Students Tell Us the Best Way to Learn Mathematics in High School

The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature on student learning and use participant feedback to improve the pedagogical effectiveness in mathematics and literacy classrooms. To this end, an anonymous, semi-structured Qualtrics survey was developed and administered to 1,212 recent high school graduates asking about the best way to learn mathematics. Respondents said they preferred printed textbooks, although 30% rarely read them. They found instructional videos helpful and that guided notes kept them engaged. Students wanted practice problems and examples, in an environment where they were unafraid to ask questions. Their learning benefited from both collaboration and independent work. They knew that participation in math clubs improved their learning, but they admitted not participating. Although no survey items focused on teachers, half of those providing open-ended feedback made clear, the necessity of a "good," "patient," "experienced," teacher, "excited to teach math," with whom students could work "face-to-face."