“Developing Positive Attitude Towards Mathematics By Students”

Many pupils have a negative attitude towards mathematics subject due their poor performance. Generally people have fear for the mathematics periods, as a result, many people feel unhappy, if they have a mathematics class. For study, they do not make any effort to concentrate. The teacher needs to be careful for encouraging them through praise, gifts and motivation.

We know that, there is a need to develop a love to learn mathematics by all students. This is the love for mathematics that gives to the children, a positive attitude rather than a negative attitude towards mathematics. To do this, mathematics should be taught pure practically and in a pleasurable manner. Mathematical truths, facts, principles and patterns are discovered by teaching mathematics. A discovery method and laboratory approach is highly recommended to teach mathematics. It is this type of learning of mathematics that leads to intrinsic motivation. To develop a positive attitude towards mathematics this type of motivational help is applied.

Sex Differences in the learning of Mathematics

The fact is that boys perform generally better than girls especially in activities requiring spatial ability and special care should be taken by mathematics teachers when dealing with girls.   

Research has shown that males perform better than females in measurement of numeral and spatial ability but this is not significant at the five percent level of significance. Females perform better than males in test of language and fluency. The fact that females perform slightly less than males in mathematics calls for more patience, tolerance and  use of better methods and  strategies  when  teaching  female (Aiyedun, 2000) students.

Teacher should use good, effective methods, materials and teaching strategies. Much more patience should also be exercised by the teacher when dealing with girls. Also, since the environment in which a child grows has effects on cognitive development, the home as a variable has an important role to play. Parents and guardians should provide challenging environment in the home so as to aid appropriate cognitive development. It should include provision of stimulating educational materials such as toys, books, magazines, mathematical games and puzzles.  Parents should encourage their children to read and play these games and puzzles. They should even play with their children.

The knowledge of secondary school mathematics teacher should be updated time to time through attending the seminars, workshops and conferences etc. The results of current research on mathematics should be made known to them. Teacher’s promotion should be tied to attendance at such seminars, workshop and conferences. They should be mounted by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education at Local Government, States and Federal Government levels.

Learning that Encourage Development of Positive Attitude

a)      During the early years, in secondary classes, learning through discovery method was useful and effective, so students were encouraged to learn through that. A normal child has natural tendency, to explore and manipulate the things from his provided environment for his use must be encouraged and sustained.

b)      Students’ Individual differences should be controlled and recognized. In learning situations different responses should be expected in view of children existing cognitive organizations which have grown out of past experiences. From the same experiences, they will learn different things, so opportunity should be given for self expression just as it is done in previous classes.

c)      It should be noted out that through the availability of teaching aids or instructional materials previous classes, Enrichment of children’s experience in the various stages is advocated. Many psychologists motivate parents, to provide instruction in an effort to speed up intelligence. Piaget advocates that children should be allowed to perform a maximum number of activities on their own. According to Piaget, children could develop at their own pace with the teacher fostering cognitive development rather than forcing it.

Early childhood education provides the foundation for future learning. The close attention given to children in secondary schools by their teachers is in line with this observation. The early years in which children gain the experiences which form the basis of future learning, logical thought are extremely crucial.  

Sanjay Bhardwaj

Assistant Professor
Jagannath Institute of Education
JIMS ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL CAMPUS (JEMTEC)