Fear and Interest in Mathematics Essay

Fear: The Motivational Sheep in a Wolf’s Clothing Fear is one of the six basic and universal emotions taught in classrooms today (Deckers, 2014). The standard physiological reactions to fear are well known and know no cultural restrictions. These include sweaty palms, increased heart rate, and dryness of mouth, among others. However, the definition and description of fear is no simpler than any other emotion and goes far beyond these physical responses. In fact, fear frequently manifests itself…

If I was to describe mathematics I would describe it as using numbers to solve problems. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mathematics is “the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, and abstractions and of space configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations, and generalizations”. I believe mathematics is not just a class you have to take in school. It is not just a class that students dread to take in school. Some…

(“Statistic s”, 2012). This can be the result of the type of exposure females had courses in mathematics and sciences, causing for their interest in engineering to decrease. In the very early years of a university student’s scholastic career, they gain an exposure to the areas of mathematics and the sciences. During these early stages, students are able to form their own opinions, and can potentially gain interest in these areas, with the possibility of studying in these areas further. Yet, the…

characters, Christopher possesses a passion for mathematics. Many examples demonstrate Christopher’s ability to make calculations at a fast rate include: saying the square of a number and continue to square the corresponding number up to a really high number , knowing every prime number up to 7507, and receiving an A in a A level math exam (one of the higher level math exams an individual can take). A specific moment in the text in which his mathematics ability was displayed was how he was able…

The qualitative analysis has produced three major sources of physics anxiety as follows: unpleasant classroom activities, fear of test, and feeling of inadequacy in terms of their knowledge in Physics acquired when they were still in high school. These themes have served a framework for description and interpretation of the data. 1. Unpleasant Classroom Activities Unpleasant classroom activities as a source of Physics anxiety involved perceptions of lecturing, problem solving activities, and…

was born in the Greek city of Samos(Douglass). Being raised in a wealthy family, Pythagoras grew up surrounded by different forms of education that varied from music to politics. In his adolescent years, Pythagoras took a particular interest in advanced mathematics, religion, and every school of philosophical thought(O’Connor). “And if at length, Leaving behind thy body, thou dost come To the free Upper Air, then shalt thou be Deathless, Divine and a mortal man no more”-Pythagoras(Man, Myth...)…

toward other more societally approved and lucrative career paths. Moreover, some worry that this situation is propagated by an overall lack of funding and interest in the humanities, which may play an integral role in the widespread waning of the humanities. These concepts are stranded together with a common cord but one must discern whether these fears are truly tangible or simply overstated. Furthermore, the concept of whether a humanities degree in this day and age is a…

on and brought it to light. I really liked this because there’s so many things that are not okay and people don’t speak up because of fear but Martin Luther spoke up even to a the powerful Roman Church. Something was introduced to Europe from China and it was called the…

for Quality in 2009 of people ages eight to 17, “24 percent of boys but only 5 percent of girls said they were interested in an engineering career” (qtd in “Why So Few?” 21). Since even in childhood and adolescence young women demonstrate a lower interest in engineering, an initial obstacle in increasing female participation requires promoting the appeal of engineering and accumulating traction with the rising demographic. Amongst high school students, for example, the gender divide in…

supported this idea to make astronomical predictions more accurate. He also wanted a better foundation for astrology and the calendar. He wanted math and psychology to connect in an approach to astronomy. Copernicus was afraid to publish this because of fear of being called a heretic by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church officially supported this theory, and anyone who expressed belief in Nicolaus Copernicus’s geocentric theory was at risk of being declared a heretic. So instead of…