Why Kids Struggle with Math — and What to Do About It: Research by EdEra and the Tokarev Foundation

Anastasiia Brechko

Anna Lypiatskykh

Slightly Better Than Guessing: How Kids Take Math Tests

Students’ mathematical literacy keeps declining. Here are the results of the 2025 National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) in mathematics:

12%

of participants did not pass the test threshold, meaning they could not answer questions at the 5th–7th grade level — they don’t understand what 1/4 of a pizza is.

The average score was

132,5

out of 200 possible points.

Only

5–6

correct answers out of 30. That’s just a little better than if students had been guessing.

12% is one in eight students. For comparison, in Ukrainian language and history, only 1% failed at that level — just one in a hundred.

International PISA 2022 testing shows a similar picture:

The disappointing results of the 2023–2024 NMT confirm this trend: the number of students scoring the maximum 200 points dropped by 40%, from 1,905 to 1,131. In simple terms: we are losing talented students, while a significant number of children are mastering only the most basic math skills.

More Than Just Scores: The Consequences of Weak Math Skills

If students don’t know math, the consequences go far beyond the classroom. Here’s what it means in practice:

• Financial literacy is at risk. Tenth graders barely score 3 out of 12 points on tests¹ ¹ National Bank of Ukraine. (2024). Study on the Level of Development of “Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy” Competency Among 10th-Grade Students. , аnd 18–19-year-olds show the lowest level of math skills among adults — 10.1 on the OECD² ² Info Sapiens. (2021). Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion, and Financial Well-Being in Ukraine in 2021. . By comparison, people over 60 score 11.6, and those aged 25–34 score 12.7. This directly affects their ability to manage personal budgets.
• Critical thinking suffers. Young people are increasingly unable to analyze information, and only 11% of Ukrainians can reliably distinguish fact from questionable content³ ³ InMind. (2019). Public Attitudes Toward the Media and Consumption of Different Types of Media. .
• Math is a fundamental skill for development, alongside emotional, safety, and self-identity skills (according to UNICEF research).

Moreover, studying math during adolescence (ages 14–18) supports the plasticity of neural networks⁴ ⁴ Zacharopoulos, G. et al. (2021). The impact of a lack of mathematical education on brain development and future attainment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). . Without it, the ability to plan and make decisions worsens. For example, in the UK, where children can stop learning math after age 16, a study showed that teenagers who stopped had lower GABA levels — a chemical crucial for brain development and cognitive functions.

So math knowledge is not just about grades — it’s about children’s real abilities. It determines how their brains develop, whether they can think critically, manage money in the future, and become skilled professionals who strengthen their country’s economy.

Why Kids Really Struggle with Math: Research by EdEra and the Tokarev Foundation

So why have students lost interest in math? There are many potential reasons:

• Kids learn the theory but don’t see how it applies to real life — they can’t imagine how algorithms determine a plane’s flight path or Google Maps routes.
• Teachers themselves don’t always see the depth of the material or its practical value; they need clear tools to explain concepts to students.
• A shortage of math, physics, and chemistry teachers is an acute problem, as highlighted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

But instead of guessing, the EdEra team, supported by the Tokarev Foundation, conducted a comprehensive three-level study. We combined several approaches — from analyzing nationwide trends to capturing teachers’ and students’ firsthand experiences. Here’s what we did:

• Analyzed results from the national External Independent Testing (EIT) in math and natural sciences from 2008–2018, the NMT from 2022–2024, and PISA 2022 data.
• Conducted in-depth interviews with math teachers from various regions of Ukraine.
• Analyzed diagnostic tests of 5th, 7th, and 10th graders as part of the “Overcoming Educational Losses” project by the Tokarev Foundation’s savED program.

There were three stages in total, and here’s what we found:

Critical Losses: How 6th Grade Shapes High School Success

It is in 6th grade that children develop the basic math skills that determine their success in high school. For example, students learn about common fractions, percentages, proportions, scale, negative numbers, and more. Without mastering these topics, not only future math but also science subjects will be difficult to understand.

Here’s how it works: unmastered topic → consequences for learning:

We can say that 6th grade lays the foundation for math education. In 5th grade, students review much of elementary school material, but in 7th grade the workload jumps — new subjects and more complex topics are added. Those who have not mastered the basics in 6th grade face serious difficulties in 7th grade.

Math is the foundation of STEM subjects, so without it, a child essentially loses the opportunity to fully develop in science and technology. It’s no wonder that in IT, employers often complain that young people lack basic analytical skills. The root of this problem lies in school — in those same unlearned fractions and equations.

“We are already living in the fourth year of a technological war, where math skills are directly linked to economic growth and national security. Ukraine cannot afford another generation of children who think they are not good at math, when in fact their learning experience did not always allow them to reach their potential.”

Anastasiia Dieieva,

Executive Director,
Tokarev Foundation

“Blocker” Topics: What Slows Student Learning

Interestingly, across all levels of the study, one trend emerges: certain topics first introduced in 6th grade consistently cause difficulties year after year — regardless of the students or teachers. This is not about isolated gaps in learning; it’s a systemic problem. Teaching approaches need to be revised.

The table below shows these topics and the subsequent losses for math and STEM education.

A more detailed breakdown of problem topics by grade is available in the supplementary material to this article.

Math Anxiety: When Fear Gets in the Way of Learning

Research shows that children don’t just struggle to memorize or understand formulas and rules — they often fear math. This phenomenon is called math anxiety. According to PISA 2022:

This has a significant impact on learning: anxious students are less likely to speak up in class, hesitate to ask for help, and earn lower grades — even when their knowledge level is the same as their less anxious peers.

The war and interrupted schooling have only worsened the problem:

• Frequent relocations and changes in learning formats reduce confidence;
• Constant stress and distraction make motivation harder;
• High anxiety is common among students with unstable educational experiences (losing contact with their class, irregular learning — sometimes online, sometimes in-person).

Teachers’ anxiety also affects the classroom atmosphere: 7 out of 10 surveyed educators feel exhausted and fear they won’t cover the curriculum. Teachers often work under time pressure and difficult circumstances, frequently without sufficient support, which further increases tension in the classroom.

“The problem is not just student or teacher anxiety, but also how we are used to perceiving the grading system. Grades quickly become symbols of fear and punishment, even though they are just abstract numbers. Research on symbolic systems (including Dauger’s work) shows that meaning comes from the context and experience associated with the symbols. For many students, a low grade is not just a number — it’s a warning: a chance they might lose leisure time, adult support, or something else meaningful. It’s important to normalize children’s feelings and give them the right to make mistakes — show that this is part of learning, not a reason for punishment. Teachers and parents should put less pressure on students, foster curiosity, and explain how knowledge from each subject can be useful in real life.”

Davyd Tsybenko

Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist, ACT Therapist

Psychologists and education experts recommend that teachers pay attention to students’ emotional states:

• Create a safe learning environment where mistakes are a natural part of the learning process.
• Use gamification and collaborative formats instead of competition (for example, when students work together to find multiple solutions rather than racing to answer first).
• Assign practical, engaging tasks to spark interest in the subject.
• Provide positive feedback.

Children need to believe again that math is within their reach — then gaps will start to close more quickly.

Math That Doesn’t Scare: How to Restore Interest and Confidence

The situation is challenging: entire generations of students have grown up disliking, and therefore not mastering, math. Yet recognizing the problem is already a step toward solving it. The EdEra and Tokarev Foundation teams have gone beyond analysis — we are already working on an educational solution to help recover the identified learning losses.

Of course, quick results shouldn’t be expected — this requires joint effort from students, teachers, parents, and society as a whole. However, changes are already underway: the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is raising awareness of math learning losses, education foundations are studying the issue, and teachers are discussing it in their professional communities. Step by step, Ukrainian children will regain confident math skills — so young people can succeed in STEM, rebuild and develop the country, and so the nation will have highly skilled professionals capable of defending it effectively.

Sources

• Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment. (2019). National Report on the Results of the International Student Assessment: PISA 2018 (Ukraine).
• Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment. (2023). National Report on the Results of the International Student Assessment: PISA 2022 (Ukraine).
• Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment. (2022–2024). Official Reports on the National Multisubject Test (NMT) in 2022, 2023, and 2024 (Volumes).
• savED. (2025). Results of Diagnostic Testing of 5th-, 7th-, and 10th-Grade Students within savED Projects: Spring 2025 Wave.