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Kaleigh Galella Julie Mitchell Stephanie Ewing
Math anxiety is an issue all around the world, not only in the United States. Throughout the article, they compared different types of anxiety and the ways that they are similar and different. Most educators focus on being able to increase the student's knowledge of science and math information. Studies have shown that international assignments create fear of math, which creates math anxiety. As the study continued it was shown that math anxiety negatively affects the student's success. Countries that have higher-than-average test scores in math, tend to have lower math anxiety rates. If the students did not have a lot of math anxiety they would be able to thrive more. In the classroom, it is important to be able to find ways to help the students keep their math anxiety down and find ways to cope during tests and exams. An example to be able to help their students is changing lesson plans differently, and responding to students differently when they ask the teacher a question. To be able to create a healthy and positive learning environment, so students aren't afraid to be wrong.
Math anxiety is not a distinct medical condition. It describes the fear of overworking your memory and mind through doing math problems. People may feel panicked when working with numbers and equations, which creates a misconception that they are bad at math or cannot do things that others easily can. Symptoms include worry or panic, tense muscles, increased heart rate, sweaty palms, and lightheadedness. The anxiety they experience makes it even harder to think and their mind may "go blank". Low confidence, avoidance, and low grades are other symptoms of math anxiety. Some strategies teachers may use to help with math anxiety include showing a positive attitude and providing support to the students. We can incorporate this into the classroom by allowing the student to take a break, do some deep breathing exercises, write/journal, and just be overall patient with the student.
From this source, I learned that students with math anxiety often have negative attitudes toward math, may shut down in class, or avoid working on problems in class/participating. It is imperative for teachers to pick up on these signs to take the first step into helping their students. To relieve this anxiety, teachers can display anchor charts with examples of work, keep external records of formulas displayed for the students, allow students to verbalize mathematical procedures to the teacher or each other, or introduce visual or verbal cues to reduce the amount of information students must keep in their working memory at once. Also crucial in relieving math anxiety is creating a positive and non-judgmental classroom environment where each student feels capable of learning. To do this, teachers can start class with engaging and fun activities, share jokes throughout the class, be knowledgeable about their choice of language, and use warm-ups that have multiple answers. This article gave many ideas on how to manage math anxiety in my classroom, such as: Communicating to my students that I also experienced math anxiety at their age, keeping note of my word choice towards students, such as avoiding saying things such as "This is an easy lesson.", and encouraging my students to keep practicing difficult topics, as math often does not come naturally.
Math anxiety is a prevalent issue globally, affecting various age groups. In the US, around 93% of adults report experiencing some level of math anxiety, with approximately 17% suffering from high levels. Defined as apprehension and physiological reactions when dealing with math, math anxiety encompasses anxiety during tests, in classrooms, and when working with numbers. It manifests emotionally, cognitively, and physiologically, leading to decreased achievement. Physiological symptoms include increased heart rate, clammy hands, and upset stomach, with neurocognitive research suggesting the involvement of brain networks associated with fear and pain. Teachers might make kids believe that being good at math is something you're born with, which can make them anxious. This is especially true in elementary school, where teachers' own worries about math can rub off on their students, especially girls. On the other hand, teachers who are positive and encouraging can help kids feel better about math.
Math anxiety can be a real struggle, causing actual pain for some people when they deal with numbers. It often starts early, either in elementary or middle school, and can persist into adulthood for about 20% to 25% of individuals. Interestingly, it's more common in women and girls, partly due to societal stereotypes about math being a "male" thing. One major factor in math anxiety is a person's confidence in their math skills. Even if someone knows their stuff, anxiety can block them from using that knowledge effectively. This can impact academic success and career choices, with people with high math anxiety less likely to pursue STEM fields or even manage everyday tasks involving numbers, like budgeting or negotiating salaries. Some ways teachers may manage math anxiety are to (1) spot the signs, (2) promote mental health, (3) watch your language, (4) help kids grow, and (5) improve study skills.
“Mathematics anxiety involves feelings of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations” (Richardson & Suinn, 1972, p. 551). Since 1972 math anxiety has been an important topic that has been an issue for students' physical and mental health. Throughout the article, they talk about how math anxiety negatively affects students and the importance of finding new strategies for students. Some strategies discussed were curricular, instructional strategies, and non-instructional strategies. Teachers can add these strategies to their lesson plans for the day, to encourage students to develop healthy and strong coping methods that can help students with their math anxiety.
Some students who display severe math anxiety may actually have Dyscalculia- a mathematics-related disability resulting from neurological dysfunction. Although students with dyscalculia often have average to above-average intellectual functioning, a significant discrepancy is present in their mathematical skills. Some strategies I could implement in my classroom for teaching students with dyscalculia are pairing my examples with drawings, only assigning as much homework as necessary, connecting topics to real-life situations, and implementing games into specific lessons to remind students that they can still have fun and be comfortable in math class.
Math anxiety isn't just about not liking math; it's a serious issue for students. It interferes with the brain's working memory and creates a cycle where students avoid math, leading to low achievement and increased fear. This anxiety can start as early as kindergarten, with nearly half of elementary school children experiencing it. Math anxiety can manifest in various signs and symptoms that teachers should recognize: Avoidance, lack of response, tears/anger, negative self-talk, and/or low achievement. To support students with healthy math identities, teachers can implement the following strategies: Provide time to understand concepts, use healthy messages, allow thinking time, and use mixed-ability grouping.
The study was about math anxiety and how it is impacted by the transition from going from primary school to secondary school. In the article, they described math anxiety "as a state of discomfort, which occurs in response to situations involving mathematics tasks that are perceived as threatening to self-esteem (Cemen, 1987, cited in Trujillo & Hadfield, 1999)." In the study, they found in the study that students who had a learning disability had higher math anxiety compared to their peers. Some ways that teachers helped their students succeed in the classroom was by giving students who have dyscalculia so they could be able to double-check their work, which helped them cope with their math anxiety.
This article discussed a study of math anxiety in college students. In university students, math anxiety is mainly caused by low self-confidence and lacking self-efficacy. Math anxiety can also be tied to drug calculation and gender. If students who could benefit from anxiety medications are not prescribed them, this could have a great effect on the impact of their math anxiety. The study also showed a correlation between higher math anxiety and females, as females are more prone to it than males. This has shown me to be extra tentative to the possibility of math anxiety in my female students. By encouraging and supporting my students, I can help increase their self-confidence, easing their anxiety symptoms.
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