This study focuses on math anxiety and how it affects students’ learning processes. Math anxiety is experienced by people of all ages, and affects math performance (Beilock & Maloney, 2015). Math anxious teachers can pass on their math anxiety to their students through a number of different ways, including fixed mindsets, negative attitudes and language surrounding math, and low expectations for students (Ramirez et al., 2018). The researcher conducted a study to explore whether or not college education majors knew about math anxiety and how to help students who have it, as well as if they know about and deal with their own math anxiety. The researcher used the following questions to guide their research: Do education students receive support for their own math anxiety? Do education students understand math anxiety and the effects their own anxiety has on their future students? Are education students given strategies to work with students with math anxiety? Using a phenomenological research approach, the researcher conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with five senior college students majoring in education. At the end of the interviews, the researcher shared information about math anxiety with the participants and asked them questions. Following the completion of the interviews, the researcher conducted a focus group with the participants and asked them follow up questions about their experiences in their education classes based on the answers from the interviews. The researcher found that the participants felt prepared and confident to teach math and help students with their math anxiety. However, participants also agreed that they did not feel comfortable with their own math anxiety and did not receive help with dealing with it, and believed that learning about this in their college coursework would have been beneficial.
Here you will find a short video of me reading my epilogue. This is the section where I talk about my own experiences in education and what lead me to want to study math anxiety
I'd like to thank Professor Reynolds for all he's done for me and my secondary education peers over our four years at Endicott. Thank you for always being there for us and supporting us in and out of the classroom. No matter what questions we had, you always had answers or would help us find them. I am so thankful for all the feedback you've given me from Intro to Secondary Ed to my practicum. You have truly shaped the educator I have become. I also want to say thank you for helping me through my second half of my thesis project. You gave me clarity and support, and you were always excited with my progress even when I was discouraged. I would not have the completed thesis paper that I have without your input and support.
I would also like to thank the college students who participated in my research study. As fellow college seniors, I know how hectic the last semester can be, so I am very thankful that you all took some time to talk with me about this important subject. You all taught me so much through your experiences and I will remember it when I go on to teach my students.