Mathematics is the fore bearer of the very tag – “difficult”. In fact, it has become acceptable for certain students to perform badly in this subject. If examined carefully, one cannot deny that it is a very negative trend. Why should any student be poor in any subject Especially when that subject deals with logic and reasoning!
We are going to discuss 10 significant reasons as to why students fail in Mathematics.
Attitude Towards Learning The Subject
Everything depends on one’s attitude towards the subject in question. The student mindset plays an important role.
If a student thinks from the beginning that he will not be able to perform well in the subject, he will end up developing a phobia towards Mathematics.
This in turn will affect his learning ability and performance. The positive attitude can bring about a lot of difference. It will act as a confidence booster.
Method of Teaching
Ideally, Mathematics should be taught in a way that is easy to comprehend.
The technique should be such that students can relate to it even after the class is over.
If the method of teaching is proper, the students will be able to add, subtract, divide, and multiply without using a calculator.
But, more often than not, mathematics teachers rely on methods that are difficult to grasp.
They might appear all right on pen and paper. But when its application comes to the world outside the classroom, problems starts to arise.
A Lack of Connection Between The Subject and Students
One of the many reasons why students fail in mathematics! Students are unable to develop a connection between the subject and themselves.
They treat the subject as something alien to them. Something that is unknown and scary!
Such students remain absent from the mathematics class. This hampers their learning ability.
They cannot keep a track between the previous class and the one that they are attending.
Self Doubt
Peer pressure is another reason why students fail in mathematics. They are unable to cope up with the pressure to perform at school.
This along with a constant comparison with other good students leads to the rise of self-doubt.
Once self-doubt sets in, it becomes difficult to recover. Eventually, the student’s ability to perform well in mathematics is hampered forever.
Students might not voice out but in reality, they are very scared of the subject. They look out for ways to avoid learning the subject.
Low IQ
Many might not agree. But one cannot overlook the role one’s IQ plays in learning mathematics.
This area is kept under wraps because no one wants to accept that his or her child has low IQ.
But the fact remains, some kids don’t have the ability to grasps numbers as easily as others. Thus their low IQ affects their learning graph.
Short Attention Span
Some students get easily distracted. They cannot remain attentive throughout the math’s class.
Their attention wanders and they stop paying any interest. When asked to solve a problem in class they falter and become the center of jokes.
Parents should make sure that their child pays more attention in the classroom.
Both the teacher and parents can use different learning aids to make mathematics appear interesting.
Lack of Understanding About Signs and Symbols
Mathematics is a tricky subject. Especially when it comes to the signs, symbols and significance.
There are many adults who are not very good at it as well.
For a below average student in mathematics, the chances of getting confused between the different mathematical signs and symbols is quite high.
If the student fails to put the degree sign in geometrical problems or the right unit after solving a sum, his marks are deducted.
Knowing where to put what sign and symbol is a vital part of learning mathematics.
Teacher Student Ratio
Generally, a classroom has 15-20 students with a single teacher teaching the subject. This results in poor teacher student ratio.
The teacher in his desire to teach the topic fails to pay attention to every student. He has only a vague idea as to which student is good and which is below average.
Only after class tests are conducted, the teacher gets a clear idea of his students’ abilities.
Many Mathematics Teachers are not well versed In the Subject
This might appear as a bit of out of the box reason, but it cannot be ignored completely.
There are many teachers who do not have an in-depth knowledge of the subject.
There are many teachers who perform well in mathematics but when asked to teach, they somehow falter.
Not all teachers can teach well. Teaching is an art. Not everyone is well versed in it.
Accessible Textbooks
There are many schools where the students cannot afford to buy the textbooks.
If the textbook-pupil ratio is in order, it is not difficult to teach the subject.
If the scenario is reversed, where the students have to depend on the school to access the textbooks, it will hamper the performance power of the students.
All the above-mentioned problems can be solved if they are detected at the right time. Parents and teachers need to make a joint effort to improve a student’s performance.
This will help them deal with anxiety, peer pressure, and self-doubt. The student in question will be able to improve his performance gradually.
Parents can appoint tutors who will be able to give personalized attention. Proper guidance and regular practice will turn the tide in the favor of the student.
I hope you find this article helpful as well as educative.
