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MMW Fear and Loathing of Mathematics

The document discusses how traditional mathematics teaching focuses too much on rote memorization and getting the right answer, which can discourage creativity and understanding. It argues that approaches like Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) that allow for open-ended exploration and relating mathematical concepts to students' own experiences can foster more creativity and positive attitudes towards math. The author reflects on their own negative experiences with a rigid math education as a student and how appreciating more creative fields made them realize the need for a shift towards pedagogies that balance numerical and intuitive understanding and allow math to be approached flexibly.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
39 views2 pages

MMW Fear and Loathing of Mathematics

The document discusses how traditional mathematics teaching focuses too much on rote memorization and getting the right answer, which can discourage creativity and understanding. It argues that approaches like Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) that allow for open-ended exploration and relating mathematical concepts to students' own experiences can foster more creativity and positive attitudes towards math. The author reflects on their own negative experiences with a rigid math education as a student and how appreciating more creative fields made them realize the need for a shift towards pedagogies that balance numerical and intuitive understanding and allow math to be approached flexibly.

Uploaded by

Maegan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MMW

“Fear and Loathing of Mathematics”

How can varied and creative teaching practices be vital to students in developing stimulation
towards mathematics as a subject and as a concept?

Mathematics, as an academic subject, is often recognized through its technical and logical nature. The rest
of the 'core subjects' we have encountered, namely English and the Sciences, offer the same qualities but
not as rigid and entirely unforgiving. To this day, rote memorization strategies still dominate math textbooks
and pedagogies. More often than not, students will lean more towards seeking facts and answers with
scarce understanding of what they are actually solving.

A personal anecdote of mine was when I was in junior high. The lesson was around polynomials and
algebra. I will get this sense of fulfillment when getting correct answers but it always felt superficial, in a
sense that I could proudly present to you how I came up with my answer but otherwise wouldn't confidently
provide you as to how I 'made sense' of my answer. Because I was entirely dependent on formulas, without
actually developing a great sense of solving or strategizing. Focused on the 'ifs' and 'only ifs'.

Because the way I have perceived math as a subject the majority of my life was within a black and white
spectrum. That you have way lesser value when deemed incorrect for the very first time. And a whole
consequent experiences that elicited my fear habits and poor persistence towards the subject. My
enthusiasm was basically withdrawn naturally.

It is true that rigor can widen a student's grit and experience, I have witnessed a few of my peers champion
their way through. But in an environment, especially in a classroom setting, where a system is more catered
towards the curriculum rather than the students themselves; and where mistakes are easily categorized,
how can we expect a holistic outcome for and of the students? Or what outcome were they actually aiming
for?

From Jeffrey Bennett's findings, students' sentiments revolved around the educators and adults being
proponents of fear, and how they perceived and received math at face value. I am in no way different from
them, and the sentiment I relate with the most is how my personal encounter with the math subject also
had 'no room for creativity'. Nor it presented any positive reinforcement for further engagement. Almost
always moving 'mechanically'.

Creativity or being creative as a quality is still traditionally attributed in the field of Arts. But within an array
of contexts of how it can be applied, creativity is multidimensional. Within the field of mathematics, Liljedahl
and Sriraman (2006) was able to apply and differentiate math creativity: within a professional and classroom
setting. Asserting that the classroom context of creativity is the encouragement of insightful questions and
formulation of new ideas, which can certainly be adapted in a professional setting, wherein an individual is
then able to formulate original works that further extends their current body of knowledge within the self and
peers. Common terms that also constitute creativity are: discovery, authenticity, and utility. These terms
that come about involve challenging fixations.

Many researchers pushed that creativity can be harnessed within experiential and instructional influences.
And this has been implemented in different forms, like basic inquiry-based teaching, where they provide
students opportunities to further learn outside of their prescribed textbooks. There is also an existing
inclusive pedagogy, called the Realistic mathematics education (RME), that employs a descriptive-
explorative qualitative approach. Promoting open discussions and translation of their concrete realities, that
they relate and are exposed to, into abstract concepts of math. They also believe that this instills a
'mathematical belief' amongst students wherein they are confident enough to call themselves
'mathematically able' and trust their learning process (Makonye, 2014). Which opposes the stagnant
situation of 'traditional' maths. Many researchers applaud the pedagogy as one of the most effective in
developing mathematical creativity.
As I've come to actually pursue and take pride in the field of Arts and Humanities, this greatly resonated
with me. Methodologies such as the RME observes more inclusivity and promotes openness amongst
students. Diverse methods and relatability can further ignite a young mind's drive to pursue and approach
math in a way that they are comfortable and at the same time still promoting their sense of competency.

I've come to truly appreciate the applications of math, my sentiments are only geared towards how
educational institutions impose the subject itself. No other subject or discipline had elicited the same
reaction of contempt to an extent of a 'cultural phenomena'. A shift in mathematics education is needed to
foster creativity within educators and learners alike. I believe that math is about finding balance of numerical
sense and intuitive grasp of how we can further apply these in varying problem-solving situations. May it
be in a classroom setting, a professional setting, and even in a mundane day-to-day setting.

References:

Liljedahl, P., & Sriraman, B. (2006). Musings on Mathematical Creativity. For the Learning of Mathematics,
26(1), 17–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40248517

Makonye, J. P. (2014). Teaching functions using a realistic mathematics education approach: A theoretical
perspective. Research Gate. https://doi.org/10.1080/09751122.2014.11890228

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