Most Americans are unhappy with the math taught in classrooms, new survey shows

Americans are largely unsatisfied with the way math is taught across the nation's classrooms, according to a new national survey of parents of school-age children, teachers and adults.

The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, concludes that the public generally considers math the subject most in need of updating. The survey was done by the Global Strategy Group, a public relations and research firm.

Parents and teachers want a more engaging set of math curricula with up-to-date lessons that are relevant and applicable to the real world, the study found. And most parents agreed the changes would help their kids succeed, including preparing them for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

The results of the nationwide survey of more than 1,500 adults, 730 teachers and 800 parents and corresponding research reveals that many people see a disconnect "between the K-12 math education they believe our young people need to thrive in life and the one students are actually getting."

At the same time, most people agree that children who excel at math "are more likely to succeed later in life," the research shows.

Missing: Advanced math: STEM careers less likely for poor, rural students who lack access to advanced math courses

"From the earliest grades, we see students divided into math people and nonmath people, and that's tragic," said Bob Hughes, the K-12 director for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on a call with reporters Thursday. "We know all students can succeed in math, and when students fail algebra, they're more likely to drop out and not graduate from school."

Many schools are trying to catch students up from significant math achievement lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, let alone make significant curricula changes. Yet some education experts have argued that while schools are toying with ways to catch students up in math and reading, now is the best time to act.

"Shifting away from traditional ways of teaching mathematics and introducing innovative and unconventional curricula into the classroom can help students become more engaged and better able to learn to do math," wrote Erin Krupa, an assistant professor from the North Carolina State University College of Education.

How did your state fare? Reading and math test scores fell across US during the pandemic

What do people want from math curricula?

The top three subjects parents said need updating and improving are math, career and technical education and social studies.

Parents and teachers surveyed described their views of "ideal K-12 math education" as:

• Relevant to the real world (64%).

• Useful (54%).

• Focused on creative problem-solving (52%).

• Engaging (50%).

Why does it matter?

The survey found that nearly 3 in 4 people believe math is "very important for preparing students for the real world" and that a majority of Americans agree math is important for "developing skills like reasoning and critical thinking.'"

More than half "strongly agree" that success in math in school leads to long-term success.

Math scores stink in America: Other countries teach it differently - and see higher achievement.

What's preventing changes?

Some districts already are trying out new math curricula this year. For those that aren't, curriculum development and educator training and flexibility are a few of the barriers preventing immediate changes, Hughes said.

The teachers surveyed said they know they need to better engage students with math lessons, but they're struggling to do so in part because of the exorbitant amount of curricula they have to squeeze into the school year, Hughes said.

“It's a confirmation of many concerns that teachers have," Hughes said. "We’re really deeply invested in trying to help curriculum developers and understand materials deeply.”

Divisiveness also exists in some pockets of the country around the way math is taught.

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Why is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation involved?

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded several pieces of research around math curricula after pandemic-related student achievement drops.

"Research has always been a cornerstone of our work in K-12 education," a spokesperson said. "And in our efforts to improve student achievement in math it is critical that we understand the views and experiences of parents, teachers and students themselves."

Recently, the foundation funded a survey of teachers and school administrators that revealed students who attend rural high schools, small high schools and high schools that serve historically marginalized students are less likely to have access to advanced math coursework.

Barriers to advanced math coursework particularly in middle school can lead to inequitable access to advanced math classes in high school and affect future posts and career success, the survey by the RAND Corporation found.

More: STEM careers less likely for poor, rural students who lack access to advanced math courses

Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kaylajjimenez.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Families are unsatisfied with the way the US teaches math