What is Math Anxiety and What Can Be Done About It Essay

Anxiety is commonly defined as a fear that causes immense amounts of stress. When thinking of anxiety one does not consider it associated with math. However, the idea of math anxiety exists. Unlike the commonly recognized anxiety, math anxiety is not psychological, it is emotional. Anyone that has math anxiety experiences stress or discomfort with math. Some may feel inadequate in their math abilities and therefore avoid math altogether. Others may try but still second guess their math work. Most people that have math anxiety tend to evade math situations. Effandi Zakaria et al. explain math anxiety through a case study titled Mathematics Anxiety and Achievement Among Secondary School Students. This case study was conducted in Malaysia†¦show more content†¦This implies that high anxiety causes low math scores (1831). Conclusively, teachers need to accept that math anxiety may reside in their students and therefore be proactive in their approach of teaching mathematics. As a math tutor and future teacher I am sure I will encounter many students with math anxiety. These students may give up easily, get frustrated or angry, avoid eye contact, or show a lack of confidence. In helping these students cope with math anxiety I will encourage them that they can do math and that we can work it out together. I will reassure them that although math may be difficult we can learn and grow from it. If students are having a hard time on a specific topic I will slow down the solving process and go step-by-step making sure the students understand each step and therefore understanding the whole process. Also I will give the students multiple problems dealing with the same math concept to make sure the students are understanding the topic and not just going along with the motions. Personally, I think math anxiety can be overcome or diminished to an extent just like any other fear. As long as people with math anxiety ask questions, practice, and keep a positive attitude I think that the fear can definitely be lessened. Although I am a Secondary Math Education major I have experienced math anxiety before. One of the most recent times I experienced math anxiety was when I took the Pre-service AcademicShow MoreRelatedGeneralized Anxiety Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1216 Words   |  5 PagesAnxiety, or commonly referred to as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is when a person has â€Å"excessive worry about a variety of topics† (Carrol 2014). When a person has generalized anxiety disorder, they process a fear in their mind on different types of issues that are occurring in their everyday life. This disorder can affect a person for a â€Å"period of at least six months† (Carroll 2014). 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