Dive Brief:

Students are increasingly becoming bored and disengaged in their math classes, with 49% of middle and high school students reporting in a RAND Corp. survey that they lost interest for about half or more of class time, and 75% reporting they lost interest for at least some class time.
The survey report encourages educators to focus on strengthening math instruction by emphasizing the importance of learning math, balancing face-to-face and online activities, and incorporating more real-world applications in the classroom.
“Students aren’t cogs in the wheel. They need to be engaged in what they’re doing to actually learn,” said Heather Schwartz, vice president and director of RAND Education and Labor. “The whole point of schooling is to create an informed citizenry and prepare them to be successful in the workplace and life. So actually engaging students in learning and helping them become critical thinkers is the whole point, not just transmission of facts into vessels.”

Dive Insight:

Teenagers get bored, said Schwartz, but it’s the prevalence of boredom and disengagement that’s concerning — especially when it’s widespread across all demographics, including gender and grade level.