Do you see children in your classes struggle with math when you know they shouldn’t have to?
Curriculum
What is Math Anxiety? How to Overcome it?
Do you see children in your classes struggle with math when you know they shouldn’t have to?
They could have math anxiety, which has insidious psychological effects even when the anxiety level is comparatively low. But what is math anxiety? And how do you overcome it?
Education resources
What is math anxiety?
Math anxiety is a very real condition in which someone doubts their ability to do the math — no matter how good they may be at it objectively — to the point where they may actively fear working on problems. It’s a problem with genetic and societal origins, and it can be partially, if not almost wholly, reduced through different strategies.
The anxiety surrounding math, exams, or other “tests” of ability in school is not just a matter of “getting over it.” The condition can be so pronounced that someone might panic at the thought of math, but even mild versions can create issues with low self-esteem, leading those who might otherwise do just fine in a class to get lower grades or fail. Of course, that only reinforces the idea of being “bad” at math, and the cycle worsens.
Math anxiety is often conflated with math phobia. As you can guess from the wording, a phobia of math would be genuine fear. But the dividing line between the two can certainly be a little fuzzy.
How do people develop math anxiety?
Part of math anxiety could be genetic, but that is not the only indicator — and having a math-anxious relative is no guarantee that a child will have the condition, too. Math anxiety is often a socially transmitted belief, with girls especially prone to it due to societal messaging. The push to get more girls involved in STEM has helped somewhat by providing positive role models, but there is still a way to go in combatting the image of girls not liking math.
Also causing the condition is performance pressure, time pressure, and the chance of looking stupid. Performance pressure, meaning the pressure to succeed and never fail, is a vast contributor; the idea that you must do well because you’ll never do well if you fail takes a toll on children. In fact, in countries with tremendous pressure to perform well, such as Korea and Japan, math anxiety is much higher than in countries where performance is not the only measure of success, such as Austria and Sweden.
Timed pressure, such as on a test or an assignment with a timed deadline, adds to the anxiety. When there is no chance to think something through, all you can see is the looming deadline instead of the problems you have to complete. The feeling is no doubt worse for kids. Add in the peer pressure to not look “stupid,” and you have a recipe for anxiety.
Note that math anxiety differs from conditions like dyscalculia, which involves learning difficulties. However, dyscalculia can lead to math anxiety, and the two can form a feedback loop.
How do you get around math anxiety?
You can help children (teens and adults) get around math anxiety by targeting the messaging that makes them think they aren’t good and changing how you approach math in your classes.
Show students the positive side of numbers — not just the practical side. Yes, they need to know formulas, and as they learn life skills, they need to know how numbers and math are necessary for things like budgeting. But instead of presenting math as a dull tool, show them more upbeat and fun uses. If you have students who seem to like cooking, discuss recipe conversions. Or, if you have students who like sports, show them how those formulas you use in class relate to scoring.
Also, begin discussing why math works and not just how. Rote memorization can be another block toward thinking one is good at math; if a student is tired, for example, and keeps forgetting formulas, the math doesn’t seem very fun. But if the student understands why a formula works, it can be easier to remember the formulas and figure out how to solve problems.
Introduce humor. Find math cartoons, for example. There’s nothing like seeing the look of recognition and understanding on a kid’s face when they get the joke.
Another tactic is to discuss math myths outright. Don’t just say they’re not true; instead, delve into how they came about in the first place. That’s especially important for combatting stereotypes, and children should understand where these ideas came from.
Finally, cognitive training could be used to combat phobias and cases of math anxiety that are particularly difficult to overcome. A study at Stanford University revealed that children who showed physiological signs of being terrified of math were a lot less anxious about the subject after a few weeks of this training.
Unfortunately, math anxiety and phobia are widespread, so chances are good that you’ll encounter students dealing with at least one of the conditions. Take the time to help your students, anxious or not, to understand that there’s no such thing as a math brain and that math itself is nothing to be afraid of.
In need of math worksheets?
