Mathematics. One word with so much importance and relevance. One word which can either bring extreme fear or excitement. One word which is needed in society everyday yet so many people are overwhelmed when they hear it. What feeling fills you when you hear someone say “mathematics”? Does your mind fill with random equations you learned in high school but have never actually used in real-life? Or does it get ready and excited to discuss such a topic? Does your heart start racing as you think of all the exams you sat and the horrible memories come flooding back?
For me, hearing it brings back good memories of hours of enjoyment in maths class in school. Mathematics was always one of my favourite subjects at school and something I excelled at whilst enjoying the sense of finding a solution to the problem. Whilst I did find it hard at times as I got into the more complex parts of it, I always found it more enjoyable than English lessons. However, I will admit that I do have some worries over teaching maths. I think it can be so easy to think “Awk teaching primary school maths- easy peasy lemon squeezy” especially if you took maths to a high level in school. Knowing maths and teaching it are two different things and whilst knowledge of the subject is important when teaching it, teaching strategies are also crucial. This is where I feel a sense of anxiety over it. It is also why I chose the “Discovering Mathematics” module for this semester in order to improve my confidence for placement and future teaching.
Not all maths difficulties are a result of cognitive difficulties, sometimes it is down to anxieties over maths (Nuffield Foundation, 2017). This is why it is important to break down those anxieties and try to get rid of them as best as we can. Maths anxiety usually comes from your learning experience and a lot of it is down to your teachers e.g. if you had a horrible teacher who forced you to do calculations upon calculations and did not maintain a positive approach when you made mistakes. This in turn can impact pupils’ growth mindsets and change them into ‘fixed’ mindsets (Dweck, 2010). When pupils believe that they are not able to make progress and overcome past mistakes, they may begin to dislike that particular subject and develop worries over doing it in the future. Dread can fill their minds when they see another maths equation that they believe they can’t solve. We need to change the way pupils and parents think about maths and minimise the myths such as “it is a boy subject” (University of Alabama, no date).
I believe it is important to remember that maths is not just sitting down and doing calculations and solving problems, it is used every day in the world around us. As someone who does not have maths anxiety and enjoyed it, I aspire to be a teacher who does everything they can to destroy any anxieties pupils may have over doing mathematics. I want children to see that maths is not just sitting and doing questions from a textbook, it is a land of discovery which opens doors to new and exciting opportunities (Kendriya Vidyalaya, 2015). This is ultimately my aim for the end of this module. I want to reduce my own anxieties about teaching maths in order to help limit pupils’ anxiety over learning it.
Dweck, C. (2010) What is Mindset. Available at: https://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/ (Accessed: 1 October 2017).
Kendriya Vidyalaya (2015) The Importance of Maths in Everyday Life. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/The-importance-of-maths-in-everyday-life/articleshow/48323205.cms (Accessed: 1 October 2017).
Nuffield Foundation (2017) Understanding Mathematics Anxiety. Available at: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/understanding-mathematics-anxiety (Accessed: 1 October 2017).
University of Alabama (no date). Math Myths. Available online at: http://www.ctl.ua.edu/CTLStudyAids/StudySkillsFlyers/Math/mathmyths.htm (Accessed: 1 October 2017).
