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Math Anxiety

What is Math Anxiety?

 

Math anxiety is an overall uneasiness and panic when thinking about or engaging in mathematics activities. Math anxiety is not just a dislike for mathematics. It is “a state of discomfort that occurs when an individual is required to perform mathematically, or the feeling of tension, hopelessness, or mental disorganization an individual has when required to manipulate numbers and shapes” (Swars, Daane, & Giesen, 2006, p. 306). With young students, this is especially a problem, because if they are anxious about math at a young age, those feelings will impact their learning and future math success. Math anxiety may “serve as an impediment to children’s math performance by reducing their use of advanced problem solving strategies that are critical for math achievement”  (Ramirez, Chang, Maloney, Levine, & Beilock, 2016, p. 95) or may “develop into more serious mathematics avoidance and mathematics phobia” (Swars et al., 2006, p. 306).

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Math anxiety also affects students self-efficacy and confidence, which “may also affect children’s strategic behavior at a more fundamental level by discouraging children from choosing advanced strategies or even seeing advanced strategies as an option in the first place” (Ramirez et al., 2006, p. 96). This can negatively affect students’ performance. It is important, to help children to feel comfortable experimenting and trying in regards to mathematics, not to be afraid of being wrong.

 

Math anxiety has long term effects, and it is difficult to change and reduce math anxiety. It is important to be aware of math anxiety and catch it early on in students/children so as to help children overcome their math anxiety before it can negatively impact the long term and “has been known to cause low self-esteem, frustration, and sometimes academic failure in students” (Gresham, 2007, p. 25).

What causes math anxiety?

 

Students attitudes towards math are derived from their role-models, majorly teachers and/or parents or guardians. Teachers and parents have a huge influence on children’s lives and attitudes towards learning. Being aware of this influence is essential so adults can use this influence they have to increase students’ self-esteem and self-efficacy in regards to mathematics.

 

There are also gendered differences in regards towards math anxiety. Studies have consistently found that math anxiety is more prominent in females than males (Smith, 2006, p. 3). A large factor that causes this is the high number of female elementary teachers. There are statistically many more female elementary teachers than males, and students have a tendency to relate to adults and role-models of their same gender. Many female teachers report experiences in their childhood where they “endured instances in the mathematics classroom where they felt embarrassed, humiliated, shamed, dumb, and/or stupid in front of their peers” (Stoehr, 2016, p. 70). This feeling stays with them, even if they are often unconscious of it, and it leaks into their teaching. Math anxiety can also be caused by “some teachers [perpetuating] the stereotype that

boys are stronger in mathematics than girls as they often overestimate boys’ potential in mathematics whereas they underestimate mathematical potential for girls” (Stoehr, 2016, p. 70). This can also be the case with parents who may unconsciously have the same stereotypes or ideas that they the perpetuate.

What can we do about it?

 

It is important to be aware of math anxiety as a problem, teachers and parents who educate themselves, can work to reduce the chance of developing math anxiety in the children. Students’ well-being is important to society and the future. Knowing that math anxiety is an issue can lead to implementing reform to help decrease math anxiety around the world; “children’s capability for improving their math skill is contingent on children feeling comfortable with mathematics in general as well as using the novel and cognitively demanding strategies they are taught” (Ramirez et al., 2016, p. 95).

 

The best way to reduce math anxiety is to work to prevent it occurring in the first place. Psychologists suggest “working with teachers as well as with parents to change the negative ways they interact with their children about math is likely important for stemming children’s math anxiety and increasing positive attitudes about math” (Ramirez et al., 2016, p. 97). Parents and teachers can help by looking up and researching math topics before they are taught, encouraging questioning among children, and making sure children know that it is okay to be wrong or unsure, these are opportunities for learning.

 

Teachers can also help students by starting an open discussion about mathematics so that students are encouraged to ask questions and wonder. Teachers can set up their classroom environment in such a way to prepare for successful learning. They can educate themselves, and especially become aware of students’ various learning styles. Students’ are unique in their attitudes towards learning, especially math. Teachers spend a great deal of time with students, and when they take note of students learning and how students approach a problem, this can lead to taking steps to best assist students in their learning.

 

Think you have math anxiety?

 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Unlike english or science, where they may be multiple correct answers, math can be daunting because the answer is either right or wrong. One of the best ways to help overcome math anxiety is to begin asking questions and searching for answers (Smith, 2001, p. 2). Even though there may only be one right answer, there are often multiple ways to reach that solution; if one method is confusing, search out another.

 

Positive self talk will be beneficial. Many times young children, or even adults, bring themselves down by saying negative statements such as “math is hard”, “I can’t do this”,  or “I’m not a math person.” All people benefit from reinforcement and positive self-talk. This also correlates with correcting negative talk you hear in others, be they children adults.

 

Practice. There are many ways to overcome math anxiety, but it is going to take time and patience. The best way to improve at math is to work at it.

Resources:

Barrett, D. (2013). Preservice elementary teachers' attitudes improve and math anxiety decreases with focus upon manipulatives use. National Teacher Education Journal, 6(2), 5-10.

 

Gresham, G. (2007). An invitation into the investigation of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and learning styles in elementary preservice teachers. Journal Of Invitational Theory & Practice, 1324-33.

 

Jameson, M. M. (2014). Contextual factors related to math anxiety in second-grade children. Journal Of Experimental Education, 82(4), 518-536. doi:10.1080/00220973.2013.813367

 

Ramirez, G., Chang, H., Maloney, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2016). On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies. Journal Of Experimental Child Psychology, 14183-100. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2015.07.014

 

Smith, S. S. (2001). Early Childhood Mathematics (2nd ed., pp. 1-20). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

 

Smith, S. S. (2006). Early Childhood Mathematics (3rd ed., pp. 1-56). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

 

Stoehr, K. J. (2016, December 2). Mathematics anxiety: One size does not fit all. Journal of Teacher Education, 68(1), 69-84. doi:10.1177/0022487116676316

 

Swars, S. L., Daane, C. J., & Giesen, J. (2006). Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy: What is the relationship in elementary preservice teachers?. School Science & Mathematics, 106(7), 306-315.

 

Widmen, C. C., & Chavez, A. (1982). Math anxiety and elementary school teachers. Education, 102(3), 272.

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