We currently live in a society where it is acceptable to be math phobic. We
have embraced a culture of anxiety, stress and avoidance of mathematics.
There is safety in this cohort, as many students, teachers, administrators,
parents and the general population are members.
How did this happen to a subject that the ancient Greeks viewed as beautiful and the key to unlocking the mysteries of the world ?
When and why did we develop such a closed mindset to learning mathematics ?
What are the implications for the students in our schools ?
As educators, we have the most powerful impact on student attitudes and achievement, and yet there is open admission at times of fearing mathematics. Many researchers are investigating this phenomenon. The consensus is that a closed or fixed mindset is an important element of the problem.
Carol Dweck released a ground breaking book in 2006, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. According to Dweck’s research, a person with a fixed mindset believes that they are either smart or not. People who have a fixed mindset believe they fail at tasks or make mistakes because they just aren’t smart enough. They may develop traits such as avoidance of challenges, problem solving evasion and lack of perseverance.
In traditional mathematics classes, we have placed value on the fastest correct answer. This is a dangerous practice as it reinforces the concept of intelligence and the ability to learn as being fixed. Dweck’s research found that a fixed mindset is evident across all achievement ranges, with the highest proportion found in high achieving girls (Boaler, 2013).
Educators and parents inadvertently contribute to this problem.
How often have we heard, “You are so smart! Look at how fast you answered the question!”
When a student fails at a task or isn’t quick enough, a student (or adult) views this as a failure and surmise that they are not smart enough.
We often reinforce this mindset in the classroom by ability grouping in mathematics problem solving settings. Students are highly perceptive to the fact they are judged and sorted on their abilities. Study after study indicates that this practice is deeply damaging and creates a fixed mindset in students (Boaler, 2013).
In fact, the research shows, “mathematics classrooms influence to a high and regrettable degree, the confidence students have in their own intelligence. This is unfortunate both because math classrooms often treat children harshly, but also because we know there are many forms of intelligence and ways to be smart and math classrooms tend to value only one.” (Boaler, 2008)
The opposite of a fixed mindset is a growth mindset. People who have a growth mindset demonstrate the following characteristics: embrace challenges, persist when faced with setbacks, see effort as the key to mastery, embrace constructive criticism and find inspiration in the success of others (Dweck, 2006).
Failure is seen as an opportunity for growth, to learn and improve. A growth mindset can be taught to students and encouraged by the types of tasks students are provided.
If students are given math questions that are closed and require right and wrong answers, the message that is communicated to students is that only a correct answer is valued. Offering more open tasks allows students to see the possibilities of high achievement and the opportunity to improve (Boaler, 2013).
Why is mathematics such a polarizing subject ?
Why is it acceptable to dislike math and be open about it?
It is very rare that someone would admit to disliking reading or brag about not being good at it. This bravado is a deflection or a shield. If one states they are terrible at math, then they can’t be judged if asked to do it on demand.
When splitting a bill in a restaurant, when figuring out how much tile to buy at the home improvement store and most unfortunately in schools.
Many educators today remember math instruction as a time to learn algorithms and apply those procedures. Evaluation and assessment was based almost entirely on how well a student could recall and apply those procedures.
Remember racing to the blackboard and waiting with chalk in your sweaty palm as the whole class watched and waited until you found out which times table you would be asked to record as fast as you could with the class watching?
As Carol Dweck would say, we believed math was about how good or correct we were, not on what we learned and how much growth was exhibited. This message is still being heard today.
When teachers participate in professional development, the idea is that teachers are always learning and repositioning their understanding of a topic based on what information their students provide them. This is a position of a growth mindset.
The extensive learning by teachers around problem-based learning in mathematics places the teacher as a co-learner along with the students.
Often, even with in-depth preparation for a three-part lesson in mathematics teachers will be fascinated by a strategy a student used that they didn’t expect.
When a teacher feels they hold all the knowledge and it is their job to impart it to students it takes them away from a growth mindset. They are less open to new learning and to seeing mistakes and constructive criticism as a key tool in teaching.
How did this happen to a subject that the ancient Greeks viewed as beautiful and the key to unlocking the mysteries of the world ?
When and why did we develop such a closed mindset to learning mathematics ?
What are the implications for the students in our schools ?
As educators, we have the most powerful impact on student attitudes and achievement, and yet there is open admission at times of fearing mathematics. Many researchers are investigating this phenomenon. The consensus is that a closed or fixed mindset is an important element of the problem.
Carol Dweck released a ground breaking book in 2006, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. According to Dweck’s research, a person with a fixed mindset believes that they are either smart or not. People who have a fixed mindset believe they fail at tasks or make mistakes because they just aren’t smart enough. They may develop traits such as avoidance of challenges, problem solving evasion and lack of perseverance.
In traditional mathematics classes, we have placed value on the fastest correct answer. This is a dangerous practice as it reinforces the concept of intelligence and the ability to learn as being fixed. Dweck’s research found that a fixed mindset is evident across all achievement ranges, with the highest proportion found in high achieving girls (Boaler, 2013).
Educators and parents inadvertently contribute to this problem.
How often have we heard, “You are so smart! Look at how fast you answered the question!”
When a student fails at a task or isn’t quick enough, a student (or adult) views this as a failure and surmise that they are not smart enough.
We often reinforce this mindset in the classroom by ability grouping in mathematics problem solving settings. Students are highly perceptive to the fact they are judged and sorted on their abilities. Study after study indicates that this practice is deeply damaging and creates a fixed mindset in students (Boaler, 2013).
In fact, the research shows, “mathematics classrooms influence to a high and regrettable degree, the confidence students have in their own intelligence. This is unfortunate both because math classrooms often treat children harshly, but also because we know there are many forms of intelligence and ways to be smart and math classrooms tend to value only one.” (Boaler, 2008)
The opposite of a fixed mindset is a growth mindset. People who have a growth mindset demonstrate the following characteristics: embrace challenges, persist when faced with setbacks, see effort as the key to mastery, embrace constructive criticism and find inspiration in the success of others (Dweck, 2006).
Failure is seen as an opportunity for growth, to learn and improve. A growth mindset can be taught to students and encouraged by the types of tasks students are provided.
If students are given math questions that are closed and require right and wrong answers, the message that is communicated to students is that only a correct answer is valued. Offering more open tasks allows students to see the possibilities of high achievement and the opportunity to improve (Boaler, 2013).
Why is mathematics such a polarizing subject ?
Why is it acceptable to dislike math and be open about it?
It is very rare that someone would admit to disliking reading or brag about not being good at it. This bravado is a deflection or a shield. If one states they are terrible at math, then they can’t be judged if asked to do it on demand.
When splitting a bill in a restaurant, when figuring out how much tile to buy at the home improvement store and most unfortunately in schools.
Many educators today remember math instruction as a time to learn algorithms and apply those procedures. Evaluation and assessment was based almost entirely on how well a student could recall and apply those procedures.
Remember racing to the blackboard and waiting with chalk in your sweaty palm as the whole class watched and waited until you found out which times table you would be asked to record as fast as you could with the class watching?
As Carol Dweck would say, we believed math was about how good or correct we were, not on what we learned and how much growth was exhibited. This message is still being heard today.
When teachers participate in professional development, the idea is that teachers are always learning and repositioning their understanding of a topic based on what information their students provide them. This is a position of a growth mindset.
The extensive learning by teachers around problem-based learning in mathematics places the teacher as a co-learner along with the students.
Often, even with in-depth preparation for a three-part lesson in mathematics teachers will be fascinated by a strategy a student used that they didn’t expect.
When a teacher feels they hold all the knowledge and it is their job to impart it to students it takes them away from a growth mindset. They are less open to new learning and to seeing mistakes and constructive criticism as a key tool in teaching.
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