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For many years, math was simply one of the topics that students had to master, and many of them didn’t give it much consideration. However, a new study indicates that there is a remarkable relationship between a student’s attitude toward math and his or her overall achievement.
Tutoring companies that offer maths tutoring in Sydney realize that the importance of motivation and its relationship to achievement are laying the groundwork for a brighter future. Children who are prepared to handle not only math difficulties but also larger problems are a part of that future.
How does one’s attitude toward math matter?
The perception of a topic such as math shows to be highly essential for the final result and achievements. Children that have a positive attitude toward math do better, whereas those who have a negative attitude perform worse.
But why is this the case?
Although it has long been assumed that math results are determined by IQ and problem-solving abilities, it is now becoming clear that this is not necessarily the case. Children with the same IQ and equal mental skills scored differently in Stanford’s tests.
It was shown that students who had a positive attitude about math performed better. Children with negative views and anxiety about math, on the other hand, underperformed.
This was fascinating to discover, and the study went even further by investigating the relationship between the children’s opinions on math, parental input, and an overall analysis of the growing minds.
What is the conclusion? A positive approach toward math resulted in higher scores.
It’s actually rather straightforward after you’ve figured out the basic recipe for success. If the student has a good attitude about math and believes it is fascinating and worthwhile to study, they will pay more attention and desire to learn more. According to the leading maths tutor Melbourne has to offer, this results in higher grades and an even greater incentive to study more.
And with that, the cycle is complete.
When children have a good attitude toward math, they show advances in:
- Emotions
- Confidence
- Motivation
- Working memory
- Engagement
What factors impact somebody’s attitude toward mathematics?
Because a good attitude is so essential, it is critical to learn what drives it and how to use it as a teaching approach. A positive attitude may be acquired in a variety of methods, and it is widely accepted that parents, in collaboration with educators, play an important role.
Most children dislike math and struggle to maintain a good attitude because they fear problems and lack confidence in their ability to solve them.
As a result, developing a growing mentality is critical for excellent prioritization later in life.
This entails educating the children:
- Challenges are an excellent method to learn;
- Mistakes bring us one step closer to a solution;
- Practice makes perfect;
- They have the ability to solve any difficulty.
How can you cultivate a positive attitude toward math?
Now that we know that thinking positively about math may lead to greater success, we can create a strategy to instill that passion in young children from the outset.
Here are a handful of ideas:
Play tablet games
We are aware that youngsters enjoy technology, and rather than prohibiting them from using it, we may introduce math-solving activities.
This works well because the environment is conducive to having fun while learning, and there are immediate rewards that create a good association with answering math problems.
Guided math
Math might appear monotonous at times, especially to children who dislike it. This might pose issues since a traditional math lesson will widen the gap between strong students and those who are struggling.
This is why guided math may be useful and motivating to all students. Students are separated into groups and work on various tasks, with rotations introduced to keep things interesting. This ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn and work as part of a team.
Motivation
It’s uncertain whether initial success in math and high grades cause children to develop a positive attitude and continue to shine, but it’s worth a shot.
Depending on their age, a class of students can play different games and earn rewards by answering math problems and cooperating. This will encourage successful kids to demonstrate their talents, but it will also impact kids who may have a negative attitude about math.
When they see how fun and gratifying it can be, they will be more motivated to do well in the future.
Final Thoughts
Learning math might appear to be a pointless task at times, which is reasonable. What we frequently overlook is that math teaches us how to solve problems, change approaches, and improve our academic performance.
When children have the courage to confront math issues full-on because they believe they can do it or will ultimately learn how to do it, it generates a wonderful circle of success. This is why instilling a love of math from the beginning is critical.