American students are struggling with math, but what’s really to blame? Some blame the pandemic. Others point to overreliance on technology or a broader cultural attitude that treats math anxiety as acceptable.
But new research I led found that difficulties with advanced topics often stem from earlier gaps in understanding. Because mathematics is cumulative, students who struggle with algebra, for example, may be facing unresolved challenges with fractions, number sense or other skills typically developed in earlier grades. When these deficiencies go unaddressed, they persist and create bigger problems down the road.
These deficiencies are shaped by instructional choices made in classrooms every day. Chief among them is the ongoing debate over whether students are being equipped with a genuine understanding or merely trained to follow steps.
In reality, effective math learning requires both. Students must know how to carry out procedures, but also need to understand why they apply to specific problems. Like a chef, mastering math is not just about following a recipe or executing techniques correctly; it is about understanding how elements work together so that, when faced with something new, students know how to reason through the problem and build on previous knowledge.
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