Questions tagged [student-motivation]
For questions concerning the motivation of students and helping them to motivate for their study in general.
7
votes
4answers
275 views
How to deal with students who object to me teaching material that won't be in the exam?
I sometimes encounter students who ask questions like 'Why are we learning this if it won't be on the exam?' If there is time to spare I like to teach interesting applications or natural extensions of ...
4
votes
1answer
85 views
Making modular arithmetic interesting for school kids
This is a pattern even school kids could discover (when gently pointed to). I never did conciously, and cannot remember to have been pointed to explicitly, neither at school nor later:
$$\color{red}{\...
2
votes
3answers
178 views
Math Anxiety get in the way of my Graduate School, I want to continue PhD
Probably it's just another advice-seeking CS student about math.. Well. I have math anxiety. Im a CS student, back then in undergrad I deal with code everyday, as long as my program work smoothly, i'm ...
7
votes
7answers
494 views
List of realistic extremum problems
I am a student who would like to become a teacher, so I am currently following courses in education. One of the things I learned, is that students like authentic, realistic problems. However, much of ...
4
votes
1answer
127 views
Encouraging students to learn probability
Background: I’m not exactly a Math educator, but I’m currently a TA of an elementary algebra course aiming at students of age 14-15.
I found that a lot of people have misconception about probability ...
49
votes
13answers
8k views
How to get past the “mystique” of Maths
This question is primarily discussing maths education for adult learners, on courses teaching engineering mathematics at an undergraduate level. These students generally never set out specifically to ...
30
votes
4answers
639 views
How can I help a student who has a “wrong” kind of enthusiasm?
Alice (not real name) is a student in one of my Math 100 (calculus) classes. It's a course offered by my college as a dual credit course at a high school, so the whole class is about 17/18 years old, ...
3
votes
2answers
96 views
Project with transformation geometry
I am working on a unit plan dealing with tranformation geometry level secondary education.
Students do enjoy creating those visual transformation but
I am trying to figure out what could be a nice ...
15
votes
13answers
2k views
Mnemonics for some properties in mathematics
I am looking for various mnemonics which help students to remember some important properties or theorems. Very often students confuse signs or relations such as $\leq$ and $\geq$ in some expressions. ...
4
votes
2answers
98 views
Make a matrix algebra course (1st university year) more “project-based”
Among other courses, I'm teaching a (basic) matrix algebra course for 1st year university students (they are studying Economics, and the cursus leads them to management, finance, or econometrics in ...
7
votes
6answers
192 views
Neat topics or problems to include in a probability class
I'd like to get suggestions for neat topics or problems to include in an undergraduate, upper division Introduction to Probability class. Many people have taught probability for many years and I'm ...
27
votes
3answers
775 views
Teaching undergraduates who expect a high-school-like learning environment
tl;dr: Some students expect to be told "what's on the test", to memorize and then move on. What can be done to change how they learn while teaching them what to learn?
Context: Introductory, ...
19
votes
5answers
302 views
Should I tell my students that math is hard for me?
I have read and heard from some other instructors that they attempt to encourage students who find math hard by saying "math is hard for me too, in fact it's hard for everyone!" I have tried this a ...
9
votes
6answers
524 views
What are the reasons for “math fear”?
I perceive that among the general population the belief that mathematics is some sort of highly intellectual esoteric subject is still quite prevalent. After studying math proper I've discovered that ...
8
votes
2answers
151 views
Problem based learning (PBL) for pupils with educational difficulties
I taught IT in an engineering school during three years in problem based learning (PBL) only. Now I teach maths to pupils between 10 and 15 years old who have a lot of educational difficulties.
I'm ...
10
votes
5answers
295 views
Drumming up interest in journal-problem-solving and competition prep
I teach at a small liberal-arts college and advise our Math Club. In past years, I have talked a few students into taking the Putnam Exam. I've found that I pretty much have to "coerce" them into ...
5
votes
0answers
79 views
Should I pursue math or physics as a career? [closed]
If I studied laplace transforms, fourier analysis, multivariable calculus, differential equations, partial differential equations by 9th grade, does that mean I have talent for math or for physics. ...
8
votes
2answers
119 views
How to retain the key points of an exercise?
I'm a student majoring in maths. The sole reason I chose mathematics is that I like mathematics. I'm sure I do not belong to that "gifted" category. I haven't participated in maths competitions either....
6
votes
2answers
199 views
How to catch students from different subjects' interest to math?
I have just started to teach Calculus to freshmans and sophomores who study non-mathematical subjects, e.g., international relations, psychology. They have to take few mathematics classes -including ...
12
votes
4answers
267 views
Teaching new stats students confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and other general techniques for inference
I have instructed for community colleges and adjuncted for major universities for just over fifteen years now.
In all my time doing this job, I've found that the worst manifestation of so-called "...
7
votes
3answers
157 views
Younger student worried about upcoming mathematics
I have just turned 18 and am in calculus BC (calc 1 & calc 2). I most certainly grasp and understand the concepts of calc 1 however every once in a while a I seem to struggle with the calc 2 work. ...
9
votes
6answers
369 views
Motivation in School
I live in Brazil and here we have some problems with teaching mathematics in High School. In some point of the students' life (I think it happens in the 5th grade), they start "hating mathematics" ...
2
votes
0answers
77 views
Finding the correct mathmatics based on application as opposed to the other way around?
I just tried to pitch a Math Recommendations site, and it was shot down because it is too broad and that Stack Exchange sites operate on a separation of concerns principle; which makes sense to me but ...
13
votes
4answers
491 views
What are some recent, interesting, accessible pieces of mathematics
Mathematics can come across as a sterile, dead subject - a catalogue of techniques long-ago decided, and forever relearned by each successive generation of students.
This is approximately true for ...
6
votes
2answers
171 views
Calculus I known material, getting students engaged
I'm currently teaching Calculus I problem solving sessions for college freshmen.
The problem is that the majority of students have studied the material in high school (what's a function, even/odd, ...
13
votes
5answers
523 views
How to get through the boring stuff?
It frequently happens that there's some material I have to cover which is, frankly, boring. The subject itself may be boring, or it may be the particular exercises, but in any case I have to get ...
9
votes
4answers
358 views
Everyday Example Problems for Solving Linear and Quadratic Equations
I am going to teach some grade 9 students about solving linear and quadratic equations. I am looking for a question from every day life (of a teenager) or a puzzle which is hard to solve without using ...
4
votes
1answer
99 views
Providing interesting problems for all students in heterogeneous groups
Sometimes students from different programmes take the same course together. They may have a different background and/or different interests in the course. One example could be a basic mathematics ...
9
votes
4answers
320 views
How can I implement the principles of deliberate practise in my mathematical studies?
I have been reading a lot of books about deliberate practise recently like Angela Duckworth's "Grit", "Talent is Overrated" - Colvin and "Peak" - Ericsson and Pool. I want to apply these principles.
...
25
votes
7answers
988 views
How to solve the problem of Wolfram Alpha?
I teach to predominantly non-majors in college algebra, precalculus, and calculus.
How can one possibly incentivize or rationalize assigning practice problems outside of class when this software is ...
8
votes
4answers
501 views
I'm a self learner, what are some ways that I can compensate for the lack of a study group?
I am teaching myself mathematics, and I don't really know anyone who is interested in mathematics. I find that the hardest part about teaching myself is that I am lacking the social aspect of being in ...
8
votes
3answers
302 views
Is it appropriate to assign an extra credit homework question on the “next” session?
I am a new teacher teaching mathematics (College Algebra, Calculus, etc.) in a college. My wife has made an interesting suggestion that I would like to have a discussion here:
Is it appropriate to ...
6
votes
2answers
194 views
Motivating Mathematics Movies
A teacher has recently asked me to provide some suggestions for math movies to screen for a set of high school seniors. My first inclination was Flatland before I decided to do some basic searching. I ...
22
votes
13answers
3k views
What books are like Knuth's Surreal Numbers?
I'm looking to find more examples of books which bridge the gap between "story" and "mathematics" using narrative and all those other wonderful features we might find in Harry Potter or some other ...
15
votes
1answer
1k views
The general and particular in the psychology of mathematics education
Many students I have spoken with who are drawn to becoming mathematics teachers chose their mathematics major because they enjoyed doing routine exercises in high school. The comfort of a definite and ...
11
votes
4answers
4k views
How to work with polynomials in difficult classes?
I am currently teaching a very difficult class, with young people (16 years old) who are deeply unmotivated and restless. I should work with them with polynomials, but I'm having a troublesome time; ...
21
votes
3answers
414 views
How to teach perseverance?
I have found that when I give problems that require multiple steps or ideas to solve, students often give up quickly and come to office hours begging for hints. Sometimes I break up such problems ...
11
votes
2answers
771 views
How early to start “abstract” math education, or, How to prevent smart kids from never getting exposed to math?
Everybody who is in graduate mathematics had a moment where they realized that mathematics was "their thing", and they decided to dedicate their academic career to it. I don't know of many people who ...
11
votes
2answers
244 views
How to motivate 'Theory of Computation'?
I am teaching Theory of Computation for the first time soon, and need a short
introduction and justification to motivate students who have only Introductory Programming behind them.
I am torn between:
...
9
votes
5answers
571 views
Problem-Solving Activities that Engage Low-Level Students?
I'm going to be starting teaching a course called algebra COE, which is for students who didn't pass the required state algebra exam to graduate and are now seniors, to do spaced-out exam-like ...
6
votes
4answers
270 views
Generating motivation for an incoming 14 year-old IB student
I'm a one-time academic mathematician, used to teaching smart undergraduates who made the choice to be in my classes. You can also find me overactively answering questions on Mathematics SE.
...
6
votes
2answers
198 views
Examples where roots are necessary for the solution
I currently write an article where I want to introduce roots. Thus I need to motivate them. Here I said, they can be used to find solutions of equations like $x^n=a$. Now I want to make some examples, ...
13
votes
3answers
222 views
Counterexamples to “stable digit” theory of error estimates
When covering issues related to error estimates in a calculus course, students find the technique of making estimates (definition of limit, Newton's method, numerical integration, remainder formula ...
28
votes
14answers
8k views
Justifications for: Why learn mathematics?
I wonder how you teachers walk the line between justifying mathematics because of
its many—and sometimes surprising—applications, and justifying it as the study
of one of the great ...
9
votes
4answers
304 views
Ideas for math problem solving class for undergraduate students in university
In our university there is a huge gap between two group of students. a group of them came from Math Olympiad competitions and have a very strong background from high school but others, they have just ...
11
votes
6answers
2k views
Interesting Math Posters
Our department is looking to spruce up our rooms and hallways a bit and has been thinking about finding mathematical posters to put in various spots; hoping possibly to entice students to take more ...
5
votes
1answer
239 views
Do I really love Maths? [closed]
I am a college student. I am glad to meet math as the first subject I am ridiculously interested in. But I am unable to control myself from playing cricket and counter-strike in my leisure time. There ...
5
votes
0answers
154 views
Students writing hip hop to learn biology (and math?)
This is a spin-off of the MESE-Q "Wonder as Motivation", where there was some concern expressed about relating to the students. It reminded me of this rap video by a stem-cell researcher on YouTube "...
25
votes
5answers
914 views
Wonder as motivation
Like all mathematicians, I have a deep appreciation of the
beauty of mathematics. Many theorems I find amazing even after
I fully understand their proofs. (Example: Euler's formula,
$V-E+F=2-2g$. That ...
3
votes
0answers
141 views
What is the point of using half range Fourier series for standard functions?
If we have a standard function, like $f(x) = x$ or $g(x) = x^2$, defined between $0$ and $\pi$, then why should we be interested in extending this function to give a Fourier series that resembles this ...
