RUNNING HEAD: The Importance of Algebra 1

Why Math is Important in High School and the Real World

Why do Students Get Math Anxiety?

Allison Kocovic

Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs

Manhattan College: Education 206

The Importance of Algebra 2

Abstract

In this paper, I will discuss the importance of mathematics in high school and how it

applies in the real world, and why students should learn and understand math. I will examine

factors such as anxiety when doing anything that involves math, and the students’ ability to do

math under these circumstances. Specifically, I will be referring to ninth grade students who

typically take Algebra in their first year of high school. I think students who learn the

importance of math in their first year of high school will have a good mind set for the rest of

their academic careers. To solve these problems, I will relate math to real life settings so

students could understand where this math is being applied, and where they will need it in the

future. My goal is for students to realize how important math is and for them to try to put in

more effort and understand the material so it could help them in the real world.
The Importance of Algebra 3

Why Math is Important in High School and the Real World

A common problem that arises in a high school mathematics classroom is students

questioning their ability to do math. Throughout my experience in high school, students have

always complained about why they had to learn certain things in math because they were

never going to use these concepts in real life and the content was awfully difficult. Students

also proclaimed that they are extremely bad at math. However, I only experienced my

classmates and peers say this about math, never about English, History, Science, or Theology.

They would say that English is important because everyone should know how to read, write,

and speak proper English. History is valuable because you do not want events to repeat

themselves, we learn from previous mistakes and move forward. Science is imperative because

it helps with technology, inventions, medicine, and even environmental issues. Going to a

catholic high school we also had to take a Theology class throughout our four years, this was

significant because we expanded our knowledge on our religion and deepened our relationship

with God. However, no one could come up with reasons for why math is just as important.

Classmates and peers just exclaimed that math is “too hard” and some students even get

anxiety doing any math related activities. From a young age, students will decide for themselves

if they even enjoy math or not. Students have a fear of mathematics and question their abilities

on a daily basis, and it becomes more prominent once they start high school.

Some students who express that math is hard, even say they can get anxious when

learning in class, doing homework, and completing graded assessments. For students with math

anxiety, opening a math textbook or entering a classroom can trigger a negative emotional

response (Beilock and Maloney, 2012, p. 404). Simple activities that occur outside of the
The Importance of Algebra 4

classroom, that may include any numerical information such as reading a cash register receipt

or determining the price of items you want to purchase can cause people to think poorly of

themselves because they cannot process the information (Beilock and Maloney, 2012, p. 404).

These students question why they have to learn these skills, beginning with algebra in the ninth

grade. Right from the start, students have a negative perception on mathematics and it is

important for their teacher to inspire them, make it fun, make it challenging and make them

understand the reality of math. This will lead to a new perception, appreciation and outlook of

mathematics.

The issue of math anxiety has been in many studies since the 1970s, finding a strong

correlation between math anxiety and poor math performance (Ashcraft and Krause, 2007, p.

245). Meaning, as math anxiety in a student increases, the more their math performance and

achievement decrease, causing them to do poorly. Students with less math anxiety perform

better. These terrors of math and math anxiety can occur from just one math course, which

causes the student to have a fear and hatred for the subject as a whole. This one bad

experience can cause a loss of motivation and the confidence to do better in the course. But

throughout my own experience and questioning current ninth grade students, one being my

younger brother, I have found that students who have more confidence in their math skills,

tend to perform better than those who believe they are bad at math. Having a positive outlook

on the subject boosts one’s motivation and overall performance, while having a negative

outlook on the subject can cause less motivation, leading to bad grades. When speaking to my

younger brother Michael about his algebra class, he says that students have become less

involved in class because they do not find it interesting anymore. He states the material has
The Importance of Algebra 5

gotten difficult and students simply gave up because they believe they will never use it in their

life. I think it is important for math teachers to express the importance of math in the first year

of high school. Mathematics classes tend to get more difficult as you enter higher grade levels,

so understanding that algebra is the base for all mathematics courses and how algebra can

relate to the real world is imperative to one’s success in math. Understanding the importance

of math will also give the student a good mindset for the rest of their academic careers.

When doing fieldwork observation hours in a high school near Manhattan College, I

worked with a ninth- grade algebra class. I noticed only a hand full of students who actually

paid attention while other students zoned- out or just got distracted by something else. When

students started to work in groups, some seemed confused, so I would try to boost their

confidence when completing classwork with them. They would ask me why they needed to do

this because it was “difficult and pointless”. I would tell them that yes it can be difficult but

certainly not pointless, algebra is the key to learning any math and to simply just get by in life.

In the article “Why is Algebra Important to Learn” by Zalman Usiskin, he states that algebra is

the language to generalization. Meaning, algebra is a language in which we describe patterns.

We write general formulas and equations to make it easy to plug in numbers and data of our

own. An example of a real- life application formula for students would be the formula to

9
convert degrees Fahrenheit into degrees Celsius, or vice- verse. 𝐹 = 5 (𝐶 + 32) is to find

5
degrees Fahrenheit, and 𝐶 = 9 (𝐹 − 32) to find degrees Celsius (Why is Algebra Important to

Learn, Ususkin, 1995, p. 31). Technology makes it easy nowadays for students to just look up

answers, but it is important to know where these calculations come from. Students could look

up answers to classwork or homework, or find a similar problem to the questions teachers

The Importance of Algebra 6

assign. Students could just memorize how they did the problem for the exam and forget about

it after. It is imperative that math teachers start to change that and help the future generations

learn and understand mathematics.

When students start to ponder about their future and careers, they reflect on

everything they have learned so far and believe they are not going to need to know high school

math, and should just forget about it after they take an exam. However, algebra is important

because it prepares you for future jobs and career paths. It is also cognitively challenging, which

stimulates your brain in the problem solving and working memory part of the brain (Ashcraft

and Krause, 2007, p. 246), and reinforces logical thinking (Demme, 2018). Algebra is not only

used in jobs and careers, but it can be used outside of the workplace, such as making financial

decisions for yourself or your family. Some examples include, picking a health care plan for a

family, picking a cell phone plan, ordering custom shelving, and more (Demme, 2018).

Mathematics is a subject in school that most students dread because of the anxiety that

comes along with it. Students dread this subject from a young age, but when starting high

school, I hope that students overcome this fear and anxiety, and learn to enjoy math. Algebra is

vital to everyday life, and without it students could miss opportunities in their future life,

whether it be for college or future careers. There are multiple benefits of knowing algebra and

how to apply it to daily life. It is important for teachers to explain this material and to

demonstrate to students the applications of algebra. It is my goal as a future educator of

mathematics to engage students and change their outlook on mathematics. It is also, to

alleviate and ultimately get rid of math anxiety altogether and demonstrate the importance of

algebra and its usefulness in the real world.

The Importance of Algebra 7

References:

Ashcraft, M. H., & Krause, J. A. (2007). Working memory, math performance, and math
anxiety. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review,14(2), 243-248. Retrieved from
https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03194059.

Beilock, S. L., &Maloney, E. A. (2012). Math anxiety: Who has it, why it develops, and
how to guard against it. Retrieved from
https://babylab.uchicago.edu/sites/babylab.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/images/PDFS/TiCS%20
Final_Maloney%26Beilock_2012%20%281%29.pdf

Demme, I. (2018, July 17). 6 Reasons Why We Learn Algebra. Retrieved from
https://demmelearning.com/learning-blog/why-we-learn-algebra/

Usiskin, Z. (2007). Why Algebra Is Important. Classical Algebra: Its Nature, Origins, and
Uses,30-37. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zalman_Usiskin/publication/240415845_Why_Is_Algebr
a_Important_to_Learn/links/551a83be0cf26cbb81a2e649.pdf.