New answers tagged student-motivation
6
This is not an answer, but an assertion that what you are experiencing is not something new. Here are some quotes from a 1993 article of a Russian (actually, native Estonian) math prof, who moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s, so the problem is at least thirty years old. Some say that the commoditization of universities started from the Reagan times.
This ...
5
Well, there is a recent and excellent book about this question: Why Students Resist Learning: A Practical Model for Understanding and Helping Students by Anton O. Tolman, Janine Kremling and Anton O. Toman.
The authors say resistance in learning may be a joint consequence of several factors, including resistance from teachers and schools. Here is a ...
1
My advice is to accept 3/4 of a loaf. Tailor your instruction to cover exactly this:
"solution to problems that are known to be on their school's exams, and prefer step-by-step instructions free from any context/theory/mathematical properties."
This is really still useful content to cover and better than nothing.
Also, I wouldn't kill yourself in terms ...
3
This is how most students perceive math tests. Whether it's fair or not, this is the perception and it is the normal response to a broken math education system.
Imagine you are a teenager and your driving test for your full license is in a week. The Department of Motor Vehicles is massively understaffed, so if you fail, you can't book another test for a ...
11
If you are a private tutor, hired by an undergrad or adult student, or hired by the parents of a student in 6-12 (middle school/high-school), then I'd suggest that when you meet with a "client" as a potential tutor, that you develop a contract with the student and/or parents to make clear your expectations: what is the minimum level of participation/effort ...
6
I believe the answer to this question is "No". Getting students to utilize the equal sign correctly is enough of a headache as it is; they do not understand regular equality.
This sounds like a potentially interesting project in mathematical logic, but I do not see any pedagogical uses.
Of course, I cannot support this answer with any evidence because ...
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