Math Relevance to US Middle School Students: A Survey ... - Raytheon

Math Relevance to U.S. Middle School Students: A Survey Commissioned by Raytheon Company

Survey Fielded: February 2012 Commissioned by: Raytheon Company Research Conducted by: Research Now


Table of Contents: 1) Research Methodology

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2) Executive Summary

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3) Survey Findings

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I.

Math in the Classroom

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II.

Math at Home

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III.

Math in the Real World

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IV.

Fun Facts

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V.

Students in Washington, D.C.

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Research Methodology: The survey was fielded in February 2012 by independent research firm Research Now. Results are based on a national sample of 1,000 U.S. middle school students ages 10-14 years old. The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 3 percent for the total sample.

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Copyright © 2012 Raytheon Company

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Executive Summary: The challenge of engaging and educating middle school students about the value and relevance of math is a national focus—and for good reason. The most recent PISA data (Programme for International Student Assessment, 2009) shows U.S. students rank 31st in the world in math performance. According to OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the U.S. ranks 23rd among developed nations in the number of science and engineering graduates. Meanwhile, job growth in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields is outpacing non-STEM-related job growth by 300 percent (U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration). Raytheon Company commissioned an independent study to determine the learning preferences and habits of U.S. middle school students and pinpoint their perceptions and attitudes about the role math plays in the classroom and at home as well as the importance of math to their futures.

Key findings include: In the Classroom • • • •

70 percent of respondents said they like math In fact, math and science are subjects that students said they favor over social studies, English and foreign language Students enjoy computer class almost as much as math class 85 percent of middle school students prefer hands-on, interactive activities or computer-based lessons to more traditional approaches such as textbooks when it comes to learning

At Home •

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• • •

Almost half of students (48 percent) reported that they enjoy learning about math outside of school. Yet, many students would rather perform unpleasant tasks than do their math homework; for example, 44 percent of respondents would rather take out the trash than do math homework. Students report spending almost eight hours per day in front of a screen interacting with technology such as computers, tablets, smartphones and televisions, although less than two hours of this “screen time” is related to school and homework Students report spending an average of 30 minutes per day on social networks, including Facebook and Twitter When asked which parent has better math skills, respondents were 64 percent more likely to answer their father than their mother At the same time, when asked who they think is better at math—Selena Gomez or Justin Bieber—an overwhelming majority (76 percent) went with the female pop star

In their Futures • •

58 percent of respondents believe math will be important to their future The vast majority of students recognize the role math plays in certain careers involving technology (e.g., building robots, bridges, smartphones) and money (e.g., running a restaurant)

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Students do not associate math with certain careers that require precise calculations. For example, less than half of students (47 percent) see a need for math in engineering sports gear such as a skateboard, and a mere 38 percent are aware that math skills play an important role in fashion design. Copyright Notice


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Survey Findings: I.

Math in the Classroom

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70 percent of respondents like math

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How students prefer to learn new subjects:

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48 percent hands-on activities

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37 percent educational computer games/computer-based lessons

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11 percent lectures and textbooks

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4 percent video lessons/educational movies

Favorite subject in school: o

15 percent math

o

11 percent science (tied with music)

o

8 percent social studies

Favorite Subject in School:

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II.

Math at Home

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48 percent of students report they enjoy learning about math outside of school

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54 percent of students believe their fathers are better at math than their mothers compared to only 33 percent of students who believe their mothers are the more skilled mathematicians. An additional 13 percent believe both parents are about the same.

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Middle school students spend an average of 7.9 hours per day interacting with media technology such as computers, tablets, smartphones and televisions

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Students use a computer for an average of 1.8 hours per day for homework and classwork combined

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51 percent of students spend an hour or more on mobile devices, texting or using Web-based applications per day

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On average, students spend 43 minutes per day on tablets such as the iPad

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III.

Math in the Real World

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58 percent of respondents believe math will be important for their future

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Only 47 percent of students think strong math skills are necessary to design a skateboard

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62 percent of respondents are not aware math skills play an important role in designing clothing

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94 percent of students recognize math is required to build a bridge

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92 percent of students recognize math is involved in the creation of a robot

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89 percent of students recognize math is required to run a restaurant

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Two-thirds of students did not realize math plays an important role in photography

Do You Need to Be Good at Math if You Wanted to Design a:

Is Math Involved in the Following Activities?

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IV.

Fun Facts •

76 percent of students think Selena Gomez is better at math than Justin Bieber

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85 percent of students can identify Lady Gaga, while only 66 percent can identify Albert Einstein

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56 percent of students would rather eat broccoli than do math homework

Math

< •

Eat Broccoli

44 percent would rather take out the trash than do math homework

Math

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V.

Students in Washington, D.C. •

62 percent of D.C. students like math

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48 percent of D.C. students indicate that hands-on activities and experiments are their preferred method for learning new subject matter

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45 percent of D.C. students enjoy learning math outside of the classroom

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58 percent of D.C. students believe their fathers are better at math than their mothers

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61 percent of D.C. students report spending an hour or more in front of the computer for activities not related to school

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Students from the D.C. metro area listed their favorite subjects as art, music, physical education and math—all of which can be experienced at MathAlive!

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