Survey: So how do Americans feel about math? The answer — like calculus and algebraic geometry — is complicated
So how to best describe Americans' relationship with math?
The answer is, well, a lot like multivariable calculus: It's complicated.
A national Gallup study reveals that more than 90% of American adults believe math skills are essential — but almost half say they wish they had left middle or high school with sharper skills in the wide-ranging subject. And more than a third report having nothing but negative feelings about math.
'Americans overwhelmingly believe math is essential in life and work, but many wish they had gained more real-world skills like data science and financial literacy,' said Justin Lall, principal at Gallup in the study report.
'Aligning math education with these practical applications could not only boost engagement, but better prepare future generations for success.'
Titled 'Math Matters Study: The Value of Math in Work & Life,' the Gallup research found that almost all Americans agree that math is important in their lives.
With support from the Gates Foundation, the Gallup study surveyed a diverse group of 5,136 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, last December. Gallup also surveyed 2,831 managers.
Ninety-five percent say math skills are 'very' or 'somewhat' important in their work life — and 96% say such skills are important in their personal lives.
But disparities are found among generations.
Sixty-five percent of adults aged 65 and older say math skills are 'very important' for work life, compared with 56% of 35- to 44-year-olds.
Meanwhile, less than 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds consider math skills 'very important' in the workplace.
Older Americans, according to the survey, are also more likely than younger adults to say math skills are important in their personal life.
'This single point in time survey cannot determine whether the oldest generations have valued math throughout their lives or whether the appreciation has grown as they have gotten older,' the survey noted.
Across educational attainment, race and ethnicity, and household income, Americans' views of the importance of math skills are largely similar, the survey noted.
A slight majority of study participants — 6 in 10 — believe math should be prioritized more highly than other school subjects.
About a third feel math should be treated similarly to other subjects — while only 2% believe math should receive lower priority than other subjects.
Meanwhile, a sizable number of Americans would likely be open to a math education 'do over.'
More than 40% of U.S. adults responding to the Gallup study say they wish they had picked-up more math skills — a sentiment similar among Americans with a range of educational backgrounds.
Desire to have learned more math in middle or high school is higher among Hispanic adults (51%) relative to Black (44%) and white adults (41%) — and higher among men compared with women (46% vs. 40%), according to the survey.
And what specific math skills do many American adults wish they had learned more about as K-12 students?
Financial math skills such as personal finances, budgeting and accounting top the wish list — followed by data science skills (such as managing spreadsheets), software, programming and statistics.
No surprise, adults in the United States report a wide range of emotions regarding math. There's ambivalence about, say, algebra, geometry, calculus and other math subjects.
The Gallup survey asked participants to select three words from a list of 10 to describe their math feelings. The selected word list included positive feelings such as 'happy' or 'interested' — and negative feelings such as 'bored' or 'confused.'
The most frequently selected word was 'challenged,' suggesting a mixture of feelings toward math.
Summarizing across the various math-related emotions, almost half of Americans (47%) have exclusively positive feelings about math — while 37% have exclusively negative feelings.
Age is an important predictor of Americans' feelings toward math, the survey revealed. About half as many younger U.S. adults (32% of those aged 18 to 24) as older adults (61% of those ages 65 and older) have exclusively positive feelings toward math.
While surveyed individuals report a personal mix of 'math feels,' there's apparently no such ambiguity in the workplace.
The Gallup survey revealed the vast majority of managers value 'increased or enhanced math skills among their employees,' according to the survey.
Eighty-five percent of managers wish their direct reports had more of at least one math skill — with the most desired skills being financial math, foundational math and data science.
And students take note: More than half of managers surveyed say they will likely need to hire more individuals with data science skills such as managing spreadsheets or large amounts of information.
Nearly 6 in 10 managers, according to the survey, say in the next five years it's 'very likely' or 'somewhat likely' that they will need to hire more individuals with data science skills than they currently have.
The mixed sentiments reflected in the Gallup study are likely of keen interest to both parents and educators of Utah's junior high and high school students — particularly at a moment of historic disruptions in America's K-12 educational institutions.
The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress — aka 'The Nation's Report Card' — indicates Beehive State students are outperforming their nationwide counterparts in math.
The 'National Report Card' math assessments measured students' knowledge and skills in mathematics — and their ability to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts.
In 2024, the average math score of fourth grade students in Utah was 242 — higher than the average score for students in the nation.
Utah's eighth graders scored, on average, scored 282 on the assessment, 10 points higher than the average score for students nationwide.
Meanwhile, Utah tops national rankings in high school financial literacy. Every high school student in the state is required to pass a general financial literacy course that covers financial planning, career preparation, money management, savings and investing and other personal finance topics.
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