Fear or anxiety about solving mathematical difficulties is referred to as math anxiety. It is not a separate ailment but rather a way of characterizing anxiety that arises in a specific circumstance. Math anxiety can be described as a sense of worry, dread, and anxiety that impairs a person's ability to do math, manipulate numbers, and solve mathematical problems in various real-world and academic settings.
According to Olango, math anxiety consists of an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response to a perceived threat to one's self-esteem brought on by mathematical situations. Mathematic anxiety, which stems from emotional causes, can affect individuals with mathematical abilities even if they don't enjoy the subject. There is a chance of experiencing math anxiety at every stage of schooling, from elementary school to college. The fear of mathematics can be caused or exacerbated by several factors. Teachers, parents, peers, and society can all play a role in these influences.
Math anxiety may result from negative experiences learning math in the classroom or at home. First, the instructor is crucial in alleviating fears and enhancing the appeal of the course. A positive learning environment, where students have favorable expectations regarding their education, may be fostered by good mathematics instructors. Second, parents play a significant role in either fostering or alleviating their children's math phobia. In this regard, how parents behave and interact with their children is essential.
Parents can identify any learning challenges at an early stage by discussing their concerns about their children. This may help prevent the emergence of any learning issues the students may face later in life. Additionally, children of parents with math anxiety tend to learn less math during the academic year and experience more math anxiety by the year's end. Third, peer interactions can help spread math anxiety. For instance, peers at any level of study might negatively affect their classmates, especially when students feel inferior to their peers after making mistakes. Furthermore, societal myths surrounding math can also contribute to the development of math anxiety.