How to Promote a Math-Positive Classroom
With a Guide from Dr. Raj Shah, STEM Educator
Mathematics education can be daunting for students — due to a variety of societal factors, abilities in mathematics are often seen as fixed. Unlike reading, math is not always understood as essential or attainable. Dr. Raj Shah, mathematics educator and founding member of the Global Math Project, wants to change that. In his new paper, “Promoting a Math-Positive Classroom: A Guide for K-12 Educators,” Dr. Shah outlines key reasons students sometimes give up on math, and provides readers with three in-depth steps to counter those trends by promoting enthusiasm and positivity in math class. Find his full guide at the bottom of this blog, and read on for an overview of the key concepts in his paper:
Why Students Give Up on Math
Dr. Shah identifies three key reasons students are likely to distance themselves from math education, or give up on their own mathematical potential. Perhaps most dominant is the “myth of the math gene,” or the belief that mathematical talent is innate. This myth is often perpetuated by the media, film, and stories that children encounter throughout their lives. Math is also unique in that, unlike other subjects, failure in mathematics is inevitable. Since math concepts get progressively difficult throughout K-12 education, every student will eventually encounter a math problem that causes them to fail. Dr. Shah also cites the dominant approach to teaching math, claiming that many educational experiences fail to expose students to the beauty and excitement of mathematics.
How We Can Change That (Hint: It’s About Mindset, Not Skillset)
To combat these societal factors, Dr. Shah provides readers with three steps to promoting enthusiasm and math positivity:
#1: Spark Curiosity
This step is all about fostering a desire to learn. In the guide, Dr. Shah cites research which shows that curiosity actually plays a significant role in academic achievement. Teachers can stimulate curiosity by bringing out the beauty and wonder in mathematics to create more effective and meaningful learning experiences. Dr. Shah also suggests that educators understand and capitalize on George Lowenstein’s Information Gap Theory, which states that curiosity arises when there’s a gap between what we know and what we want to know. Dr. Shah then provides six actionable frameworks teachers can use to spark curiosity through information gaps in the classroom.
#2: Develop Grit
Grit, or the ability to persist even when the path is unclear, also plays a key role in math positivity. Curiosity will spark that initial enthusiasm, but grit helps students stay engaged and persistent as the content becomes more difficult. Educators can foster grit by helping students become familiar with discomfort. Educators can also refrain from being too helpful when students are solving math problems, and allow time and space for struggle. Finally, math educators can make a point to help students recognize their progress — this might mean going deeper than letter grades to show students the growth they have made, and to prove to them that their persistence is worthwhile.
#3: Promote a Growth Mindset
The last step to supporting math enthusiasm and achievement is to teach students to cope with setbacks by instilling a growth mindset. To explain this concept, Dr. Shah draws from extensive research by Carol Dweck, and applies it to a mathematics framework. In the guide, he gives five specific strategies for promoting a growth mindset, including educating students about mindsets themselves, praising effort over outcomes, and even changing students’ internal dialogues. For example, Shah suggests that when students say, “I can’t,” teachers should add the word “yet” to reinforce the notion of progress and growth. Shah also cites research around the influence of teacher mindset and outlook on fixed or growth mindsets on their interactions with students.
To read the full guide, see:
For more on math positivity and growth mindset, read:
