Week 4 Global Collaboration

Korean students excel in the international tests such as TIMSS and PISA. However, their positive attitudes toward learning mathematics have appeared to be very low. According to a recent survey, 36% of sixth graders, 46% of middle school students, and almost 60% of high school students give up learning mathematics. We call such students “SUPOZA” or “mathematics giver-uppers”. In the U.S., negativity towards math is similar. In fact, in a 2005 poll, 37% of adults said they “hated” math when they were in school (Willis/ASCD, 2012). And, reviews of literature from around the globe show that students also tend to lose interest in the science as they progress through school. As pre- or in-service mathematics and science teachers, what do you think the best solution for this problem?