Does the sound of numbers make your heart skip a beat and your palms sweat? If so, you’re in for a treat. We’re talking about math anxiety, which can creep into even the most simple calculations. It’s a widespread fear that affects academics and professionals alike. In this blog, we’ll break down the do’s and don’ts of math anxiety so you can increase your confidence in math and turn hard problems into easy ones.
Math Anxiety isn’t just a nervous breakdown during a quiz. It’s a real thing. Whether you’re a student struggling with math problems or a grown-up avoiding budgeting, you’ve come to the right place. This blog is your refuge. Join us in learning how to embrace math, overcome math anxiety, and develop a new vocabulary for numbers. Time to rewrite your history of math – one confident number at a time.
Recommended Reading: 5 Creative Ways To Make Math Fun For Kids
What is Math anxiety
The term “number anxiety” was first used more than sixty years ago. Today, it is more commonly referred to as “mathematical anxiety.” Math anxiety is the nervousness or stress associated with numbers and solving math problems in everyday and academic settings. Math anxiety affects a student’s performance and engagement and goes beyond simple dislike of math.
Math anxiety is characterized by intense anger or anxiety over math problems or exams. According to research, at least 17% of students experience some kind of math anxiety, and 30% of students experience high-level math anxiety. Some common symptoms of math anxiety include:
- Fear of failure: Having math anxiety makes you feel as though you will fail an exam or task before you even try.
- Feeling inadequate or “stupid”: Excessive math anxiety can exacerbate emotions of inadequacy when attempting to solve arithmetic problems by causing unfavorable opinions about intellect.
- Experiencing physical symptoms: Anxiety related to math might show itself as shakiness, nausea, or nail-biting.
- Excessive stress: Although stress may be a motivator, too much stress has a detrimental effect on mental health and can cause students to lose interest in or give up on their studies.
- General confusion: People who struggle with math anxiety frequently become frustrated because they don’t know where to start while solving a math issue.
Recommended Reading: Surviving The Hardest Math Class In High School
What causes anxiety in math? Some important factors to consider.
The causes of math anxiety and its association with subpar performance are many. Among the related factors are:
- Teaching/Parenting Styles: Math anxiety can be caused by the negative attitudes of instructors or parents, particularly those of female math teachers and moms. This is because they may not provide enough support or use inefficient teaching strategies.
- Proneness to Anxiety: Students are more prone to suffer from math anxiety if they have a general inclination toward anxiety, especially during timed or standardized assessments.
- Gender: Although math anxiety in primary school is equivalent for all genders, as students become older, a gender distortion becomes apparent. Math anxiety is more common in teenage girls than in boys, and it has a greater negative impact on their performance.
Significantly, these results point to a higher prevalence of math anxiety in females rather than gender-related variations in arithmetic skills.
- Social preconceptions: Pervasive notions that arithmetic is difficult play a major role, disproportionately affecting women because of unfavorable preconceptions associated with STEM fields.
Math Anxiety Re-Evaluation & Coping Techniques
Researchers Dowker, Sarkar, and Looi from the University of Oxford provide a thorough analysis of math anxiety and discuss practical strategies for reducing its negative effects on performance. Many researched techniques center on reappraisal, or the assessment and reinterpretation of events to reduce unfavorable feelings and connections.
Even though not everyone has access to brain stimulation or cognitive coaching, these research’ ideas provide workable solutions for arithmetic anxiety:
- Write Creatively: Before starting any math homework, write creatively. This helps with the reconsideration of traumatic memories and improves concentration on math problems by having the participant write continuously about emotionally taxing themes for 10–20 minutes.
- Practice Frequently: Exposure-based treatment, which emphasizes comfort via familiarity, is in line to help you get comfortable with arithmetic by encouraging frequent practice. For a fun, stress-free experience, try gaming your arithmetic drills or taking online classes.
- More Time Should Be Dedicated to Tricky Concepts: Pay more attention to ideas that make you nervous. By providing direction and encouragement, finding a tutor may help with difficult topics’ comprehension.
- Use Mathematical Problems in Real-World Circumstances: Examine math’s function by connecting it to actual situations. Math may become less intimidating and more useful by being included into routine occupations like bargain hunting, baking, gardening, and home renovation.
- Learn Anxiety Management Techniques: To calm down during math anxiety attacks, try deep breathing, taking pauses, and engaging in mindfulness exercises.
How can teachers assist students in overcoming math anxiety?
Teachers play a critical role in helping students who are experiencing math anxiety by creating a supportive learning environment. By showing a sincere love of math, making it fun, and emphasizing its useful applications, they may do this. Setting realistic goals, utilizing engaging teaching techniques, and adjusting lessons to students’ interests are all crucial tactics. Students may gain even more mathematical empowerment by reducing the emphasis on speed exams and contests, encouraging math conversation, and thinking back on classroom experiences.
What steps can parents take to help their child overcome math anxiety?
By taking a variety of proactive steps, parents may significantly reduce their child’s math anxiety. By highlighting math’s practical applications and significance in day-to-day living, they may foster a favorable attitude toward the subject. A child’s sense of success and confidence is bolstered by regular progress assessments and realistic expectations.
Forming solid alliances with educators is similarly important. To make the connection between arithmetic and real-world scenarios, parents should get involved in parent-teacher groups, attend conferences, and take their kids along to unofficial educational events. A nurturing learning atmosphere is produced by placing a strong emphasis on regular attendance at school and looking for extra math activities.
Conclusion
Math anxiety is a real and pervasive issue that can impact individuals of all ages. However, with the right strategies and support systems in place, it is possible to overcome these fears and develop confidence in math. By understanding the causes of math anxiety, implementing coping techniques, and fostering supportive learning environments, we can rewrite the narrative around math and empower individuals to embrace the subject with confidence and enthusiasm.
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It focuses mainly on younger students, but math anxiety affects people of all ages, even in college and adulthood. My teenage son is going through it and I wish there were more examples of how these techniques work for teens and adults. It would also help to include stories of people who overcame math anxiety.
The good point you made in your blog pointing that teachers can help in overcoming math anxiety can be more appropriately explained as a dyscalculia disorder and not math anxiety. Because Math anxiety covers emotional aspects and dyscalculia is a cognitive learning disorder.
I wonder if there is any count on how many percent of people suffer from math anxiety?
As per National Library of Medicine approximately 93% of adult US-Americans indicate that they experience some level of math anxiety.