The positive impact of tutoring on attitudes towards mathematics
By Harriett Du Four, Tutor The Nation Ambassador and Volunteer
Attitudes towards mathematics have historically been poor. Many of us are ready to admit that we struggle with or dislike it, and see no reason why this should be an issue. We are too often led to believe that some people are just “good” at maths – and others should resign to scraping a pass at best. However, it may surprise the majority of those pushed away from maths to hear that this elusive mathematical “gift” is, overall, non-existent. Whilst some of us may find the subject easier than others, we all have the potential to succeed; the charity “National Numeracy” argues that “negative attitudes, rather than a lack of innate talent, are at the root of our numeracy crisis”1, and as a tutor I’ve noticed the positive impact that a change of mindset can have on my students’ progress. Perhaps it’s time for our government and educators to re-frame the national perspective of maths in time for the next generation – not as something for the few, but as a subject that is accessible to everyone with the right support. This is where charities such as Tutor The Nation are crucial – private tutoring is simply not affordable for the majority of families in the UK, and volunteer-led tutoring is the obvious way to quickly and effectively distribute the one-on-one support that our students need to drive a change in attitudes towards maths. A small shift in mindset could be all that’s needed to increase the academic attainment, and therefore life outcomes, of the next generation of young people coming through our education system.
The need for this change is becoming rapidly apparent. A direct link has been found between struggling with maths and a reduction in employment opportunities2: in 2014, “Pro Bono Economics” estimated that low numeracy skills in the UK’s adult population carries an annual cost of £20.2 billion, or 1.3% of our GDP at that time.3 We need to act to fix our attitude towards maths if we are going to prevent this problem from escalating further. Kwaku Oppong Asante (University of Ghana) argues that “the school environment, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs [and] teaching styles” can be “identified as explanation factors that account for student’s attitudes towards mathematics”.4 It is therefore vital that charities such as Tutor The Nation step forward to provide the one-on-one support necessary to help students improve their confidence in, and hence attitude towards, mathematics.
My experience working with students in schools and through tutoring, particularly with those identified as coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, has demonstrated to me the consequences of a lack of intervention in a student’s confidence in mathematics. Many students I have come across have been full of potential, but reluctant to apply themselves to the subject for fear of failure, or as a result of a preconceived idea that they do not possess the necessary mathematical “talent” to succeed in the subject. However, with one-on-one support focused on building skills such as confidence and fluency in communicating their ideas, they became more able to utilise their natural potential to succeed. Treating students as individuals increases their progress in, and positivity towards, mathematics.
Having the time and space to properly get to know a student is an opportunity unique to tutors. This allows them to design bespoke strategies for those they work with to improve confidence and positivity towards mathematics. A technique I often use to facilitate this is to talk to students about their hobbies when we meet for the first time. For example, I have been working with a group of GCSE students from Widening Access backgrounds through my university for several months, who were all interested in going into the hair and beauty industry. I found that a great way to engage them was to incorporate the skills they would need to be successful in this industry – such as comparing deals from manufacturers and making decisions about which products to buy – into the questions I gave them. This helped them to engage with the work, which led to them getting more of the questions right. In turn, they felt more confident to continue, and approached future work enthusiastically. As an A-Level maths tutor, I get to know what areas of maths my students enjoy the most, as well as their goals for when they leave school. This allows me to design lessons that will interest them, making maths feel like less of a chore and more of a tool that will open doors for them in the future. I have noticed that the stronger the trust I build with my students, the more open they are to making mistakes and learning from them. With all the young people I have worked with, I have found that creating a safe space in the lesson environment has helped them to make the progress they need to feel more confident at school, reducing their anxiety and negativity towards maths and helping them to see the role it plays in making their aspirations accessible.
Our national mathematics crisis can only be fixed through large-scale intervention for young people’s attitudes towards the subject. Confidence, not ability, is the issue that prevents so many students – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – from reaching their potential and obtaining the grades they need to progress onto their next stage in life. Organisations such as Tutor The Nation are a crucial tool in supporting such a change, as they make the one-on-one support needed to raise students’ confidence and aspirations accessible to young people across the country, rather than simply to the few who can afford it.
- National Numeracy, “Attitudes Towards Maths” [online], URL: https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/attitudes_towards_maths/attitudes_towards_maths_-_updated_branding.pdf, last accessed 17/02/2025
↩︎ - Parsons, S. and Bynner, J., 1997. Numeracy and employment. Education+ Training, 39(2), pp.43-51. ↩︎
- Pro Bono Economics, “Pro Bono Economics Report for National Numeracy” [online], URL: https://www.probonoeconomics.com/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=479516fd-b316-48ce-b7bd-ad4218d40fe4 ↩︎
- Oppong Asante, Kwaku (2012), “Secondary students’ attitudes towards mathematics”, IFE PsychologIA : An International Journal. 20. 121-133. ↩︎
