Why do so many people dislike Maths?
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Because there is only one right answer and if you're wrong then you're wrong
However, in English, there are multiple correct meanings
However, in English, there are multiple correct meanings
"Why do so many people dislike maths"
Off the top of my head I can think of two important factors here, one would be the way maths is taught and the other would be what I'd call cultural attitudes towards maths, and they're partly linked to each other. Context for my answer: currently doing Advanced Higher maths but I'd never describe myself as someone to whom it comes naturally.
So whenever I hear someone say "oh God, I just can't do maths", or "I hate it", or "I just can't get it", I think their problem tends to lie more with maths teachers and maths teaching rather than with maths itself. A lot of people before have talked already about how you either understand a concept almost immediately or after a bit of thought, or you don't get it at all, and I'd generally agree. The thing is, I think that unless you can work something out yourself or have helpful friends, quite often you won't end up finally understanding the thing because either the class will move on quickly or for whatever reason (either too many people to give individual attention too or feeling too embarrassed to ask questions, at a guess) the teacher won't be able to explain it to you again. All these little things and missed concepts can start to pile up, and by that point if you didn't naturally love the subject in the first place - or even if you did, because you used to understand everything - then you're likely to end up either apathetic about maths or actively disliking it. Which, of course, makes you less inclined to go the extra mile to understand the next thing, and so on down the vicious cycle until you just assume that it's not for you.
I think that this tendency to give up on maths is also worsened by our attitudes to maths as a society. I think we (referring to the UK but probably to its neighbours as well) have a sort of cultural belief now that you can either do maths or you can't - it's an ingrained fixed mindset across most of society. (Idk how many people are familiar with that term, basically fixed mindset = "People who can do the thing are naturally talented and people who can't do the thing are stuck", the opposite is growth mindset = "If I can't do the thing then if I work hard on it I could become able to do the thing."). This makes people disinclined to try to put the work in when they don't understand something in maths, because they don't see their aptitude for it as something that they can change. Sure, I know people who get along really well with maths and people who probably really honestly don't, but I think that the vast majority of people lie somewhere in the middle, and are artificially polarised towards opposite ends of the scale through a combination of the fixed mindset and the teaching problems I outlined earlier.
Off the top of my head I can think of two important factors here, one would be the way maths is taught and the other would be what I'd call cultural attitudes towards maths, and they're partly linked to each other. Context for my answer: currently doing Advanced Higher maths but I'd never describe myself as someone to whom it comes naturally.
So whenever I hear someone say "oh God, I just can't do maths", or "I hate it", or "I just can't get it", I think their problem tends to lie more with maths teachers and maths teaching rather than with maths itself. A lot of people before have talked already about how you either understand a concept almost immediately or after a bit of thought, or you don't get it at all, and I'd generally agree. The thing is, I think that unless you can work something out yourself or have helpful friends, quite often you won't end up finally understanding the thing because either the class will move on quickly or for whatever reason (either too many people to give individual attention too or feeling too embarrassed to ask questions, at a guess) the teacher won't be able to explain it to you again. All these little things and missed concepts can start to pile up, and by that point if you didn't naturally love the subject in the first place - or even if you did, because you used to understand everything - then you're likely to end up either apathetic about maths or actively disliking it. Which, of course, makes you less inclined to go the extra mile to understand the next thing, and so on down the vicious cycle until you just assume that it's not for you.
I think that this tendency to give up on maths is also worsened by our attitudes to maths as a society. I think we (referring to the UK but probably to its neighbours as well) have a sort of cultural belief now that you can either do maths or you can't - it's an ingrained fixed mindset across most of society. (Idk how many people are familiar with that term, basically fixed mindset = "People who can do the thing are naturally talented and people who can't do the thing are stuck", the opposite is growth mindset = "If I can't do the thing then if I work hard on it I could become able to do the thing."). This makes people disinclined to try to put the work in when they don't understand something in maths, because they don't see their aptitude for it as something that they can change. Sure, I know people who get along really well with maths and people who probably really honestly don't, but I think that the vast majority of people lie somewhere in the middle, and are artificially polarised towards opposite ends of the scale through a combination of the fixed mindset and the teaching problems I outlined earlier.
Of course it's all relative but you have to draw the line somewhere otherwise only the best mathematician in the world would be "good" at maths. There are a few people on TSR who have said that getting an A* in A Level further maths doesn't mean you are good at maths. If they say that to the average person they'd think it was a joke.
Original post by Nathan_C
I got a 9 at GCSE maths (I'm currently in Yr12). I was failing on epic proportions at A Level maths, i got 13/40 in the initial assessment. I dropped it for Psychology. Point being, just cos you're good at GCSE maths does NOT mean you will succeed at A Level. To do A Level maths, you have to be a mathematician, not just someone who likes maths. BUT if you really do enjoy it and can cope with the pressure at A Level, you do you.
completely agree. GCSE and A level maths are two completely different things. We got shown a graph basically if you get a B in GCSE you’ll fail A Level, if you get an A in GCSE you’ll get a B in A level. The person who started this thread (doing first year of GCSE may i add) you’ve got a lot coming
Fair Point 
Original post by Its_me_Z
Because there is only one right answer and if you're wrong then you're wrong
However, in English, there are multiple correct meanings
However, in English, there are multiple correct meanings
This is a slightly naive view (Night King addressed the first comment but I get where you're coming from). Have a look at the 100+ proofs of Pythagoras theorem on this website.
https://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/
In reality maths often demands extraordinary creativity. Yes there may be one correct answer or solution set, but there can be many ways to arrive at it. I like to think that maths has more in common with poetry/art than with science in some ways (it's not just about the truth, but the style too). This is what Hilbert said when one of his students dropped out to study poetry:
"Good, he did not have enough imagination to become a mathematician."
Original post by Zoqua
I didn't know it was one of the most popular A level subjects, that's cool. When I do AddMaths in Year 11 I'm hoping it'll be more interesting with all the people who hold back the class gone.
It's by far the most popular A-level.
Spoiler
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-day-2017-new-exams-explained-grades-boys-vs-girls-popular-subjects-regional-national-a7899851.html
There is only on right answer to that question as it says to find the roots. If you only gave one root it would be an incorrect answer.
Original post by Doonesbury
It's by far the most popular A-level.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-day-2017-new-exams-explained-grades-boys-vs-girls-popular-subjects-regional-national-a7899851.html
Spoiler
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-day-2017-new-exams-explained-grades-boys-vs-girls-popular-subjects-regional-national-a7899851.html
Hmm this disagrees with my quiz. I can't remember where I got the data from.
Original post by Notnek
Hmm this disagrees with my quiz. I can't remember where I got the data from.
Well at least Maths is still top.
There's also this but it's harder to summarise:
http://www.bstubbs.co.uk/a-lev.htm
For me, it was the poor teaching in secondary school. The maths tutors were shockingly boring and didn't really have a passion for it, which certainly rubbed off on me.
Original post by Doonesbury
Well at least Maths is still top.
There's also this but it's harder to summarise:
http://www.bstubbs.co.uk/a-lev.htm
There's also this but it's harder to summarise:
http://www.bstubbs.co.uk/a-lev.htm
I remember having to do some calculations on a spreadsheet but it doesn't line up with that data exactly. Oh well.
Because it’s irrelevant. There are certain topics which are NOT relevant in this society, yet I have to sit through it 3 days a week.
Trigonometry (cos, sin, tan), algebra, Pythagoras theorem and finding the mid point are the most STUPID, IRRELEVANT, UNNECESSARY topics I have ever studied.
Ask your parents and they’d say that in there time working, it hasn’t been useful I one way.
Trigonometry (cos, sin, tan), algebra, Pythagoras theorem and finding the mid point are the most STUPID, IRRELEVANT, UNNECESSARY topics I have ever studied.
Ask your parents and they’d say that in there time working, it hasn’t been useful I one way.
I don't hate maths, i'm more indifferent to it, i just can't help but find it so pointless. There are obviously a few applications of it, but they are rarely addressed. I find sciences like physics so much more fascinating than maths, because you can see how it works directly in this world, and it actually explains certain phenomena. Please someone tell me the point of being able to sketch a quadratic function (this is not even sarcasm, i genuinely want to know because no one ever says)
I think this is fairly common and may be why so many people hate maths, but although i have a logical brain, i enjoy subjects that have more meaning to me, rather than ones that i am just good at.
I think this is fairly common and may be why so many people hate maths, but although i have a logical brain, i enjoy subjects that have more meaning to me, rather than ones that i am just good at.
Original post by JadaSealy
Because it’s irrelevant. There are certain topics which are NOT relevant in this society, yet I have to sit through it 3 days a week.
Trigonometry (cos, sin, tan), algebra, Pythagoras theorem and finding the mid point are the most STUPID, IRRELEVANT, UNNECESSARY topics I have ever studied.
Ask your parents and they’d say that in there time working, it hasn’t been useful I one way.
Trigonometry (cos, sin, tan), algebra, Pythagoras theorem and finding the mid point are the most STUPID, IRRELEVANT, UNNECESSARY topics I have ever studied.
Ask your parents and they’d say that in there time working, it hasn’t been useful I one way.
One of the most important reasons for studying maths is to build logic, reasoning and problem solving skills. This is why maths qualifications are so highly valued by universities and employers even if the degree/job is not related to maths. You can't expect the whole of secondary school maths to be adding up and finding percentages. It has to build in difficulty.
It's the same in every subject. For example, you may have found analysing poetry pointless when you were doing it and you probably haven't looked at these poems since. But analysing poetry improves many skills related to language.
Mathematics means different things to different people. To me it's the ingenious application of logic, philosophy and to a great extent creativity to solve problems.
People may say certain concepts taught in Mathematics at a basic secondary level are irrelevant in working life, but even so, the qualities and values you bring to the table for having problem solving skills are absolutely invaluable.
People may say certain concepts taught in Mathematics at a basic secondary level are irrelevant in working life, but even so, the qualities and values you bring to the table for having problem solving skills are absolutely invaluable.
When people say they are useless though they dont mean that they are never useful (ie they are useful in the places you are talking about), rather that they will never personally find a use for them in their career (and this is applicable to 99% of people). So what they are saying is that it is useless to them rather than the concepts always being useless (and for the people who think the concepts are just useless all the time thats just because they arent aware/being made aware of the applications of maths as you need to reach a certain level of education to see them, I dont remember much about gcse but I dont think I learnt the applications of most maths that I know until I was at uni and even then I know a good chunk of maths that I have never and will never apply to real world applications)
Very true, I should of worded the last bit a bit better, I mean I will never know the applications of some of the maths I know rather than there being no applications
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