The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.

AAMT Position Statement Promoting positive attitudes towards mathematics

AAMT – supporting and promoting mathematics education

POSI

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Intheearly1600s,Galileousedmath-ematicstoinventhistelescopestoobservetheMoonandJupiter.

MathematicsisalsousedwhenrecontructingthepicturefromaCATscanandwhenbuildingbridges.

Introduction

Mathematics has had a significant influence in the development of the modern world. For thousands of years mathematics has been at the heart of discoveries from early counting systems to the greatest scientific and medical discoveries of our time. While almost everyone in society appreciates the value of mathematics in our everyday life, the majority of people admit to feelings of anxiety and inadequacy when faced with mathematics.

Forthemostpart,society’smisconceptionisthatapersoniseitherbornwithamathe-maticalabilityortheyarenot.Thismisconceptionhascreatedaculturewhereitissociallyacceptableforsomeonetoopenlyproclaimthattheyare‘nogood’atmathematicsandwhereaweaknessinmathematicsiswornasabadgeofhonour.Unfortunately,theseself-proclamationscontributetothedevelopmentofamindsetthatbecomesfixedandoftenunwavering.Afixedmindsetisonesignificantimpedimenttolearningasitaffectstheabilityofthelearnerto‘believe’thattheycanachieveatahigherlevel.

y= –.0.00188(x – 251.5)2 + 118

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Thismindsetiscloselylinkedwiththeattitudesthatapersonbringstomathematics;attitudeswhichareinfluencedbymanyvariables,includingpreviousschoolexperiences,culturalbeliefs,educationalvalues,parentalattitudes,teacherattitudesandpeeratti-tudes.Allofwhichcontributestoaperson’semotionaldispositiontowardsmathematics,whereapositiveattitudesupportsapositivedispositionandanegativeattitudesupportsanegativedisposition.Dispositionsarehabitsofthinkinganddoingthatinfluenceastudent’sconfidence,motivation,attitudesandbehaviourinandtowardsmathematics.

Attitudes and dispositionsAttitudesanddispositions,bothpositiveandnegative,affectthewayapersonthinksaboutthemselvesasalearner.Theyareaffectiveonanemotionallevelandaffectone’sbehaviourinthefuture.Whenconsideringmathematics,mostpeoplebelievethatifyoufollowtherulesandtheproceduresthenyouwillgettothe‘correct’answer.Whenwegetthecorrectanswerwefeelgoodaboutourselves.Thispositiveemotionalresponsecontributestoapositiveattitude,whichimpactsonanindividual’sbehaviourandconfidence.Thereforeapositiveattitudetowardsmathematicsisafavourablequalitytopossessinthemathematicsclassroom.However,theconversecanbetruewhenastudentobtainsa‘wrong’answer.Inthesameway,thereareotherinfluencesonstudents’attitudeandachievementinthemathematicsclassroom.

Teachersatparent-teacherinterviewsoftenreporthearingparents(particularlymothersofgirls)sayhowbadtheywereatmathematicsatschoolandtheirexpectationsoftheirchildisnothigh.Acommonbeliefheldbyadultsandparentsisthatachildwhoismath-ematicallycapableinheritstheir‘talent’fromtheparentwhowas‘good’atmathematics,whilethosestudentswhorequiremoretimeandencouragementinheritedthegenesthatcontributedtobeing‘badatmathematics’.Unfortunatelytheseparentalbeliefsareextremelyinfluentialinstudentattitudeandbehaviourtowardsmathematicsandoftencreateasituationwhereitisgenerallyconsideredmoreacceptabletofailinmathematicsthaninothercurriculumareas.

Parents can contribute to their children’s positive attitude by:• usingmathematicswiththemwhileshopping(money)orcooking(measuring);

• playinggamesthatusecardsanddice(probability);

• makepatterns(pre-algebra);

• usingcountinggames(number);skipcounting(multiplication/algebra);

• sayingrhymesthatusecounting(sequencing);

• findingshapesintherealworld(geometry);

• avoidingnegativetalkaboutmathematicsregardlessofwhatyoubelieve aboutyourownmathematicalabilities.

Whileparentshaveasubstantialinfluenceontheirchildren’sattitudestowardsmathematics,itmustbeacknowledgedthatteachershaveasignificantinfluenceonstudentattitudesandbeliefsaboutthelearningofmathematics.Ateacher’sbehaviourinthemathematicsclassroomiskeenlyobservedbystudents;whetheritistheteachingpractice,thecontentdeliveryortheattitudethatateacherexhibitswhendealingwithmathematics.

Manyteachersseldomrealisehowtheirbehaviourinfluencesstudentachievementandthatstudents’drawfromtheattitudeanddispositionexhibitedbytheteacherinordertoformtheirownattitude.

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Teachers can influence students by:

•fosteringthebeliefthateveryonecan‘do’mathematics;

•demonstratingtheirenthusiasmformathematics;

•knowingtheirsubjectmatter;

•avoidplacingtoomuchemphasisontests;

•providingopportunitiesthatencourageinvestigationandquestioningoverroutineprocedures;

Inordertobringaboutaculturalshiftinattitudestowardsmathematics,wemustfirstbringaboutachangeinsociety’sattitudetowardsmathematics.Theword‘nerd’isoftenassociatedwithonewhoenjoysorstudiesmathematics.Thereisacertainpersonathatgoesalongwiththatnameandmostchildrendonotwishtobeassociatedwithit.Therearesomethingsthatwecandotochangeattitudestowardsmathematics,suchas,encouragestudentstotakeriskswiththeirthinking,tellthemthatitisokaytogetawronganswersolongasyoudon’tgiveup;stopbelievingthatweeitherhavea‘mathsbrain’orwedon’t;changeourmindsetfromfixedtogrowth;seethatmathematicsiseverywhereinourworldandnevergiveup.EvenAndrewWiles,whosolvedFermat’sLastTheoremspentsevenyearsworkingonit.

“The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success”. DenisWaitley,The Winners Edge(1989)

For further information see: •Youcubed,JoBoalerhttps://www.youcubed.org/parents/

•Mindset,CarolDweckhttp://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/

•PBSParentshttp://www.pbs.org/parents/education/math/math-tips-for-parents/instill-a-love-of-math/

•AAMTStudentActivitieshttp://www.aamt.edu.au/Student-activities

Success is measured by

willingness to keep trying