On 2008/07/27, at 5:33 AM, m. f. moon wrote:
Local tutors have said that one of the problems with high school
students in
algebra is that students don't know the multiplication tables. They
find this
in teaching factoring. After the tutors do remedial education on the
times
table, the algebra becomes much easier for the students. Teachers
think rote
learning is drudgery and students shouldn't be forced into rote
learning!!
marion moon
Dear Marion and All,
I often hear numerate people (typically scientists, engineers, or
teachers of science or mathematics) say things like: 'Don't they know
that this is easy after they cancel out the fractions?' or 'Don't they
know that they just have to move the decimal point?'
Innumeracy is alive and well and far more common than numerate people
are prepared to concede. Numerate folk recoil in horror when I point
out to them that some people have reacted to the second question by
asking: 'What's a decimal? and What's the point?'
Consider these statements from an Australian Bureau of Statistics
report. Note that Level 3 and higher are regarded as minimum adult
functional levels for office work.
(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/Lookup/4228.0Explanatory%20Notes12006%20(Reissue)?OpenDocument
)
On the numeracy scale, approximately 7.9 million (53%) Australians
were assessed at Level 1 or 2, 4.7 million (31%) at Level 3 and 2.4
million (16%) at Level 4/5.
On the problem solving scale, approximately 10.6 million (70%)
Australians were assessed at Level 1 or 2, 3.7 million (25%) at Level
3 and 800,000 (5%) at Level 4 (table 1).
However, Australian adults hold the view that their mathematical
skills are better than the tested reality. To quote from the above
report:
For numeracy skills, 67% of people responding to the survey agreed or
strongly agreed that they received good grades in maths. Of this
group, 56% achieved numeracy scores at Level 3 or above on the
numeracy scale.
Similarly, 43% of males and 28% of females strongly agreed with the
statement that they are good with numbers and calculations. Of this
group, 40% of females achieved numeracy scores at Level 1 or 2 while
29% of males achieved scores at Level 1 or 2 (table 21).
Teachers of mathematics (and engineers and scientists) seem to hold
this erroneous view quite strongly. It is almost as if they believe
that most other people share their considerable mathematical
abilities. It appears from the Australian studies, however, that this
is just not so.
A similar view might be gained from this data from Canada that seems
to support the findings in Australia:
http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/indicator.jsp?indicatorid=79&lang=en
I have not found similar studies for adults in the USA. I know that
there was a reference to innumeracy in the USA somewhere in the papers
from the National Math Panel but I can't find it.
In summary, it is probably fair to say that about half of all
Australians do not have sufficient numeracy skills to operate well in
an office environment that involves calculations.
I believe that it would be unwise for proponents of metrication to
ignore this mathematical reality.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has
helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the
modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they
now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for
their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many
different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial
and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/
for more metrication information, contact Pat at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter/
to subscribe.
