A new report from the RAND Corporation shows that many students decide early in life whether they like math or not. This decision often happens before they finish elementary school. The study raises concerns about how early opinions about math can affect students for years.
This report, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, looked at survey answers from over 700 students aged 12 to 21 in the summer and fall of 2024. The goal was to understand how young people feel about math and how confident they are in their math skills.
A Third of Students Say They’re Not “Math People”
According to the Daily news highlights, about 38% of students said they felt like a “math person” before or during 5th grade. Another 23% started feeling that way in middle school (grades 6–8). But only 7% said they became a “math person” in high school. Sadly, around 1 in 3 students said they have never felt that way at all.
Experts say this is important. By middle school, students are often put into different math levels — like regular math or advanced math. These labels can make kids think, “Maybe I’m not good at math,” even if that’s not true.
Half of Teens Feel Bored or Uninterested in Math Class
Another big finding in the Breaking News report is that about 50% of middle and high school students feel bored in math class at least half the time. These students said they don’t feel confident or excited during lessons.
On the other hand, students who enjoy math class usually:
- Feel confident they can do well
- Think the subject is fun
- Feel supported by their teachers
- Believe they understand the lessons
Experts say it’s not always clear what comes first: liking math or being good at it. But one thing is sure — good teaching makes a difference.
Teachers Can Help Students Enjoy Math More
The RAND report offers helpful tips for making math more interesting. One important idea is that teachers should show excitement about math. This helps students feel excited too — even from a young age.
To do this well, teachers need to understand math deeply. That means knowing both the content and how to teach it. However, not all teachers get the same kind of training. A separate report from the National Council on Teacher Quality found that only 21 U.S. states clearly tell teacher-training programs what math content to teach future teachers.
Even worse, 15 states don’t explain how teachers should learn to teach math. Without this guidance, many future teachers may not be fully prepared, and students could miss out on high-quality lessons.
Better Training Leads to Better Teaching
Even though many states don’t give clear rules, most college instructors who teach future teachers do cover important teaching strategies. In a 2023 survey by the EdWeek Research Center, most instructors said they regularly:
- Help students connect new math ideas to what they already know
- Teach how to spot and fix common math mistakes
This means many future teachers are still learning useful ways to help students, even if the states aren’t providing clear instructions.
Daily news highlights like this one remind us that students’ feelings about math are shaped early in life. The more confident and supported they feel, the more likely they are to succeed. Good teachers, exciting lessons, and better teacher training can all help more kids feel like “math people.” With the right steps, the future of math education can be much brighter.
