What can be done to improve attitudes to maths in Welsh primary classrooms?

What can be done to improve attitudes to maths in Welsh primary classrooms?

There has been considerable change in education in Wales with the curriculum undergoing a complete redevelopment. The delivery of the new curriculum for Wales in April 2019, will affect pupils, staff and schools. The new curriculum for Wales becomes statutory for all teaching in September 2022. The changes in Wales over the last five years have been the biggest since the National Curriculum was introduced in 1988. In 2012, change was triggered when the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international survey of the mathematics, science and reading skills showed Wales falling behind England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in mathematics. The Welsh Government commissioned Professor Graham Donaldson to carry out an extensive curriculum review.

Mathematics is a creative subject that has been developed over years. It is essential to everyday life, and necessary for most forms of employment. A successful mathematics education provides a basis for understanding the world, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Research has confirmed that maths anxiety is associated to a poor performance in maths, and can make teaching the subject a struggle on a daily basis. So how can teachers help children overcome their fear of maths and instil a love of a subject that so many children find intimidating?

It is no surprise that confidence is a huge factor in children’s anxiety towards mathematics. Previous bad experiences with the subject can lead to a negative attitude. To overcome this, teachers can provide children with regular confidence-building exercises that look challenging but enable all children to do well. This makes children feel more capable and motivated.

Along with building confidence, in order to improve children’s attitudes to maths, teachers should work on strengthening children’s basic numerical skills. Over time this will enable children to develop a conceptual understanding to solve complex problems and the ability to recall and apply knowledge quickly and accurately. When children do not have the basic skills at hand, their working memories are challenged and this can be distracting and discouraging. To encourage a child’s attitude to maths teachers should get students to practise mental maths and basic maths skills regularly, incorporating them into games and puzzle activities to make it fun.

There is no better feeling and a better boost to a child’s attitude than having the ability to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems. By demonstrating to children that it is easier to break down the problems into a series of simpler steps that will in time lead to a solution, will assist in improving their attitude particularly if they are tending to struggle with maths. It is a good idea to separate material into smaller steps so that children are able to understand and master one step before moving on to the next.

Within daily Mathematics lessons we are taught strategies and are given the ability to discuss their efficiency when solving problems. The learning of basic number facts, for example times tables, is very important and should be a fun and interesting activity to keep children’s attitudes alight. As children acquire mental strategies, they are also taught written methods to solve problems.

To encourage children’s attitudes, I also believe that teaching maths to the whole class can enhance this.  The classroom is a lively interactive environment and takes the pressure off the children who tend to struggle. It allows for the direct teaching of a key objective and it encourages children to respond, question, reinforce understanding, and explain methods of carrying out a calculation. All children alike are taught the correct use of mathematical vocabulary, this is an important part of every lesson. Encouraging children to take risks is motivating and encourages a better attitude. By giving children problems that get progressively harder, can show children that they can conquer any challenge through hard work and practice.

Lastly a teacher’s attitude towards maths can have a big influence on a child’s attitude. By showing an enjoyment and appreciation of the subject, teachers can encourage a healthy relationship with the subject.  Given the right method of teaching, encouragement and the right environment, children will able to build on their natural curiosity for learning, and develop skills and enjoyment in maths, improving attitude and giving them greater potential for better outcomes in later life.

Reference list 

BBC News. (2019). Drive to improve pupils' numeracy. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19721259 [Accessed 1 May 2019].

Twinkl. (2019). Welsh Maths Primary Resources, Welsh,Numeracy,Languages,Numbers. [online] Available at: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/languages/welsh/welsh-numeracy [Accessed 1 May 2019].

teachingmathsscholars.org. (2019). Maths, Wales and passion- Count Us In!. [online] Available at: http://teachingmathsscholars.org/news/maths-wales-and-passion-count-us-in [Accessed 1 May 2019].