By Nadir Jebari
Many students see mathematics as abstract, irrelevant to their daily lives, and sometimes even daunting. As teachers, one of the most effective ways to change this perception is by making maths feel more connected to the real world. Bringing real-life examples into lessons helps students see the practical side of what they’re learning, making it more engaging and easier to understand. Here’s how you can put this approach into practice and assess its impact.
Why Use Real-Life Examples?
Using real-life examples in maths lessons isn’t just about telling stories – it’s a powerful way to help students understand tricky concepts. When they can see how maths connects to real life, it becomes more interesting and easier to grasp. For example, looking at payslips to understand tax and income or using cryptocurrency trends to explore percentages and growth can really grab their attention. Linking maths to things like money management and new technology shows students that what they learn in class actually matters in the real world.
Strategies for Using Real-Life Examples
Bringing maths to life with real-world examples helps students understand why it matters. Here are some simple ways to make different maths topics more relevant and engaging:
Algebra: Show students how algebra is useful in everyday life by having them budget for a grocery shop or plan expenses for a trip. They can also use equations to split costs with friends or compare phone contracts.
Geometry: Link geometry to real-world professions like architecture, where angles, areas, and shapes are key to designing buildings. Map reading is another great way to explore scale and distance by planning routes.
Data & Statistics: Use sports to make data fun—students can analyse player stats, win rates, or even predict match outcomes. Class surveys are another hands-on way to collect and interpret data through graphs.
Fractions, Percentages & Ratios: Everyday activities like shopping and cooking are full of maths. Students can work out sale prices, VAT, or recipe adjustments to see percentages and ratios in action.
Probability: Make probability more exciting with games like dice rolling, card games, or even predicting the weather. These activities make the topic more hands-on and engaging.
Financial Maths: Teach essential life skills by discussing savings, interest rates, and loans. Currency exchange is another useful way to introduce ratios and percentages in a global context.
Time & Scheduling: Help students improve their time management by working with timetables, planning journeys, or organising daily schedules. These tasks make elapsed time calculations more practical.
By using examples that students can relate to, maths becomes more meaningful and useful beyond the classroom.
Collecting Data to Evaluate Effectiveness
To measure the impact of these strategies, data collection is essential. Gathering feedback from students through surveys or questionnaires allows us to assess engagement and understanding. Questions like, “Did this lesson help you understand the topic better?” or “Did you find the examples interesting?” can provide valuable insights. Additionally, using exit tickets with quick prompts such as, “What example helped you the most today?” can help gauge immediate responses.
Class discussions offer another avenue for student feedback, enabling open conversations about which real-life examples they found most useful. Performance data, such as comparing test scores or homework completion rates before and after implementing real-life examples, can provide quantitative evidence of impact.
Gathering insights from staff is equally important. Department surveys can help evaluate whether colleagues have observed increased engagement among students. Peer observations allow teachers to provide qualitative feedback on how students are responding to the lessons. Finally, staff meetings can be used to discuss findings, share successes, and refine approaches for even greater impact.
Analysing and Presenting Data
Quantitative data from surveys and performance scores can be used to generate statistics that measure changes in engagement and understanding. Presenting this information in the form of bar graphs or pie charts helps illustrate trends clearly. Qualitative data, such as recurring themes in student and staff feedback, can highlight which real-life examples were most effective and why.
A robust approach to evaluation involves triangulating data from multiple sources—student surveys, peer observations, and test scores—to draw well-rounded conclusions. By embedding real-life examples into maths lessons and systematically evaluating their effectiveness, we can make mathematics more accessible and meaningful for students.
Not only does this approach enhance engagement, but it also equips students with practical skills they can apply in their daily lives. The goal is clear: bridge the gap between theory and application, showing students that maths is everywhere—and it matters.
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