Professors Noah Smith and Miles Kimball say that, barring extreme cases, there’s no such thing as a magic good-at-math gene.
Professors Noah Smith and Miles Kimball say that, barring extreme cases, there’s no such thing as a magic good-at-math gene. The key to conquering the often reviled and feared subject is simply a matter of preparation.
Having taught math for years, they say they’ve seen the downward spiral that ends in students believing that they just don’t have the mind for numbers many, many times.
It starts when some students come in fully prepared and others not so much.
Students that studied ace the tests, and those that didn’t get lukewarm results.
Those who continually perform at a level of average or lower begin to blame their genetic make-up rather than focusing on their real problem – their study habits.
As remedy, a recommended alternative is for teachers to develop education strategies that instill in students the reality that hard work pays off, and smarts aren’t predetermined.
There are some pretty high stakes in the matter, say Smith and Kimball, including perpetuating inequality. They note that the difference between landing in either a working or upper-middle class income bracket has been linked to math skill levels.
