Empathy Report

As a middle school math teacher, I’ve noticed a pattern about my students’ lack of intrinsic motivation when it comes to learning our content. Instead of engaging with the material, they often express frustration, question the relevance of what they’re learning, or do the bare minimum to say that they have “completed” an assignment, even if it means barely enough to count as passing. This disengagement shows itself in low participation, reluctance to tackle challenging problems, and a general sense of apathy toward the subject. Before trying to find solutions on my own, I first needed to deeply understand the students' perspectives. What are they experiencing in math class, and what’s driving their lack of motivation?

To explore this issue, I conducted a series of one-on-one interviews with students, aiming to hear directly from them about their experiences with math. I spoke with students who represented different levels of motivation. Some of these students simply go through the motions, others actively dislike math, and a few enjoy it while still struggling to fully commit and engage. They were all asked open-ended questions such as:

• How do you feel about math class?

• What makes math interesting or uninteresting for you?

• Have you ever felt excited about math? If so, when?

• What makes you nervous or frustrated in math class?

• If you could change something we do during class, what would it be?

The most common revelation was that students’ lack of intrinsic motivation isn’t due to laziness or disinterest in the subject itself. Instead, they expressed specific frustrations that make it difficult for them to engage with math meaningfully. I condensed these into three different categories.

1. Relevance: Many students struggle to see how math connects to their lives. A handful spat out the same line, “When will I ever use this?”. Others admitted they might be more interested if they could see math applied to real-world situations that matter to them. When I followed up about the importance of story problems, these students expressed that those situations mean nothing to them. They just can’t connect.

2. Fear of Failure: Several students spoke of their  anxiety about making mistakes. They see math as a subject where there’s only one right answer, and getting it wrong feels like failure rather than part of the learning process. They felt that if they don’t understand the content straight away like others around them, they think that they would be looked down on for slowing down everyone else with their questions.

3. It’s Just School: Students who simply “go through the motions” often do so because they don’t feel any sense of ownership over their learning. They complete assignments because they have to get good grades, not because they see value in them. It was tough to not lump these students with those in the “Relevance” category, but these students probably exhibit the same attitudes towards school in general, not just a specific subject.

   
   

These insights reinforce that getting students engaged with math class isn’t just about making it "fun", but more so making it meaningful to them. Moving forward, I plan to incorporate more real-world applications, find ways to make mistakes and questions more meaningful and expected, and shift the focus of my students from grades to growth. By approaching this issue with empathy, I was able to move beyond my own assumptions and hear directly from my students about their struggles. By letting their voices help guide the way I rethink engagement, my strategies are more likely to address their real needs and create a better culture and environment in my classroom.