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.
Instead, parents should try to focus on the positive aspects of math.
For example, this is a subject where you learn about the mechanics of the world, rather than a subject to be endured before moving to the „fun“ stuff. Math can come alive once we notice how we use it in sports, art, cooking, travel, money management and games.
Parents can also be curious co-learners with their children—we never need to have all the answers ourselves. But showing interest, having a growth mindset (a belief you can improve your abilities through effort), and asking questions can support students‘ positive attitudes and performance in math.
You can also talk to your child about why mastering math is central to a wide range of occupations, from coding to trades, retail, nursing, animation and architecture.
Research suggests 20% of 15-year-old boys and 33% of 15-year-old girls do not think math will be relevant to their future.
So we need a new approach to careers advice in schools. Students need adequate support from informed adults to make accurate judgments about career pathways—emphasizing how math can help.
On top of this, schools could consider the ways in which mathematics is celebrated and promoted in schools. While music, drama, and sport days are regular features of the school calendar, math is rarely included. Exciting math competitions and math days are prime opportunities to show students how important math is in our world.
Some of us may remember math lessons as rather dry with a focus on lots of questions and whether something was „wrong“ or „right.“
So teachers who make math engaging for students and maximize opportunities for success are crucial.
This involves making abstract mathematics real (how does this concept apply to something physical in the real world?).
Teachers should also provide step-by-step support to students (what educators call „scaffolding“), so young people experience a sense of achievement and success with math. Success builds motivation, creating an upward spiral of positive math experiences.
The alarm bells over math participation have been raised for 30 years, with government funding supporting research into this phenomenon.
Despite this, the declines persist, and gender gaps in math have widened, with more boys doing math and more boys achieving higher marks.
So while governments should continue to support research into this matter, they should prioritize translating it into practical strategies for schools and teachers.
Some evidence-based approaches include:
high-expectation teaching, where teachers set ambitious goals, create supportive classrooms, and believe all students can achieve
relevance interventions, where teachers show students the practical implications of their learning
mindset interventions, which help students believe in their abilities.
Math participation is both a national concern and something we should all be personally attuned to.
The lifestyles of future generations will be dependent on our capacity to be STEM innovators.
At an individual level, when students opt-out of mathematics, they are potentially closing many doors in their lives and career.
