This post has been updated to include additional context about math education in the United States and globally.
Math education is rapidly changing.
And while there are real headwinds with respect to math achievement, the new ideas and curricula that are emerging have the potential to power real progress for students and a new mindset around math overall. Across the world the scope and sequence of the actual math content being taught is shifting. New research shows that it is part of a growing understanding that the application of math knowledge in the world of work—now, and later—demands different competencies and skills.
Currently, substantive insights are being surfaced and there are critical conversations to be had about math education spanning a wide range of nuances including curricular content, personalization, structuring time, teacher support—and much more. Shifts focused on improving student performance in math are occurring as we speak:
- Korea released an updated curriculum which actually narrows content in elementary and middle school math to allow more time for deep learning.
- Georgia revised its math standards to focus more on strategic math thinking and reasoning to better reflect what is needed in workplaces.
- Florida added data analysis and probability as a core strand of K–5 math.
- Estonia restructured their schedule so that students in Grades 10–12 take an average of 32 short courses per year and must complete a minimum of 96 courses to graduate over three years.
- In Maryland, teachers will have about 40 percent of their working time for planning, collaboration and job-embedded professional learning due the the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Math education for today’s young people should look far different from the traditional mathematics experience that so many of us had, especially when it comes to applying mathematical knowledge to real-world challenges.
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And yet, what happens when a student says, “I don’t like math” or “I’m not good at math”–or even worse, “I’m not doing math”?
The substance of what is being taught in mathematics is truly at the heart of the matter. However, it’s also critically important to build a culture of math confidence that alleviates fears in young people and propels them to value and embrace real-world applications of math.
A passionate voice on math education and how young people experience it is Vanessa Vakharia, who has been called “The Lady Gaga of Math Education”.
A champion and supporter of young people seeing their own math potential come to fruition, Vakharia runs Math Guru, a Toronto-based math tutoring center, hosts a weekly Math Therapy Podcast, has written two Scholastic-published books aimed at helping young people overcome fear and anxiety about math, and has a third book on the way in September.
Our conversation covered a lot of ground including her take on the changes in math instruction, what she sees in her work with young people, what advice she has for educators in helping learners succeed and thrive with math.
Vicki Phillips: Vanessa, I’d like to start with your personal story with math: what was your experience as a student and how does it inform your work today?
Vanessa Vakharia: Once upon a time there was a girl who dreamed of marrying Keanu Reeves and becoming a rockstar … no, but for real though…When I was in high school, I went to a high school in Toronto that was super academic. The message I got every day was: “If you’re not getting an ‘A’, you’re not worth our time. I failed Grade 11 math twice and then squeezed by with a 57% in summer school, at which point, my parents decided it was time to try something new. I ended up at an alternative school down the street.
I walked into my new Grade 12 math classroom the first week of school and looked straight at my math teacher, Ewa (who I’m still best friends with to this day) and said: “You’re going to have a lot of trouble with me, I’M NOT A MATH PERSON.” She looked right back at me and said the words that would forever change my life: “That’s. Not. A. Thing.”
I ended up with 96% in that Grade 12 math class and started wondering what ELSE I could do that I had believed for my entire life that I couldn’t? So I started a rock band, got a commerce degree, then a teaching degree, then decided to study WHY it is that so many women get told they’re not “math people”. I then got a Master’s degree which culminated in a thesis called “Imagining a World Where Paris Hilton Loves Math,” opened Toronto’s first boutique tutoring studio & study lounge (The Math Guru), and now travel the world doing Math Therapy with educators—which is essentially professional development targeted toward helping educators heal their students’ math trauma so that they can all build better relationships with math!
VP: Now that is a math story that people need to hear! And it’s a story that is vital at a time when we’re seeing math performance decline around the world and here in the United States. I’d love to hear why you think so many students are struggling with math?
VV: This is a complex question with no one answer. The truth is that students are struggling with math for many reasons, but I’m going to share a thought that we rarely interrogate: the truth is that students have always struggled with math.
If you ask a completely randomized group of 20 adults how they feel about math, I will bet you 10 Canadian Dollars that at least half of them will admit to having a bad relationship with math. Most adults I know today hate math, have avoided certain career paths because they involve math, feel intimidated by anything related to finances or deciphering stats found in the news, and are terrified when their kids bring home their Grade 5 math homework.
We have to ask ourselves what our goal is here. Are we just looking for higher test scores? Or are we looking for a way to raise kids with meaningful, healthy relationships with math that will set them up for a lifetime?
I think it’s time to change the narrative and instead of asking, “Why are students struggling with math?” to start asking, “Why have we been okay with raising kids who have hated math for decades, and how do we finally change that?”
VP: So true! At the same time, systems can play a role in shaping how students relate to content. A lot of jurisdiction’s new curricula emphasize statistical modeling, data literacy, and career-linked math. Countries like South Korea are narrowing the scope of math content to focus on depth over breadth. What are your thoughts on this approach?
VV: I think that any new curriculum that emphasizes aspects of math that have traditionally not been honored allows students to see that there is so much more to math. It allows everyone to find something mathematical that they can connect with – and that is something that is so instrumental in empowering all students to build better relationships with math!
Depth over breadth is exactly where we should be heading.
If you look at much of our math curricula right now, it has a bit of an everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach at best. We need to ask ourselves what math in school is actually for and redesign our curricula from there. Both students and educators often complain about lack of continuity not only from one grade to another, but from one textbook unit to another.
Yes, the content we teach students needs to be able to take kids to the diverse places they might want to go, but they won’t get there by learning little bits of everything. Instead, by mastering a deep, meaningful relationship with mathematics they can build the knowledge base they need to propel themselves in any direction they might ultimately choose.
VP: That’s a helpful framing of why this shift to depth and more relatable content is potentially so powerful. Another powerful shift is the shift toward personalized learning. As a math educator, and tutor that provides specialized instruction, I’m interested in what you see as the potential benefits and drawbacks?.
VV: Honestly at this point, I think we need to try something different. What we’re doing isn’t working, and it hasn’t been for a long time. I’m all for a new approach to math learning if there’s a chance that we will raise future generations to not only love math, but to feel confident in using mathematics to enrich their lives, both personally and professionally!
It isn’t just what’s best for the individual, but for the whole. We need to raise generations of diverse mathematicians with different skills and unique approaches to solving problems. That is one of the cornerstones of economic, political, and social growth, so it truly serves all of us when we think about math in a way that includes more thinkers.
VP: I’d love to hear what advice you would give to educators and policy makers who are looking to address the math challenge as it were.
VV: My biggest piece of advice would be to give it time.
Too often we implement something new and then panic when it isn’t immediately successful. Meaningful change takes time. Just because something doesn’t work right away doesn’t mean that it won’t ever work.
In fact, any type of change in any type of situation often feels uncomfortable and even disruptive at first, but the real reward is felt once we take the time to adjust, course-correct, and commit to lasting, impactful change instead of settling on a quick fix just to get immediate results. The only way out is through!
VP: Vanessa, I’ve enjoyed this so much. Thank you for your time, your perspective and your passion for helping young people think differently about math!
