Why do so many people have problems with math?

Question

I have a theory concerning this but I first want to make a comment concerning this. Besides math principles being discovered every 100 years or so, math basically remains the same. It stands to reason then why something that seldom changes should be so difficult to learn. Now for my theory: I believe that Americans do poorly in math primarily because of the way it is being thought. No one has analyze the way two people interprets and understand the same thing being taught to them. People who do well in math more than likely interprets and process information very similar. Saying this, why hasn't some cognitive psychologist or researcher found some revolutionary solution to this problem or in fact anyone?

Answer 1

Math is difficult because much of it is taught (and taught incorrectly) before many students are even capable of understanding what they are being taught (so they just memorize formulas)...

example: Imagine a small child of about 1 yr old with a dime and you offer to trade a nickel for that dime.. the child sees that the nickel is bigger and therefore worth more and trades.. no matter how many times the mother explains that the dime is worth more than the nickel the child's brain is incapable of understanding the abstract thought of assigning value to the coins without the most valuable one being bigger (more is better)...

but at some age the child finally learns this lesson and can actually understand it.

Mathematics is a language with complex syntax that young students cannot understand (there are a lot of exceptions but the schools have to teach EVERYONE) so most students just memorize formulas.. which once forgotten are nearly impossible to reconstruct in your mind.. but if you really UNDERSTAND what is being taught then you can reconstruct the formula for yourself at any time using simple examples...

Then teachers at lower levels often use terminology incorrectly or confuse students by their explanations. Like a 10 yr old being told that "minus" and "negative" are totally different things.. when in actuality if you have something like 5 - 6 it is the same as 5 + (-6) and when the student gets older they remember what the teacher told them (no matter how it hinders their further learning/understanding)...

There is a program here in the USA where students "discover" mathematics on their own, being led by a group of people trained in the Socratic method of teaching math. With this method they have 6th graders learning calculus and actually understanding it on their own...

But in a "Normal" classroom students are often taught math in such a way that they cannot build upon it later (memorizing a formula does not let you build upon that concept later when needed because you don't really understand the math involved in the formula).

But, in general the problem is the human brain and how long it takes it to develop enough to understand complex abstract thinking.. I think the brain if fully developed at age 26 (some develop faster and it is affected by experiences)...

And, classroom math teachers in the USA are buried in paperwork to show how they are "adjusting" their curriculum to match low level learner's abilities so they are not "left behind."...

Personally, I would like to see a system where there are no Grade levels but only something similar to apprenticeships and you have to meet prerequisites to get into each class.. not related to age or grade but ability... in a system like this the slow people would advance slower but would still get the mastery desired before moving on to the next class.. all students could then advance at their own learning pace.

OK... I have rambled on too much.. hahaahahahahaaaa! (stepping off soap-box).

Answer 2

I think the problem people in North America have with math is the way it is taught. We learn step by step methods for each problem, but we aren't taught to think the problem through. Kids in Europe and Asia learn math by doing many problems using logic to get to the answer. Those who do well in math here are those who are naturally logical thinkers.

Answer 3

I think the real reason so many have trouble with math is that they either haven't decided that it is worth learning or they have bought into someone else's assessment that they cannot learn it. I think it's less about the teaching methodology than the attitude of the student.

Answer 4

The problem is how math is taught. The teacher says you can't do something than six mount later they learn how to do it.

Answer 5

dont know but math is so easy im in 7th grade algebra 2

Answer 6

cause it makes no sense, and a lot of math we're probably not even gonna use.

Answer 7

They are too lazy to think.