Why Students Struggle in Math
Factors that Contribute to Difficulties that Students Face in Mathematics Classrooms
Students in secondary schools usually have one thing in common; they are all going through their adolescent period in life. As with the physical development associated with this period, their intellectual development also goes through a change that is characterized by a progression towards abstract thinking which unfortunately does not occur in an orderly and predictable manner (Atkinson & Sturges, 2003). As a result, a classroom can easily be comprised of students with vastly differing levels of reflection on and reasoning. Such a situation will always present difficulties for students as instruction would only cater to those who are at the expected level of development for the form level. The strategies assumed present may be limited or nonexistent if the student has not fully progressed from the formal operational stage which, according to (Dasen, 1994), could be as much as two-thirds of all students. While struggling with instructional difficulties, these students are also at a stage where they relate everything presented to them in the classroom to their existence as they determine its importance. With this knowledge in hand, it is important for teachers to be explicitly aware of their students background, personalities and learning styles so as to positively influence their students attitude towards mathematics (Atkinson & Sturges, 2003). Additionally, it would require that teachers utilize assessment mainly to evaluate students’ understanding of concepts and procedural abilities so as to aid in effectively planning the next step of the instruction process. There is also a need to ensure that assessment methods are varied, reliable and suitable for obtaining the desired information from students relative to the objectives of the lesson/unit.
The utilization of these strategies by teachers would go a long way in equipping students with the ability to
Students in secondary schools usually have one thing in common; they are all going through their adolescent period in life. As with the physical development associated with this period, their intellectual development also goes through a change that is characterized by a progression towards abstract thinking which unfortunately does not occur in an orderly and predictable manner (Atkinson & Sturges, 2003). As a result, a classroom can easily be comprised of students with vastly differing levels of reflection on and reasoning. Such a situation will always present difficulties for students as instruction would only cater to those who are at the expected level of development for the form level. The strategies assumed present may be limited or nonexistent if the student has not fully progressed from the formal operational stage which, according to (Dasen, 1994), could be as much as two-thirds of all students. While struggling with instructional difficulties, these students are also at a stage where they relate everything presented to them in the classroom to their existence as they determine its importance. With this knowledge in hand, it is important for teachers to be explicitly aware of their students background, personalities and learning styles so as to positively influence their students attitude towards mathematics (Atkinson & Sturges, 2003). Additionally, it would require that teachers utilize assessment mainly to evaluate students’ understanding of concepts and procedural abilities so as to aid in effectively planning the next step of the instruction process. There is also a need to ensure that assessment methods are varied, reliable and suitable for obtaining the desired information from students relative to the objectives of the lesson/unit.
The utilization of these strategies by teachers would go a long way in equipping students with the ability to
References: Atkinson, M., & Sturges, J. (2003). At the Turning Point: The Young Adolescent Learner. Boston: National Turning Points Center, Center for Collaborative Education. Dasen, P. (1994). Culture and cognitive development from a Piagetian perspective. In W. J. Lonner, & R. S. Malpass, Psychology and Culture. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2006). Teaching of mathematics. (B. Sutar, & S. Uppal, Eds.) New Delhi: Publication Department, NCERT. Nivera, G. C. (2009). Mathematical investigation and it 's assessment: Implications for teaching and learning. The normal lights , 6 (1). Salkind, N. J. (2008). Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology (Vols. 1-2). (N. J. Salkind, Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Sherman, H. J., Richardson, L. I., & Yard, G. J. (2008). Teaching learners who struggle with mathematics: systematic intervention and remediation (3 illustrated ed.). New Jersey: Pearson/Merrill.