Sum find it tough: Why we struggle with maths

The Bunker

Podmasters

News, Politics, Society & Culture, Government

4.6 • 984 Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rishi Sunak believes everyone should learn maths until the age of 18, but not everyone agrees. Tim Oates, director of research at Cambridge University Assessment, talks to Ros Taylor about why some of us find maths so hard, why girls still underestimate their ability, and how good teaching makes a difference. “Some research says that we should see maths as a language, a foreign language. If you come to that learning late it becomes harder. “In the economy we have a gross shortage of technician level applicants which are vital for the future of our society. I’m afraid a lot of those [jobs] are numerate and require mathematics and science. [Rishi Sunak] is on to something.” “I think we need to be honest about maths and say it is tough to learn another language, but it’s worth doing - in terms of financial management… how to unlock occupations by showing to employers that you’re capable.” Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Lead producer Jacob Jarvis. Bunker music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	My name is Stan. I'm at. Nice to meet you. So you took up photography where? I've always loved
0:05.5	photography but I turn it into earning a living at 60. I enrolled on a day course.
0:11.8	Well college. I loved going to college. It's good you can retry. I'm enrolled on the day course. But college?
0:13.0	I loved going to college.
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0:16.0	Yeah, yeah.
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1:11.4	Ritchie Sunak wants to make it his mission to encourage young people to study maths for longer
1:16.4	until the age of 18 in fact. How easy is that going to be and how can we make people less afraid of the subject?
1:24.0	Tim Oates is group director of research at Cambridge University Press and Assessment
1:29.4	and he was involved in drawing up the national curriculum in 2010 he joins us to talk about all things
1:35.2	maths hello Tim hi Ross Tim did you like maths at school that's a great question
1:41.3	no I hated it. I was very very good at it when I was very young and then I had a very bad experience with some teachers during primary.
1:51.0	By the time I got to secondary, I hated it and I was kind of a
1:55.4	math's refusal and fortunately my school put me in a low attaining group with an absolutely brilliant teacher and within a few weeks I was
2:08.1	really into maths and loved it and I think that's a story which has always made me reflect on people's experience of mathematics both in primary and secondary.
	...

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