"Why Do I NEED This Stuff?" - A Guide to the Reasons for Math Education

By Nicole Harms

As a math teacher, I cannot count the number of times I have been asked “Why do we need this stuff anyway?” It is hard for students, especially teenagers, to look past the present and see the value of difficult subjects. Most math student will at some point face a math concept that is difficult for them to understand. With the popularity and availability of both computers and calculators, students often feel there is truly no longer a need to learn math. When it begins to get difficult, they begin complaining. As teachers and parents, it is important that we have an answer for their questions.

The most obvious answer when asked about the need for math is its application to every day life. Your teenager is probably thinking “I’m not going to be a doctor or an engineer, why do I need this stuff?” Of course, few teens really know what they are going to do for the rest of their lives, but even if this statement were true, everyone uses math! A mom is going to use math when she cooks. Homeowners use math to calculate the materials needed for home improvement projects. The list of the practical uses of math is never ending.

Perhaps one of the most important uses of math in every day life is in the area of finances. The shopper needs to be able to add and estimate, as well as work with percentages, in order to calculate how much she can purchase. Budgeting household expenses requires mathematics. Banking and investing involves somewhat complicated mathematical formulas. In order get the most out of our finances, we need to have a good understanding of numbers and how they work.

Math is the only universal language, the only language shared by all human beings no matter what their common tongue may be. Math literacy is a language that connects people across both lands and time. The number Pi is 3.14 . . . no matter where you are. It is with the language of math that we explain the mysteries of our earth. In fact, everything in nature can be reduced to a mathematical formula. By having these constants in our world, we can communicate complicated scientific concepts in an understandable way to people of all nations.

Studying math helps students develop both critical and logical thinking skills. The ability to reason through problems is one of the fundamental thinking skills developed by the study of math. Geometry, for example, develops in students the ability to develop a plan to solve a problem. These skills are life skills that are difficult to gain without the study of numbers. Problem solving requires the ability to obtain sufficient details, examining those details, and developing a strategy to solve the problem. These are the skills that math teaches.

Of course, teenagers do not realize the career choices they make will most likely use math. Automobile mechanics use algebra skills when figuring parts requirements and measuring fluids for vehicles. Architects must know how to calculate and measure precisely as they design structures. Computer programmers must have the ability to think logically as they design computer software. Farmers must calculate to determine the amounts of fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides to purchase. Store managers use math to keep track of schedules, rate workers, and analyze sales. Military personnel use math in a variety functions, from organizing battle plans to maintaining equipment. Tradesmen of all sorts use formulas, estimation, and basic math every day, and this list is by no means exhaustive. If you ask the questioning teen what they want to do with their life, the fact of the matter is that they will need math, no matter what they answer! And the fact in our country today is that the labor-intensive jobs are becoming less and less available. Factory jobs are being outsourced to other countries, and many fields are being replaced by machines. The labor-intensive jobs that are available often do not pay well enough to support a family. In order to find a job that will pay the bills, students must know math!

Many students think it would be quicker and easier to just use a calculator instead of memorizing facts and formulas. Students need to memorize math facts, and as they do, they will understand that calculators are not quicker. It takes far longer to punch a simple math problem into a calculator than it does to recall the answer if it is memorized. If, for example, a plumber needed to punch every calculation into a calculator, the plumbing job would take substantially longer to complete. This can be demonstrated to students by a simple game. Using facts that the student knows well, give him a series of problems to figure in his head while being timed. Then repeat the process, but this time require the student to type each problem into the calculator. The differences in time will be eye opening to the student who thinks the calculator is the answer to his math woes!

Math is also important to learn because it is a prerequisite to college admission. Colleges look at high school transcripts and ACT or SAT test scores when determining which students that they will accept. The student who is planning on going to college will need to have at least a basic foundation in math.

Math is a challenging subject, both to teach and to learn, but it is a highly valuable skill. Math is necessary for college admission and future employment. Learning math teaches our minds how to reason and logically solve problems. Math gives us the ability to communicate with all nations and languages. Finally, math skills are used in every day life, from cooking to shopping. Perhaps when you are questioned on the need for math, showing your student some of these practical reasons will give the needed motivation to keep working, for math is possibly the most valuable subject you will ever teach!