U.S. must count on math

America is in crisis. Our future rests on an ability to compete successfully in mathematics, science, technology and engineering. A modern nation-state must have a population competent in mathematics to drive a healthy society and vital economy.

American students often view mathematics as difficult and boring. By the time they enter elementary school, students are conditioned to fear math, and by high school, most have acquired a loathing for the subject. Remedial college math courses are overflowing with students unprepared for the rigor of college-level math, science, engineering, business and economics courses. Many make career choices based not on their dreams but on a calculated avoidance of all things mathematical.

This problem is worldwide, and not limited to the U.S. A survey of junior college students in Singapore shows that only 4 percent want to take math courses in college, 5 percent are interested in math, 57 percent think math is boring, and 23 percent would drop the math courses they are now taking if they could.

The myth that Asian people are innately talented and interested in mathematics is as persistent as it is untrue. The growing dominance of China in science and mathematics stems from a pragmatic recognition of mathematics as the foundation of a modern economy and as a national strategic objective. While there are numerous cultural and demographic differences between our societies that may contribute to vast differences in the outcomes of math education, well-integrated initiatives that motivate students to engage in mathematics, at all grade levels, must be acknowledged as a significant component of the Chinese approach.

American students lack the motivation to succeed in math. Math training, considered difficult and boring, competes with attractive activities such as sports, movies, video games, text messaging and more. Weight lifting is also difficult and boring, but students can see the results and are often willing to accept the challenge. Students train to play basketball, soccer and other sports without complaining that it is impossibly difficult, even though a career in professional sports is usually beyond their reach. Essentially, the training is fun and our society rewards success in those areas.

Math is an exercise in mental training. It develops students’ logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. In fact, mathematical ability is more applicable to a future career than prowess on the soccer field, but its rewards are deferred and too often not immediately realized. Indeed, students that excel in mathematics may be bullied or teased, their peers more likely to extort their lunch money than idolize them for their skill.

Math educators have long debated how to make math interesting and to motivate students. In a traditional lecture setting, teachers target the average students in the class and sacrifice the tails of the curve. Students that are struggling fall behind and the gifted become bored. Students lack motivation partly because of peer pressure when the majority of their fellows find it fashionable to dislike math and because there are few immediate benefits to bucking that trend.

In China, however, the majority of students love mathematics. One of the reasons is that there are literally hundreds of different math competitions available for students in all grades. From elementary school through college, each grade has its own competitions. Class, school, city, provincial, national and international competitions provide opportunities for students at different levels. Weekend Math Olympiad schools exist in most major cities.

These schools are not only for top students – they also assist students who are having a difficult time in regular classes in catching up with their peers. The goal of these weekend schools is to make mathematics both an interesting and rewarding challenge. Like any popular sport in China, math competitions and their results draw the attention of the entire society. Champions of math competitions are heroes among their peers.

In fact, there are many math competitions available to interested students in the United States. Locally, more than 100 Maine high schools participate in such competitions. Why, then, do American students rank so poorly on international measures? Excluding the demographic variables, the key difference lies in our society’s indifference. Parents, schools and communities celebrate the return of a victorious sports team with banners and parades, while a math team’s success will be relegated to the middle of the B section of the local paper.

Until parents, communities and, most important, other students start cheering for their math team, there is little to entice students to excel in mathematics. Mathematics, science and technology are the three sisters of our military and economic ascendancy in the world. Quite simply, our society cannot survive many more years of failure in math education. Perhaps we should take this lesson from China, the nation with the fastest growing and most successful economy in the world today, and establish math education as a national strategic objective.

Zhu-qi Lu, Ph.D., is an associate professor of mathematics at University of Maine Presque Isle and former math instructor at Beijing University of Technology in China. David Putnam is an assistant professor of undergraduate research and chair of the School of Science and Mathematics at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.