Math class for many students is stressful. However, many would argue that it is not the Math itself that is difficult. Rather, the person who is trying to learn it. Or could it be the way that it taught? There have many stories about struggling students who confess they learned Math when they were lucky enough to find a teacher who was able to teach the subject aligned to the student’s strengths and styles for learning.
Gardner’s (1983) Multiple Intelligences stipulated that people have a variety of skills that help them solves problems and learn things. He posited that there are actually seven sets of intelligences that a person can use in order to learn things. The intelligence can stand by itself or they can be used in combination depending on the person’s personal abilities and how these intelligences are in born to the person. But of course, in order to maximize the potentials, a learner can discover the intelligences by himself or with the help of a proponent.
However, there are schools, especially public schools are not set up to accommodate personal differences of students. They are basically designed to be uniform or standard. The conventional method may consist of lectures which can be good for some students but not for everyone. This could then be what contributes to a student’s difficulty in learning the subject.
On intervention could depend on the teacher giving the lecture. A different approach might be the secret so students could learn it more easily, at least. Identifying the multiple intelligences and formulating lessons out of them can help your students learn the subject. For example, tie up math with music. Music can evoke imagination and mental satisfaction that can enhance rational thinking. This skill is crucial to mathematics. The student can use jingles of rhythmic music to memorize math concepts such as multiplication table or quadratic formula.
With the teacher’s initiative and creativity, learning math can be a satisfactory experience for students making them learn the subject with ease.
References:
Ashcraft, M.H. (2002). Math anxiety: Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences.Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 181-185.
Hembree, R. (1990). The nature, effects, and relief of mathematics anxiety. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 21, 33-46.
J. Kahn, S. Elinor (2008). Human growth and the development of personality. Pergamon Press.
By: Diana C. Punzalan | Teacher | Alauli Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan
