Tell me mathematics and I will forget; Show me mathematics and I will remember; Involve me

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Tell me mathematics and I will forgetShow me
mathematics and I will rememberInvolve meand I
will understand mathematics.If I understand
mathematics, I will be less likely to have maths
anxiety.And if I become a teacher of
mathematics, I can thus begin a cycle that will
produce less maths-anxious students for
generations to come.

• W. V. Williams, 1988

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Maths Anxiety in Third Year Primary Student
Teachers

• Gillian Frankcom

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WHO is Maths Anxious?

• I am..
• They were.....
• 29 third years
• 27 women, 2 men
• In their final compulsory mathematics education
  course (3 in total)
• They are.....
• 9 teachers in their first two years of teaching

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What Caused Maths Anxiety?

• Level 4/5 curriculum mathematics
• Mainly fractions, decimal, percentages
• Exhibiting
• Reluctance to engage
• Stressed behaviours
• Tears!!

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Sample question

• 0.1 x 840 is the same as
• A 840 1
• B 1 x 840
• C 1 x 8400
• D 840 10
• E 0.10 x 84

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Sample Question

• Which letter in the number line above names a
  fraction where the numerator is nearly half the
  denominator?

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Maths Anxiety

• Maths Anxiety comprises factors that militate
  against the learning and understanding of
  mathematics, such as fear of failure, and
  physical reactions such as high tension and
  apprehension resulting in revulsion and sickness.

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Maths Anxiety

• Early 20th Century - Physiological changes
• In the 50s - Scales and instruments
• By the 70s - Test anxiety
• Burnes (1998) - 2 of USA Population
• 3

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Implications

• Low personal content knowledge
• Avoidance
• Low status
• 50 of primary-teacher applicants have no formal
  qualifications in mathematics
• (Grootenboer, 2003)

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Outcomes?

• High in Maths Anxiety low in Maths
  Self-efficacy

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What makes a difference?MasteryVicarious
ExperiencesSocial PersuasionAffective States
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What makes a difference?Vicarious Experiences
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Mastery Experiences?
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Mastery Experiences?
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Mastery Experiences?Success does not seem to
equal lower maths anxiety
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Mastery Experiences?Low cognitive load
activitiesRich mathematical activitiesInvestigat
ionsCooperativeModellingPractical
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Ideal Student?

• Low Maths Anxiety
• High Maths Self-efficacy
• Strong personal content knowledge
• Mathematics past year 11
• Positive experiences at school
• Succeeding (As) in current degree course
• Actively enjoys doing Mathematics

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Implications

• Levels of Maths Anxiety could represent a
  significant barrier to improving mathematics
  teaching and learning in the primary school.
• as teachers teach as taught ..

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Next?

• Big Question
• How do high levels of Maths Anxiety affect the
  quality of teaching of mathematics in the primary
  school?

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Now to know mathematics is one thing, and to be
able to teach it communicate it to those at a
lower conceptual level is quite another and I
believe that it is the latter which is most
lacking at the moment. As a result, many people
acquire at school a lifelong dislike, even fear,
of mathematics. Skemp (1971)
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Questions