Many young students do not like studying mathematics. What are the reasons for this, and what can be done to make them enjoy learning it?
Stance: This essay will examine why so many students dislike mathematics and then propose practical measures schools and teachers can take to make the subject genuinely enjoyable.
This 6.5 version develops only one cause and one solution with simple linking words like 'because' and 'as a result', keeping the argument fully correct but noticeably thinner and less varied than the 7.0 and 7.5 versions.
Many students do not like mathematics, and this is a common problem in schools all over the world, including in Vietnam. This essay will look at why students feel this way and then give some simple ways that can help them enjoy the subject more.
The main reason many students dislike mathematics is the way it is taught. Lessons often focus only on formulas and difficult exercises for the THPT Quốc Gia exam, so students do not see how maths is useful in real life. This problem gets worse because of học thêm, extra classes where students do the same kind of exercises again and again in the evenings and at weekends. Because of this, mathematics feels like something to memorise for a test, not something to understand. As a result, students become stressed and start to see maths as a boring subject rather than an interesting one.
To solve this problem, teachers can try to connect mathematics to daily life. For example, instead of just writing a formula on the board, a teacher could ask students to calculate the cheapest price when shopping online or work out how much interest they would earn from a bank account. In one secondary school in Ho Chi Minh City, students used simple percentages to plan a small charity fundraiser, and this made the lesson feel real and useful instead of just theory. Group activities and simple maths games can also help, because students learn by doing something active instead of only listening and copying.
In conclusion, students dislike mathematics mainly because it is taught in a way that focuses on exams rather than real life. If teachers use practical examples and more active activities, students are likely to enjoy mathematics and understand why it is useful.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will look at why students feel this way and then give some simple ways that can help them enjoy the subject more.” — A simple, direct statement of the essay's plan; it meets the task requirement but previews the structure with less precision than the higher-band versions.
- LR“extra classes where students do the same kind of exercises again and again” — Clear, accurate vocabulary describing the repetitive tutoring practice, but more generic than the higher-band collocation 'near-identical problem sets'.
- GRA“Because of this, mathematics feels like something to memorise for a test, not something to understand.” — A correct parallel structure ('something to X, not something to Y'), but the sentence relies on a basic connector ('Because of this') that repeats a pattern used elsewhere in the paragraph.
- CC“To solve this problem, teachers can try to connect mathematics to daily life.” — A simple but functional topic sentence that moves the essay from problem to solution, though more formulaic than the varied cohesive devices used at higher bands.
- TR“If teachers use practical examples and more active activities, students are likely to enjoy mathematics and understand why it is useful.” — Restates the essay's task response in the conclusion with a simple conditional structure, closing the argument clearly if not very elaborately.
This 7.0 version keeps the same two-cause structure and Vietnam-specific examples as the 7.5 answer but uses slightly plainer collocations ('abstract rules' instead of 'abstract, rule-bound exercise') and less tightly compressed sentences, so the ideas are clear but not as fluently developed.
A dislike of mathematics is a common complaint among students, not only in Vietnam but around the world. This essay will discuss why so many students feel this way and suggest some practical steps that teachers could take to make the subject more enjoyable.
One major reason for this dislike is that mathematics is often taught as a set of abstract rules that seem disconnected from everyday life. Topics such as quadratic equations are usually practised through repeated exercises aimed at passing the THPT Quốc Gia exam, with little explanation of why these skills actually matter. This exam-focused approach is made stronger by the popularity of học thêm tutoring centres, where students spend extra evenings working through similar problems, which reinforces the idea that maths is mainly about memorising procedures rather than understanding ideas. Consequently, many students begin to associate mathematics with pressure and anxiety instead of curiosity.
A more effective approach would be for teachers to make mathematics visibly relevant to students' own lives. Rather than starting a lesson with a formula, teachers could design problems based on situations students already care about, such as comparing prices while shopping online or calculating savings account interest. For instance, one lower-secondary school in Ho Chi Minh City had students use ratios and percentages to manage a real charity fundraising campaign, which turned an abstract topic into something with a clear, satisfying result. Incorporating games and group problem-solving activities can achieve a similar effect by encouraging active discovery rather than passive memorisation.
In conclusion, the widespread dislike of mathematics largely comes from an exam-driven teaching style that hides the subject's real-world value. By designing lessons around practical applications and reducing rote drilling, teachers can help students see mathematics as a useful and even enjoyable skill.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will discuss why so many students feel this way and suggest some practical steps that teachers could take to make the subject more enjoyable.” — Signals the essay's cause-and-solution structure clearly, though 'practical steps' is a plainer phrase than the 7.5 version's more vivid 'engaging rather than dreaded'.
- GRA“This exam-focused approach is made stronger by the popularity of học thêm tutoring centres, where students spend extra evenings working through similar problems, which reinforces the idea that maths is mainly about memorising procedures rather than understanding ideas.” — A long sentence with two stacked relative clauses ('where...', 'which...') shows good control of subordination, though it is less tightly compressed than the equivalent sentence in the 7.5 answer.
- LR“abstract rules that seem disconnected from everyday life” — A clear, accurate collocation naming the core problem, close to the 7.5 phrase 'abstract, rule-bound exercise' but slightly less compact.
- CC“A more effective approach would be for teachers to make mathematics visibly relevant to students' own lives.” — A clear topic sentence that pivots from the problem paragraph to the solution paragraph, functionally similar to the 7.5 transition but with plainer wording.
- LR“turned an abstract topic into something with a clear, satisfying result” — A solid idiomatic phrase conveying the practical payoff of the example, though slightly less vivid than the 7.5 phrasing 'produced a visible, satisfying result'.
The 7.5 answer is distinguished by compact, precise collocations ('exam-driven culture', 'near-identical problem sets') and sentences that pack a claim, its cause and its consequence into a single controlled structure, developing each paragraph with reasoning, a specific example, and a vivid closing image ('its relevance no longer needs to be argued for — it becomes self-evident').
A dislike of mathematics is one of the most persistent complaints in classrooms around the world, and Vietnam is no exception. This essay will explore the main reasons behind this aversion before suggesting concrete ways to help young learners find the subject engaging rather than dreaded.
The most fundamental reason many students turn against mathematics is the way it is taught: as an abstract, rule-bound exercise disconnected from everyday life. Concepts such as quadratic equations or trigonometric ratios are frequently drilled through repetitive practice sheets aimed squarely at high-stakes examinations like the THPT Quốc Gia, with little effort made to show why these tools matter outside the exam room. This exam-driven culture is reinforced by the widespread practice of private tutoring, where students spend evenings and weekends working through near-identical problem sets at học thêm centres, reinforcing the impression that mathematics is a set of procedures to be memorised rather than a way of thinking. Under this pressure, curiosity gives way to anxiety, and many students come to view the subject as an obstacle to be cleared rather than a skill worth mastering.
Reversing this trend requires teachers to make mathematics visibly useful and, where possible, enjoyable to explore. Rather than opening a lesson with a formula on the board, teachers could set problems drawn from situations students already care about: working out the best-value option when shopping online, calculating interest on a savings account, or using percentages to track a class fundraising campaign. One lower-secondary school in Ho Chi Minh City, for instance, had students build a simple spreadsheet to manage their charity drive, applying ratios and percentages to real donation figures; the exercise turned an abstract topic into a tool that produced a visible, satisfying result. Game-based activities and group problem-solving can achieve a similar effect, replacing passive memorisation with active discovery. When students see mathematics solving a problem they actually have, its relevance no longer needs to be argued for — it becomes self-evident.
In conclusion, the widespread dislike of mathematics stems largely from an abstract, exam-focused style of teaching that obscures the subject's real-world value. By redesigning lessons around practical, relatable applications and reducing the emphasis on rote drilling, educators can help students rediscover mathematics as a genuinely useful and even enjoyable skill.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will explore the main reasons behind this aversion before suggesting concrete ways to help young learners find the subject engaging rather than dreaded.” — States a clear thesis in the introduction, previewing both the analytical and solution-focused parts of the essay.
- LR“an abstract, rule-bound exercise disconnected from everyday life” — Precise, topic-specific vocabulary that captures the core problem in a compact phrase.
- GRA“Under this pressure, curiosity gives way to anxiety, and many students come to view the subject as an obstacle to be cleared rather than a skill worth mastering.” — A compound sentence with a parallel 'X rather than Y' structure demonstrates controlled, varied syntax.
- CC“Reversing this trend requires teachers to make mathematics visibly useful” — The topic sentence pivots clearly from the problem paragraph to the solution paragraph, maintaining logical flow.
- LR“turned an abstract topic into a tool that produced a visible, satisfying result” — Idiomatic phrasing that vividly conveys the practical payoff of the teaching example just given.