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The comparison between a hammer and math doesn't make sense, math is much more than a tool. Personally, I'm able to learn best when I understand the context and

The comparison between a hammer and math doesn't make sense, math is much more than a tool. Personally, I'm able to learn best when I understand the context and the "why" questions that people had which led them to the answer. I know other people learn differently so to each its own. Also, I agree with you in that the traditionally-taught history is awful because it lacks relevance. It's now about "how is this useful for me" or even "why should I care" but rather "why did they decide to act that way?"

deleted 4y ago
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chongli 4y ago
I think the dual role of means (tool) and end in itself is part of the reason mathematics is so difficult to motivate. There is this constant tension within the pedagogy between the desires to teach the beauty and the practicality of mathematics. From what I’ve seen, the beauty side tends to come from mathematics teachers and professors who have developed a passion for the subject and genuinely want to share that passion with their students. The practicality side, on the other hand, seems to be driven by industry, administrators, lawmakers, parents, and others involved in the curriculum-setting process. Ultimately, both sides struggle mightily for students’ attention and a typical result is a collective sigh from the class. If were to make any progress I think we need to recognize that student motivation comes from within. Some students are genuinely attracted to the beauty of mathematics while others are interested in different subjects (science and engineering) for which mathematics is only a prerequisite. Perhaps one approach for dealing with this disparity might be to offer students a choice of projects with differing mathematical styles (proof vs calculation).
- kkylin 4y ago
  Another thing that makes calculus hard to teach today (and not unrelated to the points being made) is that while a couple generations ago, every calculus student also took calc-based physics, that is no longer true today. With the way we compartmentalize teaching today, it's hard not to teach entry-level math abstractly, and that's only going to work for a small subset of students.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

chongli 4y ago

I think the dual role of means (tool) and end in itself is part of the reason mathematics is so difficult to motivate. There is this constant tension within the pedagogy between the desires to teach the beauty and the practicality of mathematics. From what I’ve seen, the beauty side tends to come from mathematics teachers and professors who have developed a passion for the subject and genuinely want to share that passion with their students. The practicality side, on the other hand, seems to be driven by industry, administrators, lawmakers, parents, and others involved in the curriculum-setting process. Ultimately, both sides struggle mightily for students’ attention and a typical result is a collective sigh from the class. If were to make any progress I think we need to recognize that student motivation comes from within. Some students are genuinely attracted to the beauty of mathematics while others are interested in different subjects (science and engineering) for which mathematics is only a prerequisite. Perhaps one approach for dealing with this disparity might be to offer students a choice of projects with differing mathematical styles (proof vs calculation).

kkylin 4y ago
Another thing that makes calculus hard to teach today (and not unrelated to the points being made) is that while a couple generations ago, every calculus student also took calc-based physics, that is no longer true today. With the way we compartmentalize teaching today, it's hard not to teach entry-level math abstractly, and that's only going to work for a small subset of students.