How Do We Get More Year 12s Doing Maths?
Mathematics has been the broccoli of school subjects for generations of Australian teenagers.
Often pushed aside, dreaded, or even feared, nearly one
third of students opt out of any senior maths courses.
This has serious implications for Australia’s future. As an
Australian Academy of Science report warned on Thursday, we need people with
maths skills to support a whole range of careers in science. This includes
agricultural science, artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and
climate science.
The skills we gain during school mathematics –
problem-solving, pattern-finding, reasoning logically, and computational
thinking – are essential to the work of many STEM careers.
The challenge is turning maths from broccoli to the
ingredient every student wants on their plate for their future. So, what can we
do?
What
has been happening with high school maths?
Across Australia, there has been a decline in students
studying maths in years 11 and 12 since the 1990s. Today, only 8.4% of
Australian high school students study the most difficult level of maths.
There are diverse reasons explaining why students opt out of
maths during school.
Many students struggle to see the relevance of the maths
they are learning for their future. Others have low self-confidence and avoid
maths, believing they are not capable. An increasing range of senior subjects
has also led to students being drawn to more enticing alternatives.
What
can parents do?
Research shows parents’ attitudes towards maths can predict
the attitudes their children will have towards the subject.
This means we need to be careful as parents. If we have
negative attitudes towards maths due to our own anxieties or past struggles,
this can affect our children’s attitudes and performance too.
Instead, parents should try to focus on the positive aspects
of maths.
For example, this is a subject where you learn about the
mechanics of the world, rather than a subject to be endured before moving to
the “fun” stuff. Maths can come alive once we notice how we use it in sports,
art, cooking, travel, money management and games.
Parents can also be curious co-learners with their children
– we never need to have all the answers ourselves. But showing interest, having
a growth mindset (a belief you can improve your abilities through effort), and
asking questions can support students’ positive attitudes and performance in
maths.
You can also talk to your child about why mastering maths is
central to a wide range of occupations, from coding to trades, retail, nursing,
animation and architecture.
What
should schools do?
Research suggests 20% of 15-year-old boys and 33% of
15-year-old girls do not think maths will be relevant to their future.
So we need a new approach to careers advice in schools.
Students need adequate support from informed adults to make accurate judgements
about career pathways – emphasising how maths can help.
On top of this, schools could consider the ways in which
mathematics is celebrated and promoted in schools. While music, drama, and
sport days are regular features of the school calendar, maths is rarely
included. Exciting maths competitions and maths days are prime opportunities to
show students how important maths is in our world.
What
about teachers?
Some of us may remember maths lessons as rather dry with a
focus on lots of questions and whether something was “wrong” or “right”.
So teachers who make maths engaging for students and
maximise opportunities for success are crucial.
This involves making abstract mathematics real (how does
this concept apply to something physical in the real world?).
Teachers should also provide step-by-step support to
students (what educators call “scaffolding”), so young people experience a
sense of achievement and success with maths. Success builds motivation,
creating an upward spiral of positive maths experiences.
What
can governments do?
The alarm bells over maths participation have been raised
for 30 years, with government funding supporting research into this phenomenon.
Despite this, the declines persist, and gender gaps in maths
have widened, with more boys doing maths and more boys achieving higher marks.
So while governments should continue to support research
into this matter, they should prioritise translating it into practical
strategies for schools and teachers.
Some
evidence-based approaches include:
high-expectation teaching, where teachers set ambitious
goals, create supportive classrooms, and believe all students can achieve
relevance interventions, where teachers show students the
practical implications of their learning
mindset interventions, which help students believe in their
abilities.
Getting
kids back into maths
Maths participation is both a national concern and something
we should all be personally attuned to.
The lifestyles of future generations will be dependent on
our capacity to be STEM innovators.
At an individual level, when students opt-out of
mathematics, they are potentially closing many doors in their lives and career.
For more
such insights, visit the website www.international-maths-challenge.com.
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