Math Haters
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Why is it that people hate maths?
Truly, there is no bona fide reason why mathematics in particular should be disliked. It forms an inevitable part of life that every human must confront at some time in their lives. Math, as defined by Wikipedia.org, is the study of quantity, structure, space and change. Without realizing it, people integrate simple math into their lives, whether it is by playing a card game, taking out a loan, checking how many miles are available before running out of gas, or by balancing monthly expenses. Rather than prove to be helpful in everyday situations, it creates hindrances and anxiety, even to a point of fear in most people, when they are confronted with mathematics. All occupations require knowledge of math to a degree, some more than others. However, many people find it necessary to ask, “Why do we need math?” Math helps people think conceptually, which carries over to many other fields and practical applications. Therefore, there should be no real reason why people hate math.
Firstly, when confronted with math in school, a subject more intensive than the foreign languages and sciences, many factors come into play. Primarily, math is taught through a series of unanswered questions and problem solving. Students feel pressured to find ways to solve these questions through logical methods and strategies, within time constraints. Students are more than familiar with feeling associated with the almost inevitable lack of comprehension in mathematics. A feeling of failure and embarrassment ensues, particularly when other students prove to be capable and successful. This is where an occurrence called ‘math anxiety’ happens. Math anxiety is a term coined by scholars describing a trend that is often taken into account when investigating students’ problems with mathematics. Mark H. Ashcraft, Ph.D. defines math anxiety as “a feeling of tension, apprehension or fear that interferes with
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Why is it that people hate maths?
Truly, there is no bona fide reason why mathematics in particular should be disliked. It forms an inevitable part of life that every human must confront at some time in their lives. Math, as defined by Wikipedia.org, is the study of quantity, structure, space and change. Without realizing it, people integrate simple math into their lives, whether it is by playing a card game, taking out a loan, checking how many miles are available before running out of gas, or by balancing monthly expenses. Rather than prove to be helpful in everyday situations, it creates hindrances and anxiety, even to a point of fear in most people, when they are confronted with mathematics. All occupations require knowledge of math to a degree, some more than others. However, many people find it necessary to ask, “Why do we need math?” Math helps people think conceptually, which carries over to many other fields and practical applications. Therefore, there should be no real reason why people hate math.
Firstly, when confronted with math in school, a subject more intensive than the foreign languages and sciences, many factors come into play. Primarily, math is taught through a series of unanswered questions and problem solving. Students feel pressured to find ways to solve these questions through logical methods and strategies, within time constraints. Students are more than familiar with feeling associated with the almost inevitable lack of comprehension in mathematics. A feeling of failure and embarrassment ensues, particularly when other students prove to be capable and successful. This is where an occurrence called ‘math anxiety’ happens. Math anxiety is a term coined by scholars describing a trend that is often taken into account when investigating students’ problems with mathematics. Mark H. Ashcraft, Ph.D. defines math anxiety as “a feeling of tension, apprehension or fear that interferes with
Bibliography: * Science Daily. “Boys ' And Girls ' Brains Are Different: Gender Differences In Language Appear Biological.” ScienceDaily. 2010. Web. 20 February 2011 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303120346.htm> * Half Sigma * Harasty J., Double K.L., Halliday, G.M., Kril, J.J., and McRitchie, D.A. Language-associated cortical regions are proportionally larger in the female brain. Archives in Neurology vol 54 (2) 171-6, 1997 * Ashcraft, M * Ashcraft, M. H., & Kirk, E. P. (2001). The relationships among working memory, math anxiety, and performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130, 224-237 * Tobias,