“Every student in North America has a calculator, but fewer and fewer are learning how to do math without one.”
When I started tutoring collegiate math back in 2010, I worked with First Nations students at SFU’s Indigenous Student Centre as their Academic Tutor. The most common math course that I tutor there is FAN-X99 “Foundations of Analytical and Quantitative Reasoning”. It covers BEDMAS, Factoring, GCF & LCM, Fractions, Algebra, Polynomials, Cartesian Coordinates, Linear Functions, Inequalities, and Systems of Equations (see BC Math 10 Curriculum).
So it was more of a remedial course for students who struggled in high school math (see BC Math 10-12 Full Curriculum). Results and grades, as well as instructors and students vary, but I have found three common themes that match three common trends listed in this article – Trends in Math: The Importance of Basic Skills by Tom Loveless.
- Most adult learners who struggle in math in post-secondary were already struggling back in high school (i.e. age 13-18).
- Most adult learners still struggle in the most basic of math skills since elementary school (i.e. arithmetic, especially multiplying and dividing).
- Most secondary school math courses and instructors teach students as if they have already mastered these skills when they actually haven’t.
“All math instructors teach their students based on a curriculum, but fewer and fewer make sure their students master the basics before sending them off to the next level.”