11. DOES DOING WELL IN MATH DEPEND ON INNATE ABILITY?

All the students who responded to this question took exception to the idea that being able to do well in mathematics depends on innate ability. Ability might be a factor, but hardly the main factor in these students' opinions.

"The statement is far from true. Just as in any other discipline I believe some of us are born with more natural talent from the rest, but everyone has the ability to learn mathematics. It's simply a way of thinking that may take some getting used to."

"I think some of mathematics is innate; it tends to work for some people and not others. Also, a person's aptitude in math also has to do with how well they do with the style in which math is generally taught. I, for instance, cannot learn the way science, even social science is taught. The way in which questions are asked and what questions are asked are key to whether someone does well. Ability is also partly psychological and because math is portrayed as a hard subject, many people start with an attitude of failure, which is often self-fulfilling."

"I think its wrong, but I have the innate ability whether it is right or wrong."

"Not true."

"Doing well in math does not depend on innate ability. One is not born knowing how to walk, talk, etc. We must learn how to do math and think mathematically. Math is not an all or none type of subject, there is an in-between. I think that hard work/effort definitely counts; and it most usually reflects one's progress."

"Well, I do believe that some people have more innate ability to well in math than others. But this does not mean that either one can or cannot do mathematics. I definitely believe that one can improve his math skills."

"I do not believe this statement about the ability to do math is accurate. I do think it has some underlying merit though. I believe that some people have a brain that does work more mathematically, that somehow they understand or like math-like problems. Math is like being a pilot, some people have a brain that understands spatial relations, and can rotate objects mentally. But that doe not mean that people who have not developed this area cannot fly planes. I think math takes practice. Understand how to think about it and deal with it takes practice and hard work. Any one can do math. But many people think they cannot do math, and stop there, their only problem with their math is their attitude. They think they cannot and so they cannot."

"No, I think that everyone has their own independent way of learning. Unfortunately for me, it is not lectures. I need to be working hard to make sure that every step I have taken in solving a problem was well understood."

"I don't believe this is a true statement. As with any human endeavor, there will be those who have a greater degree of innate ability, but hard work and perseverance can make a big difference in one's ability to do mathematics. I think that a lot of people who say they can't do math possibly had terrible teachers, or learned a prejudice or fear of math from somebody else. I think that there are also those who say they can't do math because they aren't willing to apply the necessary rigor of thought.