Everything is adding up for Professor Abraham Ayebo
As a boy, Abraham Ayebo lacked an appetite for mathematics, mostly because he felt studying the subject would be a futile pursuit. “In my mind, I thought, ‘the math gene — I don’t have it,” recalls Ayebo. “That’s just what I thought.” Over time, however, some of the variables in the equation began to change from Ayebo. With the addition of an encouraging educator and the subtraction of some self-doubt, Ayebo’s interest in math began to flourish — so much so that today he is an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Minnesota Rochester.
A teacher’s impact
Originally from Ghana, Ayebo grew up with a sense of the importance of an education and went on to become the first member of his family to attend college. He later taught in some high schools, a preview to what has become a career rooted in the collision between math and education.
But before devoting his life’s work to mathematics, Ayebo actually struggled with the subject. He remembers elementary school teachers remarking that he was a good student, just not when it came to numbers.
That changed, though, in high school when he was assigned to a teacher with a fresh way of explaining algorithms and equations. “I was able to understand it all so clearly; and that was the turning point,” recalls Ayebo. “The teacher was so passionate.”
From that experience on, Ayebo continued to study mathematics - starting as an undergraduate at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and later the University of Nevada Reno for his master’s and PhD. He has since taught at Purdue University Northwest and North Dakota State University before coming to UMR.
‘Almost like the ad was written for me’
When Ayebo first saw the job listing for UMR, he knew it was the right fit. Not only was the university looking for a math instructor, it was specifically seeking one who could apply math and statistics work to the field of education.
“It was almost like the ad was written for me, because that is exactly my interest,” says Ayebo. He now works as part of a team of four, and says his ability to incorporate collaborative research projects into his teaching makes UMR the right fit.
“One of the things I really like about UMR is the flexibility to try new things,” shares Ayebo.
Making Rochester an even more attractive place to be is the fact this his wife has been able to continue her career here, he says. She now works as a nurse at Mayo Clinic.
“Sometimes we even carpool to work together, and have lunch together. It’s just perfect.”
Instilling confidence in students
Prof. Ayebo’s research focuses on how non-cognitive factors, such as confidence and attitude, impact a students’ ability to learn math. It’s an effect he knows all too well.
“I realized that some of those things are very, very important,” he says. “Like my story; if I had not met this one teacher, I would have gone through life thinking I was not any good.”
From his studies, Ayebo has found a correlation between feeling confident about math and succeeding with the subject. He says the findings have reminded him of an important lesson: if a student is struggling, do not just write them off.
“Maybe you had a bad math teacher, or you had another bad experience, or whatever it is; that is what is making you think you are not good at mathematics,” Ayebo shares.
Instead, Ayebo tries to build confidence in his students. He uses the feedback he receives from students to help modify his curriculum so students stay engaged with their work.
With the right approach, he says anything is possible — particularly at UMR.
“You can see that UMR students are very passionate about their learning,” says Ayebo. “I appreciate having students like that… that’s encouraging as a teacher.”
This story is included in our April edition of On Campus.
