Abstract:

Mathematics is one of the oldest sciences and is also one of the oldest courses, and, over time, has a prominent and important place in a student's curriculum. It is essential to promote in the students a positive relationship with Mathematics and confidence in their personal capacities to work with it.

Students do not get tired of asking their Math teacher: "What is this for?", "Why do I have to learn this?". Mathematics is important because everyone can make use of it, and from that use, understand reality and life situations. For many students this is what matters - using Mathematics to live. By showing to unmotivated students they really need Math to live and that it is present everywhere, we believe that we can motivate and keep them interested in Math classes.

This paper reports three different actions. Attended by about 2800 students of the Oporto’s city, these actions are dynamically streamlined to motivate students to Math learning.

With these actions we intend to:
▪ contribute to the academic success of Math subject deepening and intensifying the interaction between school and the real world;
▪ promote a positive attitude towards learning Mathematics;
▪ promote pleasure for learning Mathematics, contributing to the academic success of young people and future success in their career and in their personal life;
▪ reveal the mathematical present in everyday life.

Two of the actions are streamlined for pre-university students and the third aims to better academic integration of newly arrived students to Higher Education
It was observed that most of the students, who participated in these actions, were more interested in the Math’s classes and they understood that Mathematics is important in their growth as human beings.

Keywords:

Mathematics, education learning, motivation.