A huge portion of the human population has a poor perception of mathematics. They often find it too difficult, very hard to understand, and most of all, highly impractical. Most students do not see any real-life application, especially if they are not choosing a profession that involves maths. This bad perception of maths negatively impacts learning and maths performance in class. Some students really have a hard time with the subject that they even develop maths anxiety. They try to avoid mathematics as much as possible, not even caring if they fail the subject. So, what is maths anxiety? Is it a real condition or just a made-up disorder to explain away the people who are “bad at maths”? Let’s discuss maths anxiety definition, symptoms, causes, and most importantly, ways of overcoming maths anxiety.
What is Maths Anxiety?
maths anxiety is a very real condition wherein the person’s adverse reaction towards mathematics negatively impacts their performance in the subject. Even if the person knows how to solve the equations, he/she will be unable to do it properly because of the anxiety. Hence, their maths ability declines.
Symptoms
These signs are observable when the person is engaging in maths lessons, quizzes, and problem-solving activities.
- Physiological:
- nervousness
- lightheadedness
- increased heart rate and breathing
- clammy hands
- upset stomach
- the working memory, the part of the brain used for maths processing, is less active
- the amygdala, the part of the brain which processes negative emotions and stimuli, is very active
- Psychological:
- believes that they are bad at maths
- talks negatively about maths: “I hate maths”, “Maths hard”, “Maths sucks”
- the mind goes blank when asked to solve equations
- Emotional:
- looks like the child is about to cry
- has a panicked look
- shows negative emotions during maths class
- Academic performance:
- does not actively participate in maths class
- gets poor grades in maths
- will avoid mathematics at all costs
Causes
- Fear of failure
The fear of being laughed at and humiliated is a major factor that plagues students. When a child does not like to make mistakes, he/she will most likely be apprehensive about answering equations in maths class.
- Other people’s negative outlook on maths
When children grow up in an environment where parents and peers express their hate for mathematics, children are more likely to adopt it as their own. This pre-conditioning is reinforced when the child is faced with a mathematics problem that he/she cannot easily solve.
- Poor early experience with maths
Sadly, there are instances where the maths instructor is the culprit behind the student’s anxiety. The teacher might have put undue pressure on the child to solve an equation with limited time and in front of an audience no less. The negative emotional impact it has on the child causes them to develop higher levels of anxiety towards mathematics. The causes of maths anxiety are mostly from the environment. There is no genetic origin found to cause this condition. Therefore, it is very manageable as long as you take steps in helping them overcome their anxiety.
How to Overcome Maths Anxiety
Overcoming maths anxiety is doable and can be done with the help of other people. Getting over this hurdle will vastly improve your child’s mathematics performance in class. The skills that they will learn in maths are valuable in making real-life decisions.
- Reappraise Anxiety
Acknowledging that the student is experiencing anxiety is the first step. The next step is to help them see that there really is no cause for these fears. To aid them in this process, have them list down the things that make them anxious about math. When they come to think about it, they will realise for themselves that there is truly nothing to worry about. Everyone makes mistakes, they just have to find another way to solve the problem.
- Make Maths Fun
It has been decades since educators have started trying to make maths fun. They incorporate competitive games, mind-boggling puzzles, and interesting stories into their lessons. This method encourages the children to participate and enjoy the process of solving problems and equations. It is essential for children to gain a positive attitude and perception towards maths to boost their intrinsic motivation and learning.
- Build Maths Positivity
Since one of the causes of maths anxiety is the effect of the people with a negative perception of math, the opposite must be true as well. If a child is in an environment that nurtures a love for mathematics, the child will learn to love it as well. Bring your child to a place where they can get maths positivity to decrease their level of maths anxiety. Also, try providing positive reinforcement for the good work they put in. Avoid punishing them for their mistakes. Instead, let them redo the solution until they get it right and reward them for finishing the task.
- Get a Tutor’s Help
Tutors are a great support when you want your child to get focused on learning. They provide specialised lessons depending on the child’s maths ability and learning styles. They teach not only the foundations, but also learning strategies that children can use on their own to succeed. Your child is sure to gain confidence and improve in maths class even just after a few sessions with a talented tutor.
- Use Mixed-ability Groups
In this method, students with different levels of maths abilities are grouped together. This is done to encourage the more skilled students to help their less-abled counterparts understand maths concepts. They find ways to explain the lesson in the simplest of terms so that the others can comprehend them as well. Aside from the low-performing students benefiting from this arrangement, the high-performing children also gain a deeper understanding of the concepts when they teach. As they say, to teach is to learn twice. On the other hand, when students are grouped together based on similar abilities, the low-performing cluster is likely to achieve less. The comparison leads to more frustration and feeling of incompetence; which, in turn, strengthens the students’ distaste for maths.
- Focus on Understanding, not Memorisation
No need to memorise tables and equations. The main point of doing maths is to gain essential skills that are useful in real life. One such skill that every person needs is the ability to solve problems logically. In maths, there can be multiple ways to get to the final answer. Similar to real-life situations where there are multiple solutions that can be used. They just have to evaluate which one is the best. When children understand the concepts and logical flow of solving problems, they can solve any problem they are presented with.
Conclusion
Maths anxiety is a debilitating condition that will negatively affect your child’s achievement in mathematics. Early detection and intervention can reverse the effects of anxiety. Plus, with the help of specialist maths tutors, your child can gain every advantage he/she can get to succeed in class.
