Improving Students’ Attitude toward Math through Story and Game
Purpose and scope
The problem of poor attitude is common among students in their elementary and secondary levels, and even college levels, especially among girls. The purpose of this study is to show that despite this prevailing contradiction, there are several ways of changing the attitude among students concerning mathematics all of which fulfill a different purpose.
The introduction of gaming and story in mathematics lessons is to ease the work of teachers delivering instructions and keep up with the media-rich and interactive day to day experiences exposed to students. This was proposed since it was discovered that the students’ attitude towards mathematics declined as they increased in age.
First purpose is evaluating whether gaming (3-D Video Game) is a useful instruction delivery tool. According to Gillespie, Martin and Parker (2010), students’ attitude important in the development of self-efficacy (especially middle school students) which affects their judgments and capabilities to remain organized and execute courses of action, and overall performance. They discovered that game learning was key tool to student’s learning since students reiterated missions in attempts to perform better while enjoying and in great will. They also discovered that in terms of attitude, the game had no visible impact.
Second purpose is to investigate whether use of self and cooperative learning packages in the classroom improves students’ attitudes towards mathematics. Ifamuyiwa and Akinsola (2008) discovered that, the students exposed to self-instructional strategy had the greatest positive attitude towards the mathematic as compared to their counterparts in conventional instruction strategy. This study put forward that mathematics teachers receive self and corporative strategies training since it was important in improving (senior secondary school) students’ attitude towards mathematics.Third purpose was intended at investigating the factors the affected college students’ attitude towards education.
Attitude is the key to success but not with the college level students. Goodykoontz (2006) recognized that, to students whom simulation games were used, the level of positive attitude towards mathematics was found to generally improve with the resultant of individual-level analysis. In addition, an interview of the college students brought to light that the funny teachers and nice teachers had students passing in their subjects as compared to the unapproachable and devoted teachers who only focused on conventional teaching without incorporating stories or humor had students fail or perform poorly in those subjects.
Some students also discussed that their perspective in mathematics was influenced by the act of seeing mathematics from different perspectives and multiple representations such as graphically and algebraically.Fourth purpose is to demonstrate that integrating technology, like introduction of games, to the curriculum changes girls’ attitude towards mathematics. In this study, Richard (2006) established an important fact that the incorporation of gaming in girls’ learning process had visible effects in cognitive benefits.
According to him cognitive complexity of video games benefits knowledge structure and transfer, rational rotation and spinal intelligence, motor skills, computer aided drafting/design training, cognitive skills, symbol use and self-regulation and corroborative learning and text processing. He states that, girls aren’t to be forced to fit into the existing computer culture instead the culture should flexible to accommodate them. The point is not just introducing games into the curriculum will cause changes in attitude but the incorporations must involve games that challenge the mind of the girls.
Mathematics Education: Schedule
The conference is aimed at exploring the causes and recommendations of poor mathematics as an overhaul problem over the entire education system that is, from the middle elementary to college level. This is because of the noted trend there is in the learning process that indicated that attitude decline in mathematics increases with increase in age. That is, poorest mathematics attitude was in the college levels unlike the elementary level.The schedule below is aimed to enable the reader to manage their time to allow for complete presentation within one hour.
Length of time: One hour
Subject area: Math education
Schedule for a one hour session:
Welcome:
Refreshing hymn: (5) minutes
Overview: (5) minutes
Present core idea: (5-10) minutes
Strategies for implementing games
And stories: (10-15) minutes
Practice using games and stories: (10-15) minutes
Example of lessons using game
And stories: (5-10) minutes
Summery and discussion: (5) minutes
Closing session and questions: (10) minutes
In these conferences, one will participate in full hands-on workshops, and meet with other students as well as teachers. There will be other students who love mathematics and scientists as well. Some of the activities will include: experiencing fun with mathematics, science and technology, an overall know how on the available mathematics based careers, Know about the education required to qualify for various professions and most importantly, obtain first hand information about successful men and women in science and mathematics and the various ways leading to careers in the sciences.
One had better made the efforts to be available since there is no better way to obtain genuine hands on knowledge in science and mathematics direct from the people in the field. The awaiting experience can’t be taught in any classroom, or computer or demonstrations. There is no substitute at all.
References
Goodykoontz E., (2006). Factors that Affect College Students’ Attitudes toward Mathematics. West Virginia University.Ifamuyiwa S. A. & Akinsola M.K., (2008). Improving senior secondary school students’ attitude towards mathematics through self and cooperative-instructional strategies. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, Vol. 39(5). P. 569-585.Richard Van ECK (2010). Using Games to Promote Girls’ Positive Attitudes toward Technology. Retrieved on 22-03-11 from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VbAye-qy5vMJ:innovateonline.info/pdf/vol2_issue3/Using_Games_to_Promote_Girls%27_Positive_Attitudes_Toward_Technology.pdf+Improving+students%27+attitude+toward+math+through+story+and+game&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjMyaBsSyO6hzWouVyBy_ZPDVOy5EnEWxbb4UB_sZ3pQ3nOaJT4uDWI5VBVDIoZ2RMYT_R7MyFK9cFDjtEpci0px7i_BBudOT5fZpN24iaDlNcbXIjuiNzntu6Z5zChB3DJSkgD&sig=AHIEtbRJHa-k0JyHg2LhSbVHqUmev2vaRA last updated (n.d)
Parke M. A., Martin F. and Gillespie L., (2008), Effects of a 3-D Video Game on Middle School S
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