National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 79th Annual Conference Orlando, Florida

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National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 79th
Annual Conference Orlando, Florida
Math Anxiety Myth or Monster?
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Central Regional Conference
Paducah, Kentucky

• Math World
• New Standards for the New Millennium

Kay Haralson, Associate Professor Austin Peay
State University Clarksville, Tennessee
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• State supported liberal arts institution
• Clarksville, Tennessee
• Approximate enrollment of 6500 students
• Approximately 50 of the student body is greater
  than 24 years of age.

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Definition of Math Anxiety

• Tobias and Weissbrod (1980) defined math
  anxiety as the panic, helplessness, paralysis,
  and mental disorganization that arises among some
  people when they are required to solve a
  mathematical problem.
• 
  Fiore, 1999

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Definition of Math Anxiety

• Robinson and Simone (1976) defined math anxiety
  as feelings of tension and anxiety that
  interfere with the manipulation of numbers and
  the solving of problems in a wide variety or
  ordinary life and academic situations.

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Definition of Math Anxiety

• Math anxiety is a learned emotional response
  to one or more of the following
• Listening to a lecture
• Participating in a math class
• Working through problems
• Discussing mathematics
• http//www.lemoyne.edu/academic_affairs_support_ce
  nter/mathanx.htm

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Physical Symptoms of Math Anxiety

• queasy stomach, butterflies
• clammy hands and feet
• increased or irregular heartbeat
• muscle tension, clenched fists
• tight shoulders

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Physical Symptoms of Math Anxiety

• feeling faint, shortness of breath
• headache
• shakiness
• dry mouth
• cold sweat, excessive perspiration

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Psychological Symptoms of Math Anxiety

• negative self-talk
• panic or fear
• worry and apprehension
• desire to flee the situation
  or avoid it altogether
• a feeling of helplessness or inability
  to cope

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Psychological Symptoms of Math Anxiety

• mental disorganization, incoherent
  thinking
• feelings of failure or worthlessness
• extreme tension and nervousness
• inability to recall material studied

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Math Anxiety can be Related to

• attitudes of parents, teachers or other
  people in the learning environment
• some specific incident in a students math
  history which was frightening or embarrassing
• poor self-concept caused by past history of
  failure

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Math Anxiety can be Related to

• teaching techniques which emphasize
• time limits
• the right answer
• speed in getting the answer
• competition among students
• working in isolation
• memorization rather than understanding

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Math Anxiety can be Related to

• student attitudes
• dropped stitch concept
• distrust of intuition or ability
• negative self-talk
• giving up before really beginning
• depression and feelings of failure
• expectations of divine intervention

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Causes of Math Anxiety

• Evidence suggests that math anxiety results
  more from the way the subject is presented than
  from the subject itself. -- Greenwood

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Causes of Math Anxiety

• Few math classes are structured in such a way
  as to relieve anxiety. There will always be time
  limits, right answers, and competition. Reducing
  math anxiety will not make students smarter in
  math. However, it could allow a students to reach
  their full potential.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• Many people label mathematics as hard, when it
  would be more correct to say that learning
  mathematics is hard work.
  -- Mitchell Collins

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• Students are responsible for their feelings,
  attitudes, level of classroom and test
  preparation. The most effective thing a student
  can do to reduce their math anxiety is to
• BE PREPARED.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• Often, students with math anxiety need to be
  taught how to be prepared.
• A teacher of mathematics not only is responsible
  for the instruction of mathematical concepts, but
  is also responsible for helping students learn
  to learn mathematics.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• Teachers can offer the following suggestions to
  students
• ? Realize you are not alone. Many
  people suffer from feelings of anxiety.
• ? Realize that there can be psychological as
  well as physiological reactions.
• ? Explore relaxation techniques to control the
  physiological reactions of math anxiety.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• ? Do not rationalize your
  performance by thinking, I
  was never good at math.
• What you were is not the same as
  what you can become.
• ? Take an active role in learning how to study
  mathematics by attending study skills workshops
  and reading study skills material.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• ? Practice mathematics every day. Be willing to
  spend many hours developing your confidence in
  solving mathematical problems.
• ? Focus on the successes you have experienced in
  mathematics rather than the failures.
• ? Get to know your instructor so you will feel
  more comfortable in approaching her for
  assistance outside the class.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• ? Do not try to merely survive a mathematics
  course through memorization alone. UNDERSTANDING
  concepts is the key to successfully learning
  mathematics.
• ? You cannot study too much or too often.
  Overlearn the test material to enable you to
  recall facts, formulas and procedures quickly.

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Suggestions for Reducing Math Anxiety

• ? Approach the learning of mathematics prepared
  for the experience and DONT GIVE UP.

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Student Responsibilities

• Students have responsibilities in their
  mathematics learning environment
• Students must understand that learning
  mathematics is time consuming.
• Students must understand they are responsible for
  their own learning.
• Students should appropriately
  prepare for class.

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Student Responsibilities

• Students must take responsibility for learning
  material presented in their absence.
• Students should seek assistance when they need
  help and ask questions when the dont understand.
• Students must understand that in order to learn
  mathematical concepts, they must not be afraid to
  make mistakes.

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Student Responsibilities

• Students should practice mathematics daily, with
  the intent to understand the material, not just
  go through the motions.
• Students should prepare for a test in a fashion
  similar to an athlete or a
  performer preparing for an event.

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Teaching to Diffuse Math Anxiety

• A teacher must do more than just give great
  lectures. Success for many students is related
  to how we make them feel in class.
• 
  -- Fiore, 1999

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Teaching to Diffuse Math Anxiety

• Create a comfortable, calm,
  non-threatening learning environment.
• Demonstrate your caring for students feelings
  and learning.
• Encourage student to ask questions be willing
  to answer any and all that arise.

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Teaching to Diffuse Math Anxiety

• Handle incorrect responses positively to
  encourage student involvement and to enhance
  confidence.
• Never make a student feel stupid, deliberately
  or unintentionally.
• Communicate your enjoyment of mathematics in your
  teaching.
• Teach for understanding, not just replication of
  the procedure demonstrated.

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Teaching to Diffuse Math Anxiety

• Do not prejudge a students ability or make
  assumptions about a students motivation, without
  exploring the background and/or life situation of
  the student.
• Encourage students to maximize their abilities to
  learn and not to give up. Persistence is as
  important for success as intelligence.

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Teaching to Diffuse Math Anxiety

• Avoid forcing anxious students into intimidating
  circumstances, such as working problems on the
  board or being singled out to answer a question
  in class.
• Provide students alternative ways of
  participating in class until their
  confidence level improves.

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Student Observations

• Teachers should be approachable, understanding,
  firm but fair.
• Teachers should show they really care and want
  their students to learn.
• Be comfortable with each individual student and
  show compassion.
• Make the classroom a friendly place to be.
• Encourage student interaction in study groups.

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Student Observations

• Be available to help us without making us feel
  we should know the work already.
• Dont make students feel stupid for asking
  questions.
• Be open to questions. Answer all questions
  without appearing irritated.
• Dont ridicule students, or encourage others to
  make fun of students for asking questions or
  working problems wrong.

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Student Observations

• Worry more about student understanding, than if
  you have covered the quota of material for the
  day.
• Instructors should not overestimate or
  underestimate their students.
• Instructors should be confident and exhibit a
  sound understanding of their subject matter.

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Student Observations

• Explain problems step by step.
• Relating algebra concepts to arithmetic
  concepts, helps me to recall the correct steps.
• Give examples that will be relevant outside the
  classroom.
• If there is no familiar concept to relate the
  pieces of the math puzzle to, the result is fear,
  anxiety and failure.

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Student Observations

• Dont expect every student to learn the first
  time something is taught. Students need time to
  internalize what is being taught.
• A teacher is there to change the life of at
  least one student.

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Math Anxiety Myth or Monster?
To receive a copy of the power point
presentation of this session, e-mail your
request to

• haralsonk_at_apsu.edu
• or go to the website
• www.apsu.edu/haralsonk and click on
• Math Anxiety