The authors of this report present new survey data on middle school and high school students' perceptions of their math class experiences. The data presented in this report offer one possible explanation for the slow post–coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic recovery of math and reading levels: Students are frequently bored with math.

Students Lose Interest in Math

Findings from the American Youth Panel

Heather L. Schwartz, Robert Bozick, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Sarah Ohls

ResearchPublished Jun 17, 2025

U.S. students still have not recovered to pre–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic math and reading levels. For example, the average math scores of 8th graders in 2024, published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, were eight points lower than in 2019. Furthermore, the lowest-performing students performed worse in 2024 than in 2022, after the pandemic dissipated. These trends raise urgent questions about the state of student engagement in the classroom and areas in which policymakers and practitioners might be able to intervene.

To help inform possible solutions for math curriculum developers, math teachers, and math specialists, the authors of this report present new survey data on middle school and high school students' perceptions of their math class experiences from RAND's newly established American Youth Panel. The results presented in this report offer one possible explanation for the slow post-pandemic recovery: Students are frequently bored with math.

Key Findings

  • About one-half of middle and high school students reported losing interest during their math lessons about half or more of the time.
  • The students who are the most likely to maintain interest in math are the same ones who comprehend math, feel supported in math, are confident in their ability to do well in math, enjoy math, believe in the need to learn math, and see themselves as a math person.
  • The students who are the most prone to disengage in math lessons want fewer online activities and more real-world applications in their math classes.

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Schwartz, Heather L., Robert Bozick, Melissa Kay Diliberti, and Sarah Ohls, Students Lose Interest in Math: Findings from the American Youth Panel. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3988-1.html.
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This work was supported by the Gates Foundation and conducted by RAND Education and Labor.

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