AAMT Position Statement
Transcript of AAMT Position Statement
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.
AAMT Position Statement Promoting positive attitudes towards mathematics
AAMT – supporting and promoting mathematics education
POSI
TIVE
ATT
ITU
DES
Intheearly1600s,Galileousedmath-ematicstoinventhistelescopestoobservetheMoonandJupiter.
MathematicsisalsousedwhenrecontructingthepicturefromaCATscanandwhenbuildingbridges.
Introduction
Mathematics has had a significant influence in the development of the modern world. For thousands of years mathematics has been at the heart of discoveries from early counting systems to the greatest scientific and medical discoveries of our time. While almost everyone in society appreciates the value of mathematics in our everyday life, the majority of people admit to feelings of anxiety and inadequacy when faced with mathematics.
Forthemostpart,society’smisconceptionisthatapersoniseitherbornwithamathe-maticalabilityortheyarenot.Thismisconceptionhascreatedaculturewhereitissociallyacceptableforsomeonetoopenlyproclaimthattheyare‘nogood’atmathematicsandwhereaweaknessinmathematicsiswornasabadgeofhonour.Unfortunately,theseself-proclamationscontributetothedevelopmentofamindsetthatbecomesfixedandoftenunwavering.Afixedmindsetisonesignificantimpedimenttolearningasitaffectstheabilityofthelearnerto‘believe’thattheycanachieveatahigherlevel.
y= –.0.00188(x – 251.5)2 + 118
www.aamt.edu.au t 08 8363 0288 e [email protected] a PO Box 1729, Adelaide SA 5001
Thismindsetiscloselylinkedwiththeattitudesthatapersonbringstomathematics;attitudeswhichareinfluencedbymanyvariables,includingpreviousschoolexperiences,culturalbeliefs,educationalvalues,parentalattitudes,teacherattitudesandpeeratti-tudes.Allofwhichcontributestoaperson’semotionaldispositiontowardsmathematics,whereapositiveattitudesupportsapositivedispositionandanegativeattitudesupportsanegativedisposition.Dispositionsarehabitsofthinkinganddoingthatinfluenceastudent’sconfidence,motivation,attitudesandbehaviourinandtowardsmathematics.
Attitudes and dispositionsAttitudesanddispositions,bothpositiveandnegative,affectthewayapersonthinksaboutthemselvesasalearner.Theyareaffectiveonanemotionallevelandaffectone’sbehaviourinthefuture.Whenconsideringmathematics,mostpeoplebelievethatifyoufollowtherulesandtheproceduresthenyouwillgettothe‘correct’answer.Whenwegetthecorrectanswerwefeelgoodaboutourselves.Thispositiveemotionalresponsecontributestoapositiveattitude,whichimpactsonanindividual’sbehaviourandconfidence.Thereforeapositiveattitudetowardsmathematicsisafavourablequalitytopossessinthemathematicsclassroom.However,theconversecanbetruewhenastudentobtainsa‘wrong’answer.Inthesameway,thereareotherinfluencesonstudents’attitudeandachievementinthemathematicsclassroom.
Teachersatparent-teacherinterviewsoftenreporthearingparents(particularlymothersofgirls)sayhowbadtheywereatmathematicsatschoolandtheirexpectationsoftheirchildisnothigh.Acommonbeliefheldbyadultsandparentsisthatachildwhoismath-ematicallycapableinheritstheir‘talent’fromtheparentwhowas‘good’atmathematics,whilethosestudentswhorequiremoretimeandencouragementinheritedthegenesthatcontributedtobeing‘badatmathematics’.Unfortunatelytheseparentalbeliefsareextremelyinfluentialinstudentattitudeandbehaviourtowardsmathematicsandoftencreateasituationwhereitisgenerallyconsideredmoreacceptabletofailinmathematicsthaninothercurriculumareas.
Parents can contribute to their children’s positive attitude by:• usingmathematicswiththemwhileshopping(money)orcooking(measuring);
• playinggamesthatusecardsanddice(probability);
• makepatterns(pre-algebra);
• usingcountinggames(number);skipcounting(multiplication/algebra);
• sayingrhymesthatusecounting(sequencing);
• findingshapesintherealworld(geometry);
• avoidingnegativetalkaboutmathematicsregardlessofwhatyoubelieve aboutyourownmathematicalabilities.
Whileparentshaveasubstantialinfluenceontheirchildren’sattitudestowardsmathematics,itmustbeacknowledgedthatteachershaveasignificantinfluenceonstudentattitudesandbeliefsaboutthelearningofmathematics.Ateacher’sbehaviourinthemathematicsclassroomiskeenlyobservedbystudents;whetheritistheteachingpractice,thecontentdeliveryortheattitudethatateacherexhibitswhendealingwithmathematics.
Manyteachersseldomrealisehowtheirbehaviourinfluencesstudentachievementandthatstudents’drawfromtheattitudeanddispositionexhibitedbytheteacherinordertoformtheirownattitude.
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Teachers can influence students by:
•fosteringthebeliefthateveryonecan‘do’mathematics;
•demonstratingtheirenthusiasmformathematics;
•knowingtheirsubjectmatter;
•avoidplacingtoomuchemphasisontests;
•providingopportunitiesthatencourageinvestigationandquestioningoverroutineprocedures;
Inordertobringaboutaculturalshiftinattitudestowardsmathematics,wemustfirstbringaboutachangeinsociety’sattitudetowardsmathematics.Theword‘nerd’isoftenassociatedwithonewhoenjoysorstudiesmathematics.Thereisacertainpersonathatgoesalongwiththatnameandmostchildrendonotwishtobeassociatedwithit.Therearesomethingsthatwecandotochangeattitudestowardsmathematics,suchas,encouragestudentstotakeriskswiththeirthinking,tellthemthatitisokaytogetawronganswersolongasyoudon’tgiveup;stopbelievingthatweeitherhavea‘mathsbrain’orwedon’t;changeourmindsetfromfixedtogrowth;seethatmathematicsiseverywhereinourworldandnevergiveup.EvenAndrewWiles,whosolvedFermat’sLastTheoremspentsevenyearsworkingonit.
“The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success”. DenisWaitley,The Winners Edge(1989)
For further information see: •Youcubed,JoBoalerhttps://www.youcubed.org/parents/
•Mindset,CarolDweckhttp://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/
•PBSParentshttp://www.pbs.org/parents/education/math/math-tips-for-parents/instill-a-love-of-math/
•AAMTStudentActivitieshttp://www.aamt.edu.au/Student-activities
Success is measured by
willingness to keep trying