Why do students have math anxiety and how can we help them overcome it?

There are many causes of math anxiety, but thankfully, there are ways that teachers can approach it to help students curb their fears. The way teachers present math to their students can affect how students feel about it. Children are incredibly intuitive, so if a student senses a negative attitude towards something, they are likely to mirror that attitude. Sometimes this attitude has been absorbed at home from caregivers or siblings. For this reason, it is so important that teachers approach math with enthusiasm and positivity. If teachers have a negative view of math, it will not only have a negative effect on our students’ outlook, but will ultimately affect their performance in the subject. It is important that teachers think about the language they use. Those who refer to their students as “mathematicians” and have a positive, encouraging tone will likely find that their students have a more enthusiastic attitude towards math.

It is important for teachers to recognize when math anxiety exists for a student. There are some key things to look for, such as nervousness during math time, feeling that they are the only one struggling, and an unwillingness to participate. Anxious math students also have a fixed mindset (“I’m bad at math and I always will be”) and lack of confidence.

Teachers also need to address math in a way that values taking time to figure things out, and views getting the wrong answer as a welcomed part of the learning process. Creating a classroom culture in which mistakes are okay is so important, as it makes for an environment that is conducive to taking risks and learning. In the past, students have been scolded by their teachers or their peers for getting answers incorrect, only surmounting their anxiety for fear of public embarrassment. Especially with subjects like math (which tend to be very black-or-white), it’s integral that we create a culture of “figuring-things-out”. If our only goal is to get the right answer as fast as possible, we create a setting that nurtures anxiety over the possibility of getting an answer wrong.

Of course, getting an answer wrong is part of the learning process, but it should not happen all the time, as students will get discouraged. Creating lessons and questions that are just-within-reach will challenge students, but also give them opportunities for many successes, boosting their confidence. High levels of success will help students persist when working on solving more difficult math problems.

Creating a supportive classroom culture is challenging if teachers are administering math tests with time limits, which unsurprisingly add to student anxiety. In addition to the mad scramble of trying to complete the test, students generally receive a poor grade (not reflective of their ability), and therefore believe they are unable to be good mathematicians. This bidirectional relationship between outlook and performance creates a vicious cycle, as the grade produces the attitude and the attitude ceases to change the grade.

In what is hopefully an archaic way of teaching, students who got the wrong answer were humiliated in front of the class, only to make their anxiety worse. Today we encourage math learning in a social environment, where students can work together to find the answers to problems in a multitude of ways, exercising creative and critical thinking skills that will help them in real-world situations. Therefore when someone gets a question wrong, it is the responsibility of the whole class to see the reasons why, and not the blame of a single person. A wrong answer is viewed as an opportunity for deeper learning and practice, as opposed to an obstacle. Working on math is a chance for students to work on a variety of important confidence building and life skills, such as: cooperation, problem solving, explaining ideas, asking questions, listening, and expressing feelings about learning.

Thankfully, in addition to approaching math with a positive attitude and learning it in a social context, teachers, parents and students can employ other techniques to lower anxiety around math. Positive reinforcement is key for students who are not yet confident in their math skills. Especially for anxiety-prone students, teachers should emphasize math questions that students can do correctly instead of highlighting mistakes. Sometimes having a discussion about concerns in math can help students see their worries as unfounded. If a student is still struggling, getting some one-on-one help from a friend, family member or teacher can help boost their confidence and foster a more positive attitude towards math.

In addition, it is the teacher’s job to not only to teach math, but think of creative ways to make it engaging. Math that relates to real life situations gives it meaning and can create a more interesting and explorative lesson. Imagine how students would feel about math if they thought it was fun! Connecting math to students’ interests or turning math questions into a game is a great way to make it an enjoyable as well as productive lesson. These lessons could take the form of puzzles, card games, math cartoons, or games such as Dominoes or Yahtzee. Teachers can approach math in ways that connect to other disciplines to create more interest and appeal to various types of learners, incorporating activities with play acting, visual aids, hands on activities, and technology.

One of the most powerful things we can arm our students with is a set of skills, and math is certainly no exception. As psychologist B.F. Skinner said, “The only way to get over an inferiority complex about mathematics is to learn some”. As a pre-service teacher, I believe that the self-fulfilling prophecy for those who have an inferiority complex about math also rings true for those that are illuminated to the fact that they can do it. It is our responsibility as teachers to illuminate our students to their capability.

References:

Curtain-Phillips, M. (2017). The Causes and Prevention of Math Anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/math_anxiety.

Ludden, D. (2017). How to Overcome Math Anxiety: Breaking Free from the Vicious Cycle of Worry and Failure. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-apes/201703/how-overcome-math-anxiety.

Oxford Learning Centres, Inc. (2018). What is Math Anxiety? Retrieved from

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/what-is-math-anxiety/.