Why do many students have math anxiety?

(Dan Tri) - According to experts, is it possible that many teachers do not know how to make students love math or have not helped them answer the practical question: What is the purpose of learning math?

Master Nguyen Anh Tuan, Principal of Chu Van An High Quality Secondary School, Long Bien, Hanoi shared this at the Workshop "Teaching applied mathematics in general schools", which took place in Hanoi this morning (September 28).

At the workshop, experts and scientists focused on discussing topics such as: Teaching applied mathematics in life and scientific fields; the role of managers in promoting applied mathematics teaching in high schools; designing and organizing applied mathematics teaching activities from teaching practices...

Master Nguyen Anh Tuan, Principal of Chu Van An High Quality Secondary School, Long Bien, Hanoi (Photo: S. Dien).

The old way of teaching makes math boring.

According to Mr. Tuan, math is a great subject but many students are afraid of it, perhaps because of the way teachers teach it.

As both a manager and a math teacher, Mr. Tuan believes that the current way of teaching math in high schools is still old, academic, dry, and not connected to reality and life.

Some students have a fear of math, tending to memorize formulas instead of understanding the essence.

In particular, students lack practical experience in mathematics related to life. Students focus on theoretical problems and are afraid to touch on practical problems, making this subject unattractive.

Mr. Thieu Quang Tung, math teacher at Cau Giay Secondary School, Hanoi, said that applied math has appeared in some lessons but not much, the content is mainly in topics such as probability, statistics, algebra...

According to this teacher, teaching math in high schools still faces many difficulties: teachers have not received specialized training in applied math, there is a lack of time and resources in class, and there is heavy pressure from exams.

For students, due to long-standing learning habits, they are not used to practical thinking and open-ended problems.

Mr. Ta Ngoc Tri, Deputy Director of the Department of General Education, Ministry of Education and Training, said that math has a prominent advantage in training many skills.

Through learning mathematics, students can develop logical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills – key elements to becoming citizens who meet the demands of the new era.

However, teachers need to change their teaching methods to make math more practical and to make students no longer afraid of math.

Mr. Thieu Quang Tung, math teacher, Cau Giay Secondary School, Hanoi (Photo: S. Dien).

Lesson plans and textbooks are scripts for teachers to "act out" in class.

According to the Deputy Director of the General Education Department, many countries in the world have adjusted their general education programs towards developing learners' qualities and abilities to meet the requirements of modern society.

In Vietnam, the 2018 general education program clearly demonstrated this orientation when designing the content of subjects, including math, to both ensure basic knowledge and encourage students to apply it in practice.

Therefore, he hopes that teachers will innovate their lessons in a way that is related to real life, incorporating familiar stories so that students can see the connection between mathematics and reality.

“When students feel the practical value of math, they will love the subject more, develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills, and thus make learning math more practical and meaningful,” said Mr. Ta Ngoc Tri.

To make math teaching/learning more effective, Mr. Thieu Quang Tung suggested that teachers need to innovate teaching methods, integrate technology, design lessons related to life, differentiate according to ability, participate in specialized training and share experiences with colleagues.

For schools and the education sector, Mr. Tung recommended organizing specialized training courses for teachers; building a bank of practical math problems; incorporating application content into testing and evaluation; and providing equipment, documents and recognizing teaching initiatives.

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Tan, Hanoi National University of Education (Photo: S. Dien).

According to Professor Tran Van Tan, Hanoi National University of Education, education is inherently conventional, in which lesson plans and textbooks are scripts for teachers and students to perform together on the classroom "stage".

Therefore, practical examples in teaching, with pedagogical intentions, may not be completely similar to real life but have a "realistic" or simulated nature.

However, it is important that teachers make this clear to students, helping them understand that this is a stepping stone to developing thinking and application skills, not original reality.

This expert also gave some methods of teaching math at the secondary level. For example, teachers can lead from practice to generate math problems.

Teachers can start the lesson with real-life situations, from which they can evoke and form the topic or problem. After solving the problem, teachers can return to practical applications so that students can clearly see the connection between mathematics and life.

In addition, schools can let students participate in experiential activities to reinforce unit knowledge and general knowledge of this subject.

Regarding the reality at his school, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan said that math is taught through practical situations. The school also integrates this subject with natural sciences, information technology, economics, and even art.

Teachers incorporate applied topics, personal finance, environment, sports, and data science into their lessons, making math less boring and more interesting for students.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/tai-sao-nhieu-hoc-sinh-gap-hoi-chung-so-mon-toan-20250928140645857.htm