Student Views About Learning Math and Social Studies

Abstract

Math and social studies differ in the usual instructional pattern found in elementary classrooms, in the goals sought, and of course in the actual content. Based on documented differences in the two fields, we expected pupils to hold different ideas about how to learn each subject and to express different reasons for positive and negative experiences in each subject. Sixty fifth grade pupils from 11 classrooms were interviewed to explore their attitudes and conceptions about learning math and social studies. The interviews included pupils' definitions of each school subject, descriptions of typical classroom activities, probes regarding how each subject was actually learned, and descriptions of times liked and disliked in each subject. Students' conceptions and attitudes regarding math and social studies were different. Consistent with expectations, pupils characterized positive and negative experiences in math in regard to their success or ability to do the work while social studies experiences were evaluated more in terms of whether they were interesting or boring. Among other differences, more students thought they could learn social studies on their own than math. SUSAN S. STODOLSKY is a professor of education and psychology at the University of Chicago, 5835 S. Kimbark Ave., Chicago, IL 60637. She specializes in program evaluation and research on subject matter and instruction.

Yes we can achieve in mathematics and why we don't : African American female eleventh and twelfth grade students in a career and technical setting.

“…The research participants in this study provide evidence that they are teacher dependent and that they express a lack of motivation to engage in active inquiry, critical thinking, and the self-direction of their own learning. This finding corroborated the research findings of Stodolsky, Salk, and Glaessner (1991) who found that students become dependent on the teacher and believe that they cannot be successful in mathematics without teacher assistance. According to one research participant, Samantha:…”

“…Research confirms that students' beliefs about the discipline of mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning within that discipline, directly influence a students' mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy (Stodolsky, Salk, & Glaessner, 1991). Students bring preconceived ideas, beliefs, feelings, and ways of thinking to the classroom based on their past experiences which impact their learning and achievement (Carter & Norwood, 1997;Stodolsky, Salk, & Glaesner, 1991).…”

“…If students do not master the facts, skills, and procedures and get to an answer quickly, they feel like they are deficient in ability (Lampert, 1990). Students believe that taking notes, doing a plethora of problems from a textbook or worksheet, and taking tests is how mathematics is learned (Stodolsky, Salk, & Glaessner, 1991). Additionally, students believe that mathematics has no relevance to their lives beyond making a grade on an assessment and meeting graduation requirements.…”

“…One such belief held by students is that mathematics is a subject that consists of incoherent facts, skills, and procedures to be memorized and used within the constraints of the classroom (Carter & Norwood, 1997) to solve problems that have definite answers. Students do not believe that learning mathematics requires a good conceptual understanding of the material (Stodolsky, Salk, & Glaessner, 1991). If students do not master the facts, skills, and procedures and get to an answer quickly, they feel like they are deficient in ability (Lampert, 1990).…”

“…Therefore, students become dependent on the teacher and believe that they cannot be successful in mathematics without teacher assistance. In a qualitative study of sixty fifth-grade students, Stodolsky, Salk, and Glaessner (1991) reported that "only 7 students thought that they could learn mathematics on their own" (p. 105). It is essential that mathematics teachers cultivate environments that enhance the understanding of students by allowing them the freedom to explore, reflect, and collaborate (Lappan, 1998).…”