Reflective Essay on Mathematics and Its Importance for Students

This reflective essay, authored by a researcher in Mathematics at the University of Adelaide, explores the profound impact of mathematics on human progress and daily life. The essay delves into the author's personal experiences with mathematics, highlighting the pivotal role of Adelaide High School in fostering a love for the subject. It discusses the challenges of teaching mathematics at the grass-root level and emphasizes the importance of conceptual clarity and inclusive teaching methods. The essay also examines current trends in high schools, including the avoidance of mathematics by some students, particularly girls, and the need for encouraging STEM subjects. Furthermore, it reviews the mathematics curriculum in both ACARA and SACE, and discusses the future of mathematics. The author underscores the importance of mathematics in various fields and the bright prospects for mathematics graduates, advocating for innovative teaching approaches and the development of a rational outlook among students. The essay also touches on the application of mathematics in daily life and the demand for mathematicians in various institutions.

Running Head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY
IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS
NAME OF THE STUDENT
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY
AUTHOR NOTE

1REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Mathematics is a subject, which has fuelled human progress over countless centuries and
still doing. The basic ability to use numbers for counting enabled human being to progress ahead
of all the living beings. The mathematical progress has not just limited itself to its subject
domain but has also helped the other subjects of not just pure science but also subjects related to
the humanities to apply the mathematical equations in their fields of study. The technological
progress till date has been possible due to the mathematical and computing abilities of human
beings. The usage of mathematics is immense in the daily functioning of human beings. The
essay is about my experience of studying mathematics and how to inculcate the interest of
mathematics as a preferred subject in young students. The fear of mathematics prevents many
people to run away from mathematics without even understanding the subject fully. The
mathematical concepts which are fundamental in understanding the subject are essential for the
students to comprehend. If the students have conceptual clarity in mathematics, then the subject
can be immensely benefitted. The personal experiences of learning mathematics as a young
student are shared and how the high school played a pivotal role in making me love the subject.
The current trends in high school with some harsh realities as to why mathematics is avoided by
many students due to various reasons are also given. The curriculum regarding mathematics in
both ACARA and SACE are also mentioned. The future of mathematics is discussed elaborately.
I am a researcher in Mathematics in University of Adelaide. Mathematics being my
subject of expertise has had deep and profound impact on my life. It is a truly wonderful subject
and is also referred to as the fundamental science which provides the base to all the other
sciences dealing with the physical substances of space and time. It deals mainly with numbers
and symbols which are operated upon using Mathematical rules and equations. For the common
people, the subject appears incomprehensible and difficult to comprehend but with conceptual

2REFLECTIVE ESSAY
clarity, Mathematics is one of the most interesting subjects anyone can study. Mathematics
mainly emphasizes on reasoning as the universe is made up entirely of matter spread over the
space-time quantum so mathematical equations and formulae are used to calculate such complex
units. Mathematics can be of two types- Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. Pure
mathematics deals with the concepts which are entirely based on the paradigms of Mathematics
as a subject. Applied Mathematics on the other hand, deal with the application of mathematics in
other fields such as Physics, Chemistry. Mathematics is a subject which develops the intellect as
it emphasizes more on the accuracy and reasoning and requires alertness and mental sharpness of
the researcher (Huang and Radenovic 2015).
I was a student of Adelaide High School and my school was the first free high school to
be established in South Australia. More than 1500 students are enrolled in this school from Years
8-12. It is a successful and innovative school and is widely reputed high school. The school
follows a curriculum which helps in developing the students not just in the academic line but also
develops them to become better human beings. While I was at Adelaide High school, I was
immensely benefitted by the Pastoral Care Programs which taught me to imbibe skills so as to
contribute in a better way to our school as well as our local and global communities. I am
grateful to the school for developing in me the fondness for Mathematics as it was because of the
conceptual clarity which was mainly due to the efforts of our Mathematics Teacher due to which
I am in the position I am at present (Adelaidehs.sa.edu.au, 2018).
It is a big challenge to teach mathematics at the grass-root level especially when the
students are in the formative years and have no concepts whatsoever about the subject of
Mathematics. I remember when I was just promoted to high school, I was a bit tensed about
Mathematics as a subject due to the fear which is instilled in the minds of every person regarding

3REFLECTIVE ESSAY
the difficulty of mathematics. The discipline of Mathematics was taught in a very lucid and easy
manner by our teacher and it is my good fortune that I was able to clear each and everydoubt on
time due to the constant support of my teacher. The curriculum was driven by an all inclusive
view-point and the whole class was made a part of the process rather than focusing on one or two
potential students who showed promise and had mathematical acumen (Healy,Fernandes and
Frant 2013). Now, I realize that this should be the way a subject should be taught as it helps in
understanding a subject in a much better way. Everyone has different capabilities and potential;
some students grasp the mathematical concepts faster than others but it is important for the
teacher to clearly elaborate and define the concepts of mathematics to the students so that they
can understand the subject much better and then decide whether or not to pursue further
education on that subject (Carrillo et al. 2013). From my own personal experience, I have seen
that including all the students into a mathematical research makes one realize that there are
multiple ways in which a mathematical task can be completed. Once the teacher made us solve a
mathematical equation and it was seen that each of the students completed the task in his/her
own unique way and all the processes were correct. This made us learn new mathematical
techniques and grasp the subject in a much better way. The current scenario in High Schools is
grim as students are seen avoiding mathematics (Taylor and Medina 2013). This is more so in
the case of girls than boys. It has been noticed that the teaching of mathematics is done on
gendered and class lines. Boys are encouraged to take up mathematics as they perform better.
Girls are normally seen not taking up the subjects related to the technical fields (Hausmann
2013).
The STEM subjects such as science and technology, engineering and mathematics are
avoided by the girls due to various reasons. The government as well as international

4REFLECTIVE ESSAY
organizations have implemented a lot of policies to encourage more and more women to take up
the STEM subjects. Doing this will result in the participation of more women towards nation
building as well as reduce the gender gap in education, wages and equality. The common reason
of women not taking up STEM subjects is that women are not encouraged to pursue further
education fie to the persistence of patriarchal norms in the society, but it is imperative for the
High Schools and Universities to inculcate a feeling of equality and self-confidence among the
girls from a young age (Gjersoe, 2018). Most of the students selecting mathematics are from rich
and high-class families. This should not be the case and the teacher must encourage an all-
inclusive teaching of the students. The educational authorities in Australia need to introspect and
delve into the matter because in order to realize the potential of the society, all the members need
to participate in its growth and development and no group must feel left out (Rothstein 2013).
The importance of teaching mathematics to students of year 8 is of prime importance
because this is the age when the impression regarding a subject will stay for the whole life with
the student. If I get an opportunity to teach a group of students of year 8 then I will make sure
that the students get a proper understanding of the patterns which involve indices and decimals
as well as identify the common factors in algebra and arithmetic, understand the linear graphs
and importance of statistics and mensuration (Highfieldand Goodwin2013). The emphasis should
also be on improving the fluency of the students to accurately calculate equations involving
decimals, indices, integers as well as teaching the students how to factorize and simplify basic
algebraic expressions. The students of year 8 need to feel that mathematics is not difficult,
provided they understand the concepts and have clarity in using mathematical equations. The
students need to be appreciated even if they fail while trying because it’s very important to

5REFLECTIVE ESSAY
engage the students, to make them competent enough to try new things. Mathematics is all about
innovating (Ngurah and Lynch 2015).
The students of year 11 need to be made aware about the immense opportunity of
mathematics in the global scenario. The students of year 11 are at the most important juncture of
their lives and any decision they take will shape their future, therefore it is important they choose
their subjects wisely. If I were a teacher for the students of year 11, then I would focus more on
guiding them towards the opportunities of taking mathematics as a subject in their future course
of specialization. The clarification of all their mathematical concepts would be of prime
importance to me. Also, I would pay more attention to encourage my students to develop an
empirical and rational outlook not just towards their subjects but also towards their life as well.
The students of year 11 need to be made aware about the different concepts of pure mathematics
as well as applied mathematics and encouraged to take up mathematics in their future course as it
is a challenging profession but holds immense opportunity for growth and developments. The
prospects of taking mathematics are extremely bright as mathematics is a widely sought-after
subject and with the development of science and technology, the prospects of mathematics have
kept rising higher and higher (Hackling 2014).
The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority emphasizes on laying
the foundation for developing Mathematical skills and knowledge in the students. It aims to
develop the numerical capability of the students which are needed in their personal and
professional lives and emphasizes on encouraging the students to apply mathematical concepts in
their daily lives. ACARA emphasizes more on imparting practical knowledge rather than theory
based knowledge. ACARA has explicitly mentioned about the mathematical implementation
policy in their website and it was easily available (Acara.edu.au, 2018). The SACE board of

6REFLECTIVE ESSAY
South Australia is a professional body of educators which emphasizes on improving the
standards of teaching as a profession by providing registration, managing the professional
aspects and developing code of ethics for all the educators. Although there are numerous
disciplines which are taught at SACE, finding mathematical related documents was not so easy
in SACE (Sace.sa.edu.au, 2018).
The future looks immensely bright for the discipline of mathematics as with
modernization, the development of the natural sciences the demand for mathematics has always
been increasing. The amount of research which is done in Mathematics is a lot more than any
other discipline. There is always a great demand for mathematicians in every institutions whether
it be for applied mathematics or pure mathematics. Mathematics is the subject which
encapsulates the whole of humanity’s progress. Mathematics is driven by logic, reasoning,
quantitative analysis and rational judgments. All the other disciplines, including humanities, have
some sort of dependence on mathematics for research and empirical analysis. Human progress
has been driven by the advancements of science and technology, and scientific innovations were
possible because of the mathematical innovations and advancements. The recent progress in
space exploration by NASA has made the scope of mathematics open to a whole new level
(Skrobot 2015). Every other discipline works in close harmony with mathematical equations.
The importance of mathematics is not relevant to the offices, but it is applied in daily life as well.
All the bank transactions, the financial deposits, the medical test analysis, the chemical tests and
economical as well as statistical calculations are possible mainly due to mathematics. A
mathematics degree is held very highly in all over the world and not just in Australia. The
constant demand for mathematicians means that a person with a degree in mathematics will
never run out of work. There is immense scope to do further research in the subject or if the

7REFLECTIVE ESSAY
student wants, he or she can even become professor of the subject and take up teaching as a
profession (Grozdev and Dekov 2015). Mathematicians are required by the Government as well
to help formulate plans and policies which involve complex calculations and mathematical
equations. The status of mathematician in a society is also very high as mathematicians are
respected and revered all over the world (Othman et al. 2015).
From the above analysis, mathematics is a subject which has always been in high
demand. It is imperative that the fundamental concepts of mathematics are cleared for the
students from a very young age as anything which is learnt in the formative years of one’s life
stays with an individual for a long time. The fear regarding the subject must be removed from the
minds of the students by making them feel at ease while doing mathematical equations.
Mathematics should also not be segregated on the basis of gender or class and must be taught
with an all-inclusive approach. The teacher teaching mathematics must encourage the whole
class to be interactive while solving mathematical problems as interaction will result in the
removal of doubts which might arise in the minds of the young students. The more the doubts are
clarifying the better for the grasping of mathematical knowledge. The students who are in the
final years of their high schools must be made aware about the immense opportunities and
prospects of taking up mathematics as a professional subject. The scope of research is huge in
mathematics. The demand of mathematicians is always high whether it be in the pure
mathematics or in the applied mathematics. Mathematics must be treated as an important subject
in schools and universities as it helps an individual develop the traits of intellect, accuracy,
rationality, logical reasoning.

8REFLECTIVE ESSAY
REFERENCES
Acara.edu.au. 2018. ACARA - Mathematics - Foundation to Year 12. [online] Available at:
http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/learning-areas-subjects/mathematics [Accessed 1 May
2018].
Adelaidehs.sa.edu.au. 2018. Home - Adelaide High School. [online] Available at:
http://www.adelaidehs.sa.edu.au/ [Accessed 1 May 2018].
Carrillo, J., Climent, N., Contreras, L.C. and Muñoz-Catalán, M.D.C., 2013. Determining
specialised knowledge for mathematics teaching. In Proceedings of the CERME (Vol. 8, pp.
2985-2994).
Gjersoe, N. 2018. Bridging the gender gap: why do so few girls study Stem subjects?. [online]
the Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2018/mar/08/bridging-the-gender-gap-why-
do-so-few-girls-study-stem-subjects [Accessed 1 May 2018].
Grozdev, S. and Dekov, D., 2015. A Survey of Mathematics Discovered by Computers.
International Journal of Computer Discovered Mathematics, pp.3-20.
Hackling, M.W., 2014. Challenges and opportunities for Australian science education.
Professional Educator, 13(5), pp.4-7.
Hausmann, R., Tyson, L.D., Bekhouche, Y. and Zahidi, S., 2013, March. The global gender gap
index 2012. In World Economic Forum.

9REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Healy, L., Fernandes, S.H.A.A. and Frant, J.B., 2013. Designing tasks for a more inclusive
school mathematics. Task Design in Mathematics Education. Proceedings of ICMI Study, 22,
pp.61-69.
Highfield, K. and Goodwin, K., 2013. Apps for mathematics learning: a review
of'educational'apps from the iTunes App Store.
Huang, H. and Radenovic, S., 2015. Common fixed point theorems of generalized Lipschitz
mappings in cone b-metric spaces over Banach algebras and applications. J. Nonlinear Sci. Appl,
8(5), pp.787-799.
Ngurah, A.A.M.I.G. and Lynch, D.P., 2013. A confirmatory factor analysis of attitudes toward
mathematics inventory (ATMI). The Mathematics Educator, 15(1), pp.121-135.
Othman, H.R.H., Suhaimi, Z., Shahrill, M. and Mahadi, M.A., 2015. To pair or not to pair:
Investigating the dynamics of teacher-student interactions in different classroom settings.
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, pp.675-684.
Rothstein, R., 2013. Why our schools are segregated. Educational Leadership, 70(8), pp.50-55.
Sace.sa.edu.au. 2018. What we do at the SACE Board - South Australian Certificate of
Education. [online] Available at: https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/about/what-we-do [Accessed 1 May
2018].
Skrobot, G., 2015. NASA Launching Your Small Satellites.
Taylor, P.C. and Medina, M.N.D., 2013. Educational research paradigms: From positivism to
multiparadigmatic. The Journal of Meaning-Centered Education, 1(2), pp.1-13.