Most peoples experience with mathematics is not entirely positive to say the least. For many it is a largely mechanical and abstract subject which forces us to spend years plugging numbers into equations. Perhaps the most common question that gets asked in a math classroom is ‘why does this matter?’, but that is a question that typically goes unanswered.

This is a pity as it is a question which often has a very good answer. For instance we learn in school about quadratic equations but never mention that these describe the trajectories of thrown objects, we learn about exponential functions but don’t talk about their role in modelling population growth and we learn about logarithms but don’t discuss how they are used in radio carbon dating. Virtually all mathematics that we learn in school was developed with some practical goal in mind. Important fields like engineering, economics, physics and biology are all shaped by mathematics in fascinating and intricate ways. These connections can take less than five minutes to explain, and help justify why these topics matter, yet they are left out because they don’t fit neatly in the syllabus.

As tutors it is our job to make sure students can understand and succeed in their subjects. Often the barrier to this is not a lack of ability on the students end, but simply the fact that the student has not yet been shown why they should care about the subject. Justifying the content and putting it in its relevant context is one way we can overcome this barrier, and help our students succeed. This doesn’t mean that every time a new topic is introduced we need to find some application for it, but if we occasionally remind our students that mathematics isn’t just an abstract field, it can go a long way towards making it engaging.

David Miller