipulative. Word

Problems. Many students Promoting a Positive Attitude

Finally, because many students who experience difficulty in math develop negative attitudes toward the subject, teachers must use good teaching practices to encourage positive attitudes. Mercer and Miller suggest the following:

■ Involve students in setting challenging but attainable instructional goals; ■ Ensure that instruction builds on previously learned skills;

■ Use progress charts to provide students with feedback on how well they are doing;

■ Discuss the relevance of a math skill to real-life problems; ■ Communicate positive expectations for student learning;

■ Help students understand how their own effort affects achievement outcomes; and ■ Model an enthusiastic and positive attitude toward math.

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