- Aptitude?
- Attitude?
- Environment?
- Culture?
- Gender?
- Genetics?
There are many reasons we think we’re not “math” people. If we can’t do simple calulations in our head or easily convert farenheit to celsius we may determine we “just aren’t good at math”. That attitude closes doors of opportunity.
Did you know that math teachers spend much more time setting up a word problem thatn their students? These knowledgeable experts aren’t afraid of appearing unable to solve a problem, they just want to get it right.
And the feeling we all get when we do solve a math problem is very empowering – and a powerful tool to use in everyday life.
Fact: this math literacy, or numeracy, is increasingly important in today’s technological world. We all know this. So eliminating cultural myths that only a select few persons have inherent math ability is the first step toward bridging the gap between staying in an unfulfilling environment and real opportunity.
Sources below will give you a head start in identifying some factors holding you back from math exploration and literacy. Short version: you can learn math.
References:
Abbott, E. A. (2006). Flatland: A romance of many dimensions. OUP Oxford.
Benjamin, A., & Shermer, M. (2008). Secrets of mental math: the mathemagician’s guide to lightning calculation and amazing math tricks. Three Rivers Press.
Cates, G. L., & Rhymer, K. N. (2003). Examining the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance: An instructional hierarchy perspective. Journal of Behavioral Education, 12(1), 23-34.
Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Parents’ views of failure predict children’s fixed and growth intelligence mind-sets. Psychological Science, 27(6), 859-869.
Hollis-Sawyer, L. (2011). A Math-Related Decrement Stereotype Threat Reaction Among Older Nontraditional College Learners. Educational Gerontology, 37(4), 292-306. doi:10.1080/03601271003608845
Fennema, E., & Sherman, J. A. (1976). Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitudes scales: Instruments designed to measure attitudes toward the learning of mathematics by females and males. Journal for research in Mathematics Education, 7(5), 324-326.
Mason, J., Burton, L., & Stacey, K. (2011). Thinking mathematically. Pearson Higher Ed.
Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women’s math performance. Journal of experimental social psychology, 35(1), 4-28.