Too often, the focus, when it comes to teaching maths, is on what the student must do: be more consistent, practise more, be more disciplined. But rarely do we ask: what more can the teacher do?
Teachers cannot continue to point fingers at students, assigning all the blame and responsibility to them. They must recognise that they, too, play a pivotal – indeed, crucial – role in shaping how students perceive and engage with the subject.
Without motivation, context, and meaningful delivery from the teacher, even the most diligent student may struggle.
From my own school experience, I remember being drilled in formulas without understanding their real-life relevance. I could memorise and apply them, but I didn’t know why they mattered. When students fail to see the bigger picture – the usefulness of what they’re learning – it’s no wonder many disengage or fear the subject.
This fear is especially pronounced with Additional Mathematics. Many students avoid it not because they lack ability, but because they are already conditioned to believe they’ll fail. The anxiety is real, and it’s made worse when the subject is taught mechanically, with little creativity or context.
Here’s where teachers must step up. They don’t need to be engineers, coders or architects, but they should keep up with how maths is applied in the real world, and bring that into the classroom.
Show how geometry is used to design the Penang Bridge, how statistics are used in sports analytics, or how algebra powers mobile apps. When students see that maths is not just theory but a tool that shapes the world around them, the subject comes alive.
We must also move away from the flawed idea that only the “mathematically inclined” can succeed in the subject. What truly makes a difference is not talent but teaching that inspires curiosity, relevance and connection. Students thrive when teachers make the subject meaningful and relatable.
If we want to reverse the troubling trend of high failure rates in maths, we must reimagine the way the subject is taught. And it begins with teachers who take pride in their craft, and who are willing to go beyond the textbook to make maths a living, breathing subject. With the right teaching approach and examples that Malaysian students can relate to, we may finally dispel the myth that maths is “too difficult” and lower our nation’s alarming failure rate in the subject.
DR POLA SINGH
Kuala Lumpur
