Do you have maths anxiety?

A few weeks ago, I met a 19-year-old girl called Penny and I was helping her with her maths. She is a kind hearted and wonderful person. She has aspirations to be a nurse.

To be a nurse you need to be diligent, have great communication skills, effective interpersonal skills and be empathetic; these are just some of the skills required. She has all these qualities and I have no doubt that she would make a great nurse. However, she does have one problem and this problem is holding her back from achieving her dreams of becoming a nurse.

She has tried to pass her maths GCSE 5 times!

During the session she burst into floods of tears. She apologised profusely and said, ‘I’m so sorry, this is silly that I can’t even do such simple maths!’

Naturally I reassured her, as best I could, that she had nothing to apologise for and that together we would complete the task.

The emotion she felt was strong and powerful. I could see she was overcome by anxiety. It was heart breaking to watch. To see such an able and intelligent young person break down unconsolably because she believes she cannot do maths.

For some students, doing mathematics can cause negative emotions like fear of failure. This harms their ability to perform. Having failed her exam five times, this has certainly contributed to her believing she is a failure at maths.

You may not realise you have an anxiety to mathematics until you are an adult, when you find yourself in a situation or a job and there are specific tasks you dread and the pressure starts to rise.

If you suspect that you may have a fear or anxiety to maths there are two things that tend to happen:

1.) You are happy to declare to friends and work colleagues that you are rubbish at mathematics which releases the need to perform.

2.) Alternatively, you may find yourself in a role that expects competent mathematical skills and therefore you make excuses to avoid the task and try to hide your insecurities.

The best way to find out if you have an issue with mathematics, is to place yourself with an audience of colleagues and be put on the spot to answer a challenging mathematics question very quickly. It is then when you find yourself in this position that you will expose yourself to emotions that will reveal your feelings around the subject and your feelings about your own performance.

Recently I read a report written by The Guardian. In the report it said;

Researchers found there was a general sense that maths was hard compared with other subjects, which led to a loss of confidence, yet the study points out that most children with high levels of maths anxiety are normal to high achievers in the subject.

If you feel you lack confidence or ability in maths, you are very likely to have normal ability or above, even if you believe otherwise.

What causes maths anxiety?

The major causes of math anxiety include:

The pressure caused by time limits on tests. The deadlines that timed tests impose on students lead them to feel anxious. This leads them to forget concepts that they have no problem remembering at home. Since these tests can have a negative impact on grades, the student’s fear of failure is confirmed. This creates a vicious circle that can be difficult to break.

The fear of public embarrassment. Maths anxiety has also been linked to negative emotions from the past. If a student has been scolded for getting an answer wrong, it can make his or her anxiety worse. The same is true if he or she has been embarrassed in front of others.

Influence of teachers. Students can also pick up on their teacher’s feelings about maths. If a teacher is excited and positive about maths, the students will be as well. But if educators are negative about it, it can have the opposite effect. Children can also pick up feelings from their parents about the subject. If the parent has negative associations or feelings, the child can also absorb similar beliefs.

If you think your child struggles with maths, you’ve probably found yourself wondering how to handle maths anxiety. It can affect anyone, and the best way to prevent it is to build positive study habits.

Check out these maths anxiety strategies to find out how to improve your child’s performance in the classroom.

Positive Reinforcement

Students coping with maths anxiety need to feel that they can excel at maths. Review homework with your child and point out all the questions he or she got right. Put an emphasis on correct answers rather than mistakes. If possible, surround the student with positive teachers and students.

Get a Tutor

Teachers can have a great impact on a student’s feelings toward maths. Even if the teacher is enthusiastic about maths, supplement teaching with a qualified tutor. Tutors can provide personal attention that is hard to get at school. They can help students work through their problems in a low-pressure environment. Tutoring can also improve students’ self-confidence.

Reframe Anxiety

Reframing anxiety can have an improvement in mathematics performance. Have a student write down his or her worries about maths before doing it. By having to think critically, students can realize their fears are unfounded. Young children can draw pictures as a substitute for writing. Assist reframing by having students see tests and assignments as challenges instead of threats.

Make Maths Fun!

Try to create positive emotions by having fun. One way to do this is to connect maths to the child’s interests. For example, if the student likes sports, use sport-related word problems.

Penny has maths anxiety that has built up over the course of her education and it is my mission to support her in anyway I can. I will continue to share my journey with Penny and show you the techniques and strategies I have created over the years to help Penny achieve her dreams.