{"id":4475,"date":"2020-05-11T04:11:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T04:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/?p=4475"},"modified":"2020-05-18T05:14:30","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T05:14:30","slug":"the-top-3-reasons-why-students-struggle-to-progress-in-mathematics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/educators\/the-top-3-reasons-why-students-struggle-to-progress-in-mathematics\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;padding-top:5%;padding-right:0%;padding-bottom:5%;padding-left:0%;margin-bottom: 0px;margin-top: 0px;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"margin-top:0%;margin-bottom:0%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>Mathematics is an empowering and endlessly useful subject, but\u00a0<strong>it just never seems to click with some students<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Providing extra effort and support might see them achieve competency with a concept, but it\u2019s back to square one again once you move onto a new unit of learning.<\/p>\n<p>While every students\u2019 needs and challenges are different, they normally come down to one of three roadblocks:\u00a0<strong>mathematics anxiety, fixed mindset<\/strong><strong>, and lack of deep understanding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to know about each of these roadblocks and the ways you can overcome them:<\/p>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:768px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-1{margin-top:11px!important;margin-bottom:11px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"margin-top:22px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:22px;margin-left:0px;\"><h2 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.95;\"><p data-fontsize=\"25\" data-lineheight=\"30\">Mathematics anxiety<\/p><\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p><strong><em>What it is<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mathematics anxiety can be broadly defined as a student feeling dread or fear connected to mathematics. It is closely related to test anxiety, but with mathematics as its specific trigger.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few reasons why mathematics, as opposed to any other subject, gets its own psychologically acknowledged brand of anxiety. These include:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sociocultural stereotypes<\/strong>\u00a0surrounding the subject: the lingering association of mathematics with males and certain cultures can make the subject daunting for students who do not identify as part of these groups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anxiety surrounding mathematics is socially accepted\u00a0<\/strong>more than it is in relation to other subjects. It\u2019s easy for students to have an open aversion to a subject that is often considered \u2018nerdy\u2019 and inaccessible for the average person.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pressure on<\/strong>\u00a0schools to promote STEM, not to mention the legendary status of big-name tech entrepreneurs, has led to mathematics becoming associated with above-average intelligence and professional success. It\u2019s a lot for students to live up to.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>What to look out for<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Students who are fearful when introduced to new mathematical content.<\/li>\n<li>Work avoidance (you might notice students are often \u2018sick\u2019 for scheduled mathematics assessments).<\/li>\n<li>Students who resist group work and try to \u2018fly under the radar\u2019 during lessons.<\/li>\n<li>Students who become teary or flustered when they don\u2019t understand an activity or problem.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>What you can do<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Classroom-based\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/guide-intervention-strategies-struggling-students\/\">intervention strategies<\/a>\u00a0that see you introduce new equipment or radically different pedagogical strategies aren\u2019t always the best option when dealing with mathematics anxiety. These students have a hard-enough time confronting the content even when it\u2019s clearly scaffolded and predictable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Out of class intervention strategies\u00a0<\/strong>are a preferable option for students struggling with anxiety. Send students home with regular, low-stakes activities following a set structure, and mathematics will start to feel safe and predictable. Alternatively, you could use an EdTech program for the same purpose and instruct them to complete a lesson or activity per day. In both cases, you also remove the classroom environment which often exacerbates the anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>Carefully discuss the situation with the student and their parents as well. Parents will be able to assist their child with strategies for relaxation at home, and you can encourage them to slowly move past their fears.<\/p>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:768px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-2{margin-top:11px!important;margin-bottom:11px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-2 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"margin-top:22px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:22px;margin-left:0px;\"><h2 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.95;\"><p data-fontsize=\"25\" data-lineheight=\"30\">Fixed mindset<\/p><\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p><strong><em>What it is<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A fixed mindset refers to the belief that one\u2019s abilities are fixed regardless of any efforts to improve. In the classroom, this translates to students who give up easily or disengage under the impression that their efforts are worthless.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the myth of a \u2018mathematics brain\u2019 means that mathematics is a common breeding ground for the fixed mindset. It\u2019s not uncommon for adults to assume certain people are born better at mathematics than others, and students bring this same belief into the classroom. However,\u00a0<strong>there is nothing to suggest that the actual capacity to \u2018do\u2019 mathematics relies on biological factors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>What to look out for<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Students who vocally proclaim that they\u2019re \u201cso bad\u201d at mathematics, or similar statements.<\/li>\n<li>Students who are apathetic and hard to engage.<\/li>\n<li>Students who give up easily after they make a single mistake or have trouble understanding a concept.<\/li>\n<li>Students who show little interest in their progress or performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>What you can do<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/4-ways-flick-switch-fixed-growth-mindset-students\/\">Promote a growth mindset in the classroom<\/a>. Reward progress and effort as opposed to mastery alone by celebrating student improvement and learning. You might have a weekly reward for students who set a new personal best result or complete the most activities on Mathletics. Show them that mathematics is a subject that rewards learning over performance.<\/p>\n<p>Open-ended, explorative activities that invite trial and error also\u00a0<strong>help students understand the importance of making mistakes in mathematics<\/strong>. Far from being a sign of failure, a wrong answer marks the first step in a learning journey.<\/p>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:768px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-3{margin-top:11px!important;margin-bottom:11px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-3 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"margin-top:22px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:22px;margin-left:0px;\"><h2 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.95;\"><p data-fontsize=\"25\" data-lineheight=\"30\">Lack of deep understanding<\/p><\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><p><strong><em>What it is<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many students develop a surface level understanding of mathematical content without a deep knowledge of the underlying concepts. It\u2019s enough for them to get the answers right in a predictable context, but they\u2019re stuck once they are asked to transfer their knowledge to new concepts or novel applications.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>What to look for<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Students who struggle with new content, even if it draws on already learned material.<\/li>\n<li>Students who say \u201cwe haven\u2019t learned this\/you didn\u2019t teach us this\u201d in response to creative variations of a given topic.<\/li>\n<li>Students who struggle with word problems.<\/li>\n<li>Students who rely on memory alone to assimilate content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>What you can do<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/best-teachers-tackle-problem-solving-reasoning\/\">Problem-solving and reasoning activities<\/a>\u00a0are the best way to get your students creatively applying and transferring their procedural skills to more challenging contexts.<\/p>\n<p>For a problem to get students thinking deeply, it must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be novel and contain an element of surprise.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage discussion and collaboration.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage \u201cwhat if\u201d questions.<\/li>\n<li>Require decision making.<\/li>\n<li>Be accessible for all students and extendable for those who need it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Making problem-solving and reasoning a part of regular class activity takes the focus off the results and places it on the\u00a0<em>thinking<\/em>\u00a0that is so central to mathematics.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;padding-top:5%;padding-right:0%;padding-bottom:5%;padding-left:0%;margin-bottom: 0px;margin-top: 0px;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":4476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Mathletics Global Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-11T04:11:32+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-18T05:14:30+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/shutterstock_1300488586-1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jackson Best\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jackson Best\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/educators\/the-top-3-reasons-why-students-struggle-to-progress-in-mathematics\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/\",\"name\":\"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-11T04:11:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-18T05:14:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ec016f4b70d244416c32fd82a791740c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Mathletics Global Blog\",\"description\":\"Empowering Maths Learning Online\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ec016f4b70d244416c32fd82a791740c\",\"name\":\"Jackson Best\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/author\/jackson-best3plearning-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog","og_url":"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/","og_site_name":"The Mathletics Global Blog","article_published_time":"2020-05-11T04:11:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-05-18T05:14:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/shutterstock_1300488586-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jackson Best","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jackson Best","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/educators\/the-top-3-reasons-why-students-struggle-to-progress-in-mathematics\/","url":"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/","name":"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics - The Mathletics Global Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-05-11T04:11:32+00:00","dateModified":"2020-05-18T05:14:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ec016f4b70d244416c32fd82a791740c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.3plearning.com\/blog\/top-3-reasons-students-struggle-progress-mathematics\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Top 3 Reasons Why Students Struggle to Progress in Mathematics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/","name":"The Mathletics Global Blog","description":"Empowering Maths Learning Online","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ec016f4b70d244416c32fd82a791740c","name":"Jackson Best","url":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/author\/jackson-best3plearning-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4475"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4685,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4475\/revisions\/4685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mathletics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}