Teachers practices for fostering motivation and interest in high school methematics : A study of teaching techniques used by teachers to inspire internal motivation to learn

This master thesis explores the teacher’s pedagogical work for motivating high school students’ interest in math. Recently the media has been reporting on how Swedish pupils loose motivation and interest for school. More and more students drop out of high school because they find school meaningless. Moreover, many studies, such as PISA, show that students’ educational level in subjects such as mathematics is decreasing. In the National Curriculum for 2011 (Lgr 11) the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) held teachers accountable for motivating students to learn. The classroom environment that high school teachers meet has many obstacles that affect education negatively, such as low motivation from primary school, the students’ knowledge of math from the previous school is inadequate, or students are on different skill levels. The purpose of my study is to examine how high school mathematics teachers work to create interest and motivation for mathematics, which factors teachers believe may increase students’ interest in mathematics and how teachers adapt their teaching to accommodate all students. The results of my study show that many students starting high school have lost their motivation for mathematics in primary school. These unmotivated students do not see the meaning to learn math and find mathematics as a difficult subject. According to the respondents there is a challenge to renew their interests for mathematics once again, and make math challenging and exciting. Teachers can improve motivation by being positive end changing study techniques. The teachers interviewed in the study report consistently that the most effective strategies are teaching by understanding and applying the knowledge to students’ daily lives