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WAYS FOR AROUSING AND

MAINTAINING INTEREST IN
MATHEMATICS






Submitted by: Indu.M.R
Submitted to: Geetha
Submitted on:21-09-2014

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INDEX

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NO CONTENT
PAGE
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Introduction 3
1 Element of novelty 4
2 Ensuring students understanding 4
3 Intellectual challenge 4
4 Improving problem-solving ability 5
5 Use of incentives 5
6
Emphasising the practical application of
mathematics 6
7
Emphasising the use of mathematics in the study
of other subjects 6
8 Use of audio visual aids and practical work 7
9 Using mathematics for fun and recreation 7
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Reference of historical development of the
mathematical concept 8
11 Arranging for field work and field trip 9

Conclusion 10


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INTRODUCTION
Interest is the key factor in achieving success in any task we
perform. Whatever one learns, interest plays a dominant role in
making him learn that thing. Interest, attention and learning all are
quite interdependent. Interest is said to be the mother of attention and
attention is the mother of learning .Therefore, if one wants to learn
something he should try to catch hold from the very beginning the
grandmother ie, the interest. It is equally true for learning
mathematics. In a mathematics class a teacher should try to include
sufficient interest in his classroom teaching so that the subject
mathematics may not be treated as dull and tiresome.
A mathematics teacher should be well versed with the means
and techniques of arousing and stimulating interest in mathematics.
Some of the devices are discussed below. However a teacher can
always devise techniques which are most appropriate for his own
students.





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ELEMENT OF NOVELTY
Students become interested in things which are new and
exciting. Though the possession of background information related to
the new work tends to intensify the interest, novelty is more
compelling than familiarity. The mathematics learning should arouse
the curiosity of the students; should satisfy their thirst for knowledge
and should help in appreciating the beauty of mathematics. The
teacher has to arrange the mathematics activities in a manner most
suitable for students level of understanding.
ENSURING STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING
Inability to understand makes the students restless and listless
leading to general loss of interest. Students tends to remain interested
in those things which they understand well and which they can do
most successively. A reasonable degree of competence should be
ensured keeping in mind the nature of the content presented and the
capacity of the students to understand.
INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE
The mathematical work presented should not be too simple. It
should present a continual intellectual challenge to the students,
devoid of drudgery and boredom. This is possible by organising the
mathematical activities at a level of difficulty appropriate to the
intellectual maturity of the students.

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IMPROVING PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY
Genuine interest in mathematics probably depends upon the
problem solving aspect of the subject. Mathematics teaching presents
the students with as abundance of problems every day. These
problems equip the students with modes of thought and techniques
which enable them to solve the problem successfully. Each successful
solution provides the students with a sense of achievement, a feeling
of satisfaction and joy. This could act as a driving force to seek
similar experiences, pursuing tasks of the same kind. Therefore, the
mathematics teacher should plan the problems with care and should
make sure that the students are able to solve them successfully so that
the students get the positive reinforcement to proceed further.
USE OF INCENTIVES
Incentives such as marks, rewards of various kinds may serve to
build motives or inner drives and thus promote genuine interest in
mathematics. However, use of incentives does not guarantee this.
They should not be used indiscriminately or thoughtlessly. Unless
used judiciously, they can do more harm than good. The success of
the use of such devices depends largely upon the kinds of incentives
used and the ways in which they are used. A teacher can make use of
devices such as mathematical games and contests, tricks, puzzles and
other recreations, multisensory aids, projects, information about the
applications, values and utility of mathematics, historical notes on
mathematics etc as incentives.
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EMPHASISING THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF
MATHEMATICS
The practical application of mathematics in daily life situations
provides an important means of stimulating interests. Many topics
that the students learn in high school mathematics have immediate
relevance for solving problems that rise in daily life, For example,
while teaching topics such as simple interest, compound interest,
recurring deposits, discount, percentage, stocks and shares, direct and
indirect variations, mensuration etc, the teachers should not fail to
stress their importance from this point of view. The mathematical
principles helps the students in understanding and interpreting laws of
nature and environment .This knowledge also could sustain the
interest of the students.
EMPHASISING THE USE OF MATHEMATICS IN THE STUDY
OF OTHER SUBJECTS
In one way or another, mathematics forms the basis for the study
of many of the school subjects as well as pursuing higher education in
many professional courses such as engineering, genetics, computer
science, information technology, bioinformatics and so on. The
application of mathematics is not limited to physical science, but has
important bearing upon the biological and social sciences as well. The
teacher should make use of these relationships of mathematics with
other subjects, in arousing interest of the students in the study of
mathematics. This can be achieved by selecting relevant problems and
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examples from other subjects while teaching related topics in
mathematics.
USE OF AUDIO VISUAL AIDS AND PRACTICAL WORK
Mathematics teaching can be made more interesting through a
variety of sensory experiences than through more talk and chalk
method. The use of audio visual aids provides a variety of sensory
experiences which will help in making abstract mathematical
concepts concrete and meaningful. Moreover, it facilitates better
understanding of the subject and thereby makes it more interesting. It
is desirable to use experiments and laboratory work to verify
mathematical truths and discover mathematical laws and principles. It
arouses the intellectual curiosity of the students and helps to maintain
interest in the subjects.
USING MATHEMATICS FOR FUN AND RECREATION
Mathematics and provides enough opportunities for fun and
recreation. This can be used as an effective means of stimulating
interest in mathematics. Mathematical games and puzzles serve as
interesting setting for mathematical principles, but care should be
taken to see that they do not present distorted ideas of the nature of
mathematics. Mathematics club are also forums where interesting
learning can take place through fun filled activities.

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REFERENCE TO HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS
The teacher can use historical anecdotes relating to the
development of mathematical concepts and ideas as a device for
stimulating interest among the students. The life history of
mathematicians, the painstaking efforts taken by the mathematicians
to discover mathematical facts, and patience and perseverance
exhibited by the mathematicians in their pursuit for search for
mathematical truths can be appealing for the students to pursue their
mathematics learning with interest and enthusiasm. A resourceful
teacher can think of many more such devices which are specially
suitable for the students whom he teaches. However, selection of
devices should be guided by the level of achievement, the intellectual
maturity of the students as well as attitude and aptitude of the
students. Above all, the teacher himself should be highly motivated to
teach mathematics with a high level of interest in the subject. Only
such teachers could include interest in the students and enthuse them
to learn.





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ARRANGING FOR FIELD WORK AND FIELD TRIP
Field work and field trip are two important techniques for
stimulating interest. Both field work and field trip initiate the students
to the real word and provide first hand experiences in the practical
application of mathematics learning. A teacher, wherever possible,
could make use of these techniques for arousing interest in
mathematics.













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CONCLUSION
The presence of proper learning environment and facilities also
contribute towards inclusion of desired interest in learning. The
students therefore, should be provided with the essential congenial
environment to work and learn properly without experiencing any
discomfort. The books, papers, pencils, drawing instruments and other
essential things for learning mathematics should be properly available
to them. They should also get all the necessary guidance and direction
to learn mathematics according to their own pace and abilities.
REFERENCE
TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS- ANICE JAMES
METHODS OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS-S.K MANGAL