An Analysis of Students’ Perception of Mathematics through Club Activities

Abstract

To foster creative and convergent human resources required for the fourth industrial revolution, our school education needs to be changed. This study, therefore, adopted club activities rather than classes as a creative experiential activity that allows for free exploration with less burden of learning. Using club activities, this study aimed to examine how the students’ how to increase their interest in mathematics, and how to improve their negative perception of mathematics. It was also explored whether club activities can help students enhance their learning ability by changing the perception of mathematics. To this end, students were offered an opportunity to engage, various types of activity-based classes and cooperative learning activities such as watching movies, special lectures, overnight camping, math festival, and a visit to the National Institute for Mathematical Sciences. As a result, students’ interest in mathematics has improved and their perception of mathematics has changed that mathematics is not intended to produce a result, but a process of thinking. By seeing and experiencing mathematics is being used in diverse areas, students have also realized how useful mathematics is. Group activities were found to help students experienced the ability of cooperative learning and confirmed that the perception of mathematics has changed positively.