Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

August 13, 2009

Professor Blank 1 Anonymous Lane Nowhere, Wa XXXXX-XXXX Subject: Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math Dear Professor Blank: Here is my final report discussing three reasons that students decide not to study more math when they are teenagers. This paper is aimed at teachers of high-school math, to aid them in encouraging their students to take more math. The first reason students decide not to take more math is because they think it is just memorizing a bunch of rules. Instead, math is understanding the underlying principles and knowing how to tackle a puzzle. To change this view, it is necessary to explain the reasons why the formulas were invented and to give the students puzzles to solve and plenty of time to try different methods. The second reason students decide not to study more math is because they think it does not relate to the real world. Instead, math is essentially a way of better understanding the world around us. To change this view, it is necessary to give the students plenty of examples of how math relates to the real world. On the other hand, it is important to not use artificial examples of real world applications, so as to avoid confusing the students. The third reason students decide not to study more math is because they think they are not capable of understanding it. Actually, almost any student is capable of understanding math if it is explained thoroughly and slowly. Working from concrete objects to abstract concepts and repeatedly telling students they can do well will also help them do better. If you have any questions about the material in this report, please contact me. I am always eager to discuss this and related topics.

Sincerely,

Sarah C. Helland

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

Professor Blank 1 Anonymous Lane Nowhere, Wa XXXXX-XXXX

Sarah C. Helland 2 Anonymous Lane Nowhere, Wa XXXXX-XXXX August 13, 2009

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

CONTENTS Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Discussion/Collected Data Math is Memorizing Rules Math is Irrelevant to the "Real World" Math is Too Hard Conclusions Recommendations References Appendix A: Howell Interview Appendix B: Robertson Interview 3 4 5 6 6 8 10 12 13 14 16 18

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Too few teenage students wish to continue studying math when they are not required. In order to reverse this trend, it is necessary to free students from their misconceptions about math. There are three major misunderstandings on the nature of math that students suffer from. The first belief students have is that math solely consists of memorizing rules. In fact, math consists of understanding principles and knowing how to approach a problem. To show this to students, you should set open-ended problems and allow students to explore different methods of solving the puzzles. The second belief students have is that math is irrelevant to the real world. The truth is that math is a way of better understanding the world around us. To demonstrate this, you should give the students as many math problems that apply to the real world as possible. However, it is important to not give problems that are excessively artificial. The third belief students have is that math is too hard for them. To show them that they are capable of doing higher-level math, you should break things down into simple steps and explain each one thoroughly. Additionally, you should work from the concrete to the abstract and tell students that they can succeed in math.

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

INTRODUCTION Ever since Russia beat the U.S. in the space race by launching Sputnik, leaders and movers in America have called for more math and science majors in college. Whether more majors in these fields are really needed may be open to debate, but there is no doubt that in the highly technological society we live in the average citizen needs a decent background in math and science. Sadly, math, in particular, is frequently cited as the least favorite class students take in school. Professor Robertson and Dr. Howell, both of Olympic College, agree that only between 20 and 30 percent of students entering their math classes actually enjoy math. The remaining students are only attending math classes because they are required to (personal communications, August 5, 2009 and August 11, 2009). The problem, however, starts before college. Many high schools offer consumer math or business math as alternatives to college preparatory math such as algebra II, trigonometry, or pre-calculus. My original research was to search for a way to get high school students to opt for the more challenging courses. In my reading of math education books, I discovered that most of the writers agreed that students do not study math because they do not understand what math really is. For this report I picked three of the most common misconceptions that students believe and discuss these beliefs, why the students believe them, the real truth about math, what should be done to change the students' opinions. I also include examples of materials that illustrated my points. In addition to discussing the misconceptions that students' have, I presented some conclusions that I drew from both my research for this paper and past experience with tutoring reluctant math students. I also included some recommendations for making math more accessible to the average student. 5

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

DISCUSSION/COLLECTED DATA Math is Memorizing Rules In my research and study I found that this is the most dangerous misunderstanding that students have. Pappas (1994) observes, Many think of mathematics as a rigid fixed curriculum (p. 1). Students think that math is memorizing rules for specific situations and applying the right rule to the right situation. This works fine at first, but as they study higher and higher levels of math they can no longer remember all the rules they have tried to memorize. Additionally, students who use this method cannot solve a problem that is a variation on a previous problem. If the new problem cannot be solved using a previous rule, the students have no idea how to approach the problem. The truth is that while some rules are necessary, as for instance the equations for volume and area, most real math involves finding a problem and investigating ways to solve it. Boaler (2008) observes that students who do well at math know that the key to solving most mathematical problems is understanding the underlying principles and knowing how to apply them. This allows the students to memorize relatively few formulas and methods. Those students who miss this concept often fail, both in and out of class, because they have difficulty applying their methods to new variations of the problems (p. 41). Now there is a good reason why students miss this point. Math does, on first examination, seem to have a lot of rules. However, when further examination is made it will be seen that if the underlying principles are understood the equations are simply common sense. Mathematics, then, is a two-fold process: understanding the principles behind the way numbers behave and understanding how to tackle a problem. 6

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

Both these steps can be addressed by setting students puzzles and problems to explore. As former Stanford professor Polya (1945) explains, if a math teacher wants to make his students curious about mathematics and willing and able to figure things out for themselves, he should set them problems at their level and aid them by asking questions. However, if the teacher instead focuses on repetitive drill, he will waste his chance, bore his students, and even keep them from learning (p. V). If the puzzle is picked correctly it gives the students a chance to grapple with the concept that is being studied, and of course they learn how to tackle a problem. There are a wide variety of puzzle books available aimed at both parents and educators. One book which I think deserves special mention is How Math Works by Vorderman. This book explains a concept and then provides a number of experiments for the students to try to discover how the principle works for themselves and to see how the principle is used. The point in solving problems is that math is a process, not a solution. The tools you learn while solving the problem are more important than the numerical answer you get at the end. Zaslavsky (1994) suggests a way to accomplish this: Think about your solution. Might you have done the problem a different way? (p. 186). Understanding how you got to the solution allows you to apply the principles to new problems. My favorite textbook, Mathematical Mystery Tour (1988), is very good at showing that math is more than memorizing rules. This book lets the student play with shapes and numbers and discover the principles for themselves. It has chapters exploring the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio, various polyhedra, and numerous applications to the real world, which is a very important thing to show the students, as is seen in my next point. I remember using this textbook 7

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

when I was in Junior High. It was, simultaneously, the most fun math course I had ever had at that point and one that stretched my brain in all kinds of ways. Math is Irrelevant to the "Real World" This misunderstanding is, in many ways, the bane of math teachers' existence. According to both Howell and Robertson, one of the primary reasons students give for not studying or enjoying math is its irrelevance to life (private communications, August 5, 2009 and August 11, 2009). The students, possibly because they are suffering from the previous misunderstanding, either do not see any benefit to themselves from studying math or do not even see that math has a purpose. Instead, they see math, beyond basic arithmetic, fractions, and sometimes geometry, as a subject suitable to only "math brains," who engage in obscure mystical behavior for no discernible reason. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but math is definitely something many students think is pointless. The truth, on the other hand, is that math is essentially a way of understanding the world around us. Some doctorate-level math may not have an obvious relationship between itself and the real world, but historically, even fields that seemed to be completely esoteric have been found to be useful as both science and engineering advanced. The reality is that there are lots of useful types math that could be shown to students. Take probabilitymost students can readily see its relevance to the real world, but it is rarely discussed in any depth before college. If opportunities like this are missed, students may never continue in math long enough to realize its true usefulness.

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

There are two main reasons students do not typically see the relevance of math. The first reason is that it takes a lot of higher-level math to adequately model even seemingly simple realworld behavior. Thus, it is difficult to give problems at the students' level that show the relevance of math such as algebra and trigonometry. The second reason is actually the failure an attempt to solve the first problem. Because it is hard to show why math is important but the textbook writers believe it is necessary, they include world problems which reference actual physical objects. However, far too many of these problems do not work in a way that bears any resemblance to the real world and therefore confuse students instead of helping them. Take the otherwise excellent book Using Math to Survive in the Wild. It is part of a series whose express purpose is to show how math is relevant to the real world. It includes excellent problems showing how math can be used to navigate the wilderness or to decide which activities would be the best use of time in a survival situation. However, one of the problems included involves trying to find matching lengths of sticks that you and your friend have measured using different units. The authors expect the readers to convert one unit into the other and thereby practice converting units. In a real situation like this, however, you and your friend would simply lay the sticks next to each other to determine which ones were the same length. Any gradeschool child could do that. In my opinion, it would be better to present math to the students as a puzzle than to use a word problem that artificially complicates a situation that has a straightforward situation. Another related confusion students have is that they do not see math as an active process. They do not see that math was designed by real people trying to understand how the world 9

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

around them worked. One example of an excellent textbook illustrating the active process of math is Calculus the Easy Way (1982). The book is told in the form of a fantasy story, where the heroes, in an attempt to overcome difficulties they face, discover calculus. Downing had to put a number of calculus principles in the form of puzzles set by the evil "Gremlin" because the actualworld problems they were designed to address are far too hard to explain for introductory students. The book, however, clearly shows the students that math is something people actively do in answer to problems around them. Math is Too Hard Those who have given up on math entirely will say things like I just couldnt get math or Im no good at math. Even those who do not actively hate math seem to be under the impression that math is one of those skills that either one is good at or that one is not good at, with no inbetween stages. As Professor Robertson of Olympic College explains, They often feel that they are not capable of learning math since they failed before (personal communication, August 5, 2009). In conjunction with the previous point, students believe that math is a specialized skill where one must have an innate ability in order to excel. In fact, I believe that there are very few people who cannot master at least algebra. In his book describing his work with remedial math students, Mighton (2003) asserts, Based on my work with elementary students, I am now convinced that all children . . . can be led to think mathematically (p. 5). Now, I am not saying that math is easyit always requires work. However, it is not an insurmountable difficulty. Good educators know that every student has subjects that do not click instantly. Doing badly in a subject does not mean that the student is 10

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

incapable of understanding it, and does not even mean that the student may not be good at the subject, given a chance. As Assouline and Lupkowski-Shoplik (2005) write, even in the case of gifted children their computational skills may lag significantly behind their understanding of mathematics (p. 9). Personally, I still struggle with accurate addition, and math is one of my majors. The first key, as seen in Mighton's work, is to break complicated procedures and concepts into small steps. Using this method, he was able to take remedial math students and get them working above grade level. Another key is to start with the concrete and work to the abstract. This step is popularized in all the systems based on manipulatives. Take Borenson (1988). He developed a system of teaching using manipulatives to demonstrate the way an equation works. It starts with comparing an equation to a balance scale, and step-by-step explains how to solve an equation by keeping both sides equal. This system was designed for introducing algebra concepts in elementary school. In fact, I used a variation on his technique myself to successfully explain equations to two children, one seven and one nine. If these principles work with younger children, there is no reason they will not work with teenagers. The final key is that expecting your students to do well inspires them to do well. If you present a concept to students and tell them, "This is hard. You probably won't get it," you should not be surprised if they do not understand. Conversely, if you assume they will get it and forget to explain thoroughly, they still will not understand. It is important to show students that, as Burns (1982) explains, "You're not born being a math smarty pantsit is something you

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Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

learn.It's up to you." (p. 9). Students need to know that a concept is something they can master, in order to want to try. Really, simply using the techniques from the previous two points will make math a lot easier for the students. If the principles behind the formulas are explained to the students and they are given plenty of time to play around with the ideas, math will become much more accessible to them. Put another way, it might be useful to introduce qualitative nature of math before the quantitative. Take Pappas's 1991 book, More Joy of Mathematics. In it, she presents short, one- or two-page articles, explaining various math principles and applications at a level that teenagers without much quantitative higher-math skills could understand. Presenting reluctant math students with non-threatening math books of this sort might help get them over their worries. CONCLUSIONS Math is disliked by students because they do not understand it. They think that math requires memorizing lots of rules and do not realize that math involves understanding principles and investigating puzzles. They think that math is irrelevant to the real world and do not realize that math is a way of better understanding the world around us. They think that because they have failed in math before that they are incapable of doing math, and do not realize that all students struggle with different aspects of math. To interest students in continuing their math educations it is necessary to correct these misunderstandings.

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Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

RECOMMENDATIONS To show students that math is more than memorizing rules, you should explain the principles behind all the new material you introduce. Additionally, you should set somewhat open-ended problems for the students that allow them to explore the ways that the principles can be applied. To show students that math is relevant to the real world you should give them examples of realworld uses. However, it is important that you do not give them problems that are artificial. To show students that they are capable of doing math, you should break things down into small steps, work from the concrete to the abstract, and always remember to tell the students that they can succeed at math.

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Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

REFERENCES Assouline, S. & Lupkowski-Shoplik, A. (2005). Developing math talent: a guide for educating gifted and advanced learners in math. Waco: Prufrock Press Boaler, Jo (2008). Whats math got to do with it: helping children learn to love their least favorite subjectand why its important for America. New York: Penguin Borenson, Henry (1988). The hands-on equations learning system. Penndel, PA: Borenson and Associates Burns, Marilyn (1982). Math for smarty pants. New York: Little, Brown & Company Downing, Douglas (1982). Calculus the easy way. (3rd ed.). Hauppauge, NY: Barrons Koll, H., Mills, S., & Crockett, J. (2006). Using math to survive in the wild. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Mighton, John (2003). The myth of ability: nurturing mathematical talent in every child. New York: Walker Pappas, Theoni (1991). More joy of mathematics: exploring mathematical insights & concepts. San Carlos, Ca: Wide World Pappas, Theoni (1994). The magic of mathematics: discovering the spell of mathematics. San Carlos, CA: Wide World Polya, G. (1945). How to solve it: a new aspect of mathematical method. (2nd ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Vorderman, Carol (1996). How math works. London: Dorling Kindersley 14

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

Wahl, Mark (1988). A mathematical mystery tour: higher-thinking math tasks. Tucson: Zephyr Press Zaslavsky, Claudia (1994). Fear of math: how to get over it and get on with your life. New Brunswick: Rutgers University

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Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

APPENDIX A: HOWELL INTERVIEW What proportion of the students in your lower level math classes enjoy math, as opposed to just being in the class to get their math credits? In lower level mathematics rarely do I see students who take the course because they enjoy mathematics. On day 1, when I ask the question who in here enjoys mathematics?, I will see about 9 out of 35 hands go up, about 26%. What are the most common misconceptions about math that you have heard students state? That math is a bunch of formulas to memorize that is not used in the real world. It is true that there are a lot of formulas one should know and understand how to use. Once they understand how it can be applied many applications can be solved using this knowledge. My teacher makes math FUN. Sure it can be fun, but it does involve a lot of hard work and effort to be successful. I am going to major in English, so I wont need mathematics. I tell them, they may use knowledge of mathematics when writing a paper about current trends in population ( increasing/decreasing over specific intervals, difference between the terminology exponential and quadratic, percentages, ratios of growth/decay over period of time).

How do you show students that math is not too hard for them to do? My strategy is to let them know that mathematics is difficult, but there are strategies one should understand that aids in the problem solving process. I give plenty of examples and show the majority of steps in between, while pointing out where common mistakes occur. I also offer lots of encouragement while they are working through the material. A bit of confidence in their abilities will go a long way in a mathematics class. How do you show students that math involves solving problems, not just memorizing rules? By bringing applications into the discussion will give them a framework for solving problems. Once we find the solution we make sure that it makes sense in the context of the problem. Dont get me wrong there are always certain rules on must follow in mathematics, but when they see that they do have a use most jump on board with the process. How do you demonstrate to students that mathematics involves the real world? Once again applications, it can be anywhere from bringing in a quilting pattern and cutting out squares that need to have known diagonal, so we use knowledge of Pythagoreans theorem. I 16

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

often throw pens and erasers around the room to give the sense of parabolas and gravity effect on an object, then we find the vertex (high point) and the time that it hits the ground. Why did you become interested in mathematics? I would have to say this stems back to my fourth grade teacher Mr. T, he showed that an object with same perimeter can have different areas. I became curious of other shapes and this teacher would give me extra problems to work on. Then in junior high, I learned that a line (linear function) had a constant rate of change between any two points, so I asked my teacher what about the rate of change of a curved line?, and he drew some pictures and let me think about how the rate changes. At that time, I did not know that this is one of the primary discoveries in Calculus.

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Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

APPENDIX B: ROBERTSON INTERVIEW What proportion of the students in your lower level math classes enjoy math, as opposed to just being in the class to get their math credits? This is difficult to estimate this but probably 20% - 30% enjoy math at the start of my classes and I hope that by the end of my class its 30% - 40%. What are the most common misconceptions about math that you have heard students state? Students have many misconceptions, for example, They often feel that they are not capable of learning math since they failed before. They think that the answer is the most important part when in many cases its the process that is used in the solution of a problem that is the most important part. They see no value in learning math as they feel it is unimportant to their life and eventual career How do you show students that math is not too hard for them to do? Math is a very logical subject and if you can show them that many of the rules and process that we use to solve problems do make sense then they can grasp the idea with less difficulty. I try to explain that we look at problems and their solutions using a mathematical mind set and that if they can learn to do this too that solving problems can be fun. How do you show students that math involves solving problems, not just memorizing rules? In order to become proficient at Mathematics you have to have some insight into why you do what you do when you are solving a problem. At the lower levels of mathematics this can sometimes seem like a shopping list of rules but if that is all the student gets out of it then they are missing the point. So I try to emphasize the process is the important part in solving a problem and that if you can understand how the process works you will become more successful in mathematics. How do you demonstrate to students that mathematics involves the real world? The best way to do this is to give problems which they can identify as real world situations and that are useful to them or others. Unfortunately this is not so easy at the lower level of mathematics so I would also try to emphasize that mathematics is useful as it allows you to look at problem solving from another perspective. In order to do this I would try to explain to them 18

Three Common Misconceptions Students Have About Math and How to Change Their Opinions

that Mathematics is a very special form of a language, for example, not only does it allows us to symbolically communicate ideas and concepts but it also provides us with very efficient and concise tools that allow us to manipulate information in order to solve a problem. Mathematics also gives us tools to solve not just a single problem but to generalize the solution so that it can be solved in any similar situation. Why did you become interested in mathematics? I became interested at a very early age (around 6 or 7) I remember being at Primary school and the teacher asked everyone what they wanted be when they grew up. I wanted to be a Mathematician; you can imagine how that went down.

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