Mathematics has been the broccoli of school subjects for generations of Australian teenagers.
Mathematics has been the broccoli of school subjects for generations of Australian teenagers.
Often pushed aside, dreaded, or even feared, nearly one third of students opt out of any senior math courses.
This has serious implications for Australia’s future. As an Australian Academy of Science report warned on Thursday, we need people with math skills to support a whole range of careers in science. This includes agricultural science, artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and climate science.
The skills we gain during school mathematics—problem-solving, pattern-finding, reasoning logically, and computational thinking—are essential to the work of many STEM careers.
The challenge is turning math from broccoli to the ingredient every student wants on their plate for their future. So, what can we do?
Across Australia, there has been a decline in students studying math in years 11 and 12 since the 1990s. Today, only 8.4% of Australian high school students study the most difficult level of math.
There are diverse reasons explaining why students opt out of math during school.
Many students struggle to see the relevance of the math they are learning for their future. Others have low self-confidence and avoid math, believing they are not capable. An increasing range of senior subjects has also led to students being drawn to more enticing alternatives.
Research shows parents‘ attitudes towards math can predict the attitudes their children will have towards the subject.
This means we need to be careful as parents. If we have negative attitudes towards math due to our own anxieties or past struggles, this can affect our children’s attitudes and performance too.
