Not in college, but in middle school/high school. Son is struggling in algebra right now, and part of his struggle comes from not liking math (
really not liking math) and not seeing the point of algebra. He's the kind of kid for whom motivation typically comes either from being interested in a subject or at least seeing some value in it or reason to learn it. He's positive that he won't want to do the kind of job that will involve lots of math (though we remind him that could change, or he might surprised how math is used in some jobs). So we get "why do I need to know this?" from him. And frankly, I'm having trouble coming up with answers.
Why am I having trouble coming up with answers for him? Well, because I too hated algebra and all other forms of advanced math, and because I've rarely needed it in real life either -- I've never needed to know how to work linear equations or to know what polynomials are. (This, of course, means I'm useless at helping him with his homework.)
In fact, I've said for decades that I thought one of the real failings in my math education (algebra, algebra II, trigonometry) was that it was all presented so abstractly. It was always "this is the theory, this is the rule, here's how to solve the equation." No one ever said "and here's why it matters" or "and here's how you would use this outside a math classroom."
So what I have for him is:
- It's teaching you a logical, problem-solving oriented way of thinking that can apply in all kinds of non-math situations; and
- The Powers-That-Be have decreed that if you want to be on a college track, you need to pass algebra, geometry and algebra II.
That second reason was enough to motivate me, but it seems not to be enough for him. So, does anyone have suggestions for answering a middle schooler's "why do I need to know algebra?"
