Mark H. Ashcraft describes maths anxiety as “a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance” (2002, p. 181). Math anxiety is a recognized stress disorder which, according to research shown in the attached video, 20% of our population suffer from (Turner & Carroll, 1985). It ranges from feelings of mild tension to strong fear when involved with any kind of mathematics. Physical symptoms include headaches, muscles spasms and aches, shortness of breath and increased heart rate. Furthermore, math anxiety also causes psychological problems such as confusion, the inability to concentrate and incoherent thinking (Arem, 2010, p.30).
Math anxiety does not only affect children in school, but adults too. For example, suffering from math anxiety may stop adults applying for certain jobs as they have a fear of failure and lack in confidence. Additionally, adults may struggle to deal with the mathematical challenges involved with dealing with personal finances, bills and mortgages.
The shorter video attached explains what math anxiety is, but it also highlights a problem which I myself face. During school I was never bad at math, in fact I was always in the higher classes and did manage to achieve a B in Higher Maths. However, this was not an easy process for myself. Maths was always something which took up a lot of my time, as I was always working to better myself. I knew that if I wanted to do well, I would have to work hard at it. However, there is still many areas of mathematics which I struggle with, which worries me for when it comes to teaching my own class. The attached video explains how pupils can easily sense if teachers suffer from math anxiety themselves and I am worried that this will be conveyed across to the children during my math lessons. If I myself suffer from math anxiety, how am I supposed to feel confident and competent in my own mathematical skills, when it comes to teaching the children? By taking the Discovering Mathematics module, I hope to improve my confidence in mathematics, so that when it comes to teaching the children, I can give them the best mathematical experience possible.
Furthermore, the University of Dundee have also researched into ways of targeting maths anxiety. They have introduced the Online Maths Assessment (OMA) to improve poor levels of mathematics and confidence within education students (Henderson, 2010). By doing this, the University of Dundee hope to target maths anxiety in student teachers so that they do not implement negative views towards mathematics in their future classes.
References
Ashcraft, M. (2002). Math Anxiety: Personal, Educational, and Cognitive Consequences. [ebook] Cleveland, Ohio: Blackwell Publishing Inc., pp.181-185. Available at: http://www.thinkingahead.com.au/Documents/math_anxiety-consequences.pdf [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
Henderson, S. (2010). Mathematics Education: The Intertwining of Affect and Cognition. Unpublished doctoral thesis. D.Ed. University of Dundee.
Nuffieldfoundation.org. (2017). Understanding mathematics anxiety | Nuffield Foundation. [online] Available at: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/understanding-mathematics-anxiety [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
Turner, J.R. & Carroll, D. (1985) ‘Heart rate and oxygen consumption during mental arithmetic, a video game, and graded exercise: further evidence of metabolically-exaggerated cardiac adjustments?’, Psychophysiology , 22(3), pp.261-267.
