1. SME6044 –
Contemporary Issues in
Mathematics Education
MATHEMATICS ANXIETY
Group members :
1. Chung Wai Cheong – M20102001089
2. Taw Mei Yoke – M20111000335
3. Teh Guan Leong – M20112001445
4. Wong Wai Lun – M20112001446
5. Wong Wang Yuen – M20111000734

2. INTRODUCTION

3. What is Math Anxiety?
1. Webster's New Word Dictionary explains anxiety as
worry or uneasiness about what may happen.
2. Feelings of tension, apprehension, or even dread that
interferes with the ordinary manipulation of number
and the solving of mathematical problems (Ashcraft &
Faust, 1994)
3. The panic, helplessness, paralysis and mental
disorganization that arises among some people when
they are required to solve a mathematical problem
(Tobias & Weissbrod, 1980)

4. What is Math Anxiety?
4. Like stage fright, math anxiety can be a disabling
condition, causing humiliation, resentment, and even
panic. (http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/anxiety/)
5. Math anxiety can cause on to forget and lose one's self
confidence (Tobias, S., 1993)
6. Anxiety is something felt, an unpleasant emotional
(affective) state that is universally experienced.
(Freud, 1936)

5. Some quotes from Students
"Some people can do math - not me!"
"When I look at a math problem, my mind goes
completely blank. I feel stupid, and I can't
remember how to do even the simplest things"
"In math there's always one right answer, and if
you can't find it you've failed. That makes me
crazy."

6. Some quotes from Students
"Math exams terrify me. My palms get sweaty, I
breathe too fast, and often I can't even make my
eyes focus on the paper. It's worse if I look
around, because I'd see everybody else
working, and know that I'm the only one who can't
do it"
"Sometimes I do problems my own way. Even
though I get the right answer my teacher would
not give me credit because I didn't do it the
way he showed us"

7. MATHS ANXIETY:
SYMPTOMS

8. Math Anxiety: Symptoms
Psychological Symptoms:
• Confusion
• Lack of confidence
• Panic-stricken worry
• Negative thoughts
• Sudden memory loss

9. Math Anxiety: Symptoms
Physiological Symptoms:
• Rapid heart beat
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Stomach disorders
• Headaches

10. Why is Understanding
Math Anxiety Important?

12. The Positive Cycle

13. The Negative Cycle

14. If you have high confidence in math

15. If you have high math anxiety

16. The Math Anxiety Process
From Cynthia Arem, Conquering Math Anxiety: A Self-Help Workbook, 1993, p. 20

17. MYTHS AND
MISCONCEPTIONS

18. MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTION
1. Aptitude for mathematics is inborn
2. To be good at mathematics you have to be
good at calculating
3. Maths requires logic, not creativity
4. In mathematics, what's important is getting
the right answer
5. Men are naturally better than women at
mathematical thinking

19. CAUSES / FACTORS

20. Math anxiety has been related to
personality type, a negative attitude
toward mathematics, mathematics
avoidance, mathematics background,
instructor behaviors, level of
mathematics achievement, lack of
confidence, and negative school
experiences (Bursal & Paznokas, 2006).

21. Causes / Factors
From the research that conducted
(Puteh, 1998), it was found that the causes of
mathematics anxiety were related to:
• teacher personality
• public examination
• affective domain
• feelings, worries, difficulties
• parents
• peer group
• relevance

22. Teacher personality and their
teaching style
• Bias Aiken (1976) reported
• creativity
more generally that the
attitudes of teachers
• individual help themselves towards
• force/thread mathematics have and
influence on their pupils'
• not attentive attitudes and also an
• authority/culture influence on the style and
methods that they will
• blame then adopt in imparting
• public humiliation the knowledge and skills
• unrealistic
of mathematics in their
turn.
expectation

23. The teacher should control behavior, but not
thought (Buxton, 1981).
The mathematics teacher needs to be creative
in his teaching methods, so students do not
lose interest. This idea is supported by a
study conducted by Pyne, Bates, and Turner
(1995).

24. Many teachers promote the false idea that
females cannot perform as well as males in
mathematics (Jackson & Leffingwell, 1999).
Again, the teacher needs to be aware of his
words, sighs, and overall body language
(Jackson & Leffingwell,1999).

25. Public examination
• exam-oriented Betz (1978) revealed
• pressure
that the level of
mathematics anxiety
• timed test reported was related to
• future
scores on a standardized
mathematics
• rating achievement test.
• filter
• panic
• pass experience

26. Affective domain
Modified version of Mitchell and Collins (1991,
p. 30)
Attitudes Expectation Anxiety Disability
"Maths is "I'll be Flight/ Unable
difficult humiliated" avoidance to think
for me"
Some students encounter shock when transfer from
primary to secondary.

27. Feeling, worries, difficulties
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
EDUCATION IN S.E. ASIA Vol. 26, No. 2
Significant differences in feelings were noted
with regards to the rank order of the
problems they chose to solve.

28. Feeling, worries, difficulties
Which problem to solve first?
Easiest problem, familiar problem, minimum
working, understand problem
Which problem to solve last?
Multiple steps, more time required, lack of
understanding

29. Parental expectation - their
aspiration and standards
• high pay As stated earlier that a
• expectation/
student's self esteem
and mathematical
standard confidence is directly
• practical support
related to their parent's
perception and
• comparison expectation according to
• role model Kober (1991)

30. Teachers and parents that are afraid of
mathematics pass that on to their students
and children (Furner & Duffy, 2002).

31. Peer group influences
• lack of support Shapiro's (1962) findings
• knowledge
indicated that peer
attitudes in elementary
• effects school may indeed be
influential, especially in
the cases of girls.

32. Relevance
• usage/application
in daily life
• constant failure
• memorized as
solution
• understanding is
critical
• use as punishment

33. Mathematics certainly means
many things to many people
(Marzita binti Puteh, 2002).

34. IMPLICATION
STUDENTS' SIDE OF
ANXIETY

36. The Mathematics Anxiety Pattern
(Puteh, 2002)
Avoidance
Negative I’m poor in Fear
experiences mathematics , panic, worry, anxiety
involving
mathematics
Unable to perform

37. Contribution to the formation of negative
attitudes and mathematics anxiety (Puteh,
2002)
• Fear of asking for help
• Teachers blaming students for not
understanding.
• Teacher ridiculing students
• Teacher’s strictness and fierceness.
• Use of treats and force by teachers
• Teachers not showing interest in their
students
• Teaching style which emphasis the transfer
of information and not attention to the
learning of the individual.

38. Pressure of examination and its effect on
students.
Betz (1978)- the level of mathematics
anxiety was related to scores . [low math
anxiety , high achievement scores, and vice
versa]

39. Family/Parental & Peer Group Influences
Towards Mathematics
Poffeenberger and Norton (1959)- Parents
affect on child’s attitude and performance
in 3 ways.
1) by parental encouragement,
2) by parent’s own attitudes,
3) by parental expectations of child’s
achievement.
This two factors have great impact on
students performance and math anxiety

40. Family/Parental ,Teacher & Peer Group
Studies
• Kenschaft (1991) reported that parent’s
support or lack of support is an important in
students’ attitude and participation in
mathematics instruction.
• Dossey (1992) considered teachers important
role in shaping attitudes towards
mathematics.
• Harris (1995) concluded that peer
affiliations become increasingly more
influential on shaping attitudes than parents
and teachers.

41. Math Anxiety in Elementary and
Secondary School Students
A review of the Literature by
Allen Wigfield(1988) Judith L.Meece
University of Michigan University of North
Carolina
Journal of Educational Psychology 1988. Vol.80. No.2,
210-215

42. Introduction
Studies have documented the negative effects
of math anxiety on math performance and
achievement.
Students Math anxiety may impact on their
ability to learn Math Effectively.
Liebert and Morris (1967) distinguished two
component of test anxiety,
WORRY-cognitive components.
EMOTIONALLY-affective components

43. Purpose of study to examine age and
gender difference in Math Anxiety
• Age (High) – Pressure more, Anxiety level
(High)
• (Elementary school does not emphasize
evaluation as much)
• Gender: Boys & Girls did not differ in their
Math WORRY report. (Indicates they are
equally concern about doing well in Math.
• Girls more negative affection reactions to
Math compare to boys. ( Indicates when
Math harder, girls more likely to stop taking
math)

44. Suggestion by researchers
• Suggest that intervention programs
• To alleviate the negative effects of math
anxiety must deal with both affective and
cognitive aspects of math anxiety.
• Should be implemented during the
elementary school years
• Before children’s anxiety about math
becomes strongly established.

45. How Negative Expectancies and
Attitudes Undermine Females’ Math
Confidence and Performance:
A review of the Literature by
Jennifer Gutbezahl (1995)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
ED 380 279

46. Summary
• Societies as a whole believe females are less
mathematically capable than males.
• This belief is communicated to parents and
teachers, who pass it along to students.
• Girls come to view their failures in math as
evidence that they are indeed inferior and
to view their successes as flukes.

47. Cycle of Low Expectancy on female
Students by Parents and Teachers
Lower Lower
Performance Expectations
Negative
Expectancies Parents
& Attitudes Expectations
about Math
Teachers
Expectations

48. Continue
• This belief reinforces the belief that females
are not capable of doing well in math.
• Females stop taking advanced math courses
in high school or college, believing them too
difficult.
• In the end, the expectancies of their parents
and teachers are fulfilled and society was
further “proof” of females’ inferior math
ability

49. Surprisingly about this cycle
• Differences between males’ and females’
performance is quite small .
• There is no sig. difference between boys and
girls match achievement in elementary
school, and few difference at any age
(Feingold,1988;NAEP,1983; Shipman, Krantz
& Silver,1992)
• And these differences are getting smaller
over time (Hyde & Linn, 1988)

50. Future trend of females’ ability
• In future, these differences decrease,
parents and teachers will see more that
females are capable of performing well in
mathematics.
• This will lead to more parental and
academic support, further enhancing
females’ ability.
• In this way, the cycle may be broken ( IT
HAS BROKEN AS WE CAN SEE NOWADAYS
MORE AND MORE FEMALES EXCEL GREATER
THAN MALES.)

51. The Effects of Mathematics
Anxiety on Matriculation
Students as Related to
Motivation and Achievement:
A review of the Literature by;
Effandi Zakaria & Norazah Mohd Nordin (2008)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology
Education, 2008, 4(1), 27-30

52. Math Anxiety & Motivation
Math Anxiety & Achievement
Study Findings
Math Anxiety (High), Achievement (Low)
Math Anxiety (High), Motivation (Low)
 The results of this study provide evidence
that math anxiety has an important effect in
math education.
 Therefore, teacher should be thinking on
how to reduce students’ anxieties by finding
a better way to teach mathematics

53. Implications
Woodard (2004) suggested techniques:
1. Create an environment in which students
do not feel threatened and allow them
to relax
2. Use cooperative grouping
3. Teach at as slow pace. (comprehend
better)
4. Provide extra tuition session.

54. Literature Review Conclusion
• Mathematics anxiety exists and potentially
affecting the associated learning.
• The root can be affective and cognitive, with
people’s beliefs influencing the way they think
about math and subsequently affecting their
learning.
• Evidence show ability to do mathematics is
strongly influenced by people’s attitudes rather
than any cognitive skills.
• We need to further research how to prevent
such anxiety.

55. IMPLICATION
TEACHERS' SIDE OF
ANXIETY
(Teaching Anxiety)

56. Anxiety on Math
• Personality
• Environment
• Intellectual

57. Personality
Emotion:
• Before works
• Family matters
• Works not done – being assign/taking part in
activities in particular month (s)
Experiences:
• Unpleasant math experience
• Previous students on particular topics
• Preset in mind (distributed to weak/ talent
classes)

58. Environment
• Facilities - damage
• Spontaneous event (announcement)
• Cultural misconception / Gender Misconception
– issues of male doing better than female
• Pressure from parents
• Too much concerning on improvement
• Bothering teacher all the time

59. Intellectual
Conceptual knowledge
• Performs but lack of concept…
Anxious abilities in certain area
• Carried heaviest marks
Acceptation of different learning background
• Different application

60. Prevent & reduce
math anxiety

61. Assess
Students’ Attitude
• Teachers assess their students attitudes toward
math at the beginning of a school year by having
them complete the following mathitude survey.
1. When I hear the word math I.......
2. My favourite thing in math is......
3. My least favourite thing in math is.......
4. If I could ask for one thing in math it would be..........
5. My favourite teacher for math is.....

62. Change:
Teaching Approaches
Teachers need to help kids see the important
of math.
 Pupils learn to value and see application for
learning math inside and outside the classroom.
 Help students realize that it is not something
from which they can escape, but a tool they need
to learn how to use.
 It is important to become confident in one’s
ability to do math.

63. Change:
Teaching Approaches
Teachers must employ best practices for teaching
mathematics in their classrooms.
Address different learning style.
a) the use of manipulative (make learning math concrete)
 pictures and symbols to model or represent abstract
ideas
b) the use of cooperative group work
 provide students a chance to exchange ideas

64. Change:
Teaching Approaches
c) the use of calculators, computers, and all technology
 interactive motion game, graphing calculator, note
and video online…
d) the use of games, jokes and cartoons
 cards playing, Tangrams, experimenting…

65. Change:
Teaching Approaches
e) the use of the assessment of learning as a part of
instruction
 employ alternative and authentic assessment.
f) the role of the teacher of being a facilitator of
learning
 discussing feelings, attitudes, and appreciation
for mathematics with students regularly

66. Change:
Teaching Approaches
Teach test taking and study skills!
a) Teach note-taking skills
b) Teach test-taking skills
c) Teach relaxation techniques
d) Teach the importance of homework/studying
e) Teach how to read and use the textbook
f) Teach positive “I” messages
g) Teach visualization of success in math

67. Change:
Learning Approaches
Introduce the ten self-help techniques for
combating math anxiety.
1. Learn stress management and relaxation
techniques.
2. Combat negative thinking.
3. Visualize yourself succeeding.
4. Do “easiest” problems first.
5. Start preparing early.

68. Change:
Learning Approaches
Introduce the ten self-help techniques for
combating math anxiety.
6. Try to understand the “why” of math
concepts rather than memorizing.
7. Find a support group.
8. Do math every day and study smart.
9. Utilize all your resources.
10. Reward yourself for hard work.

69. Conclusion
• Math anxiety happens in the classroom due to the
lack of consideration of different learning styles of
students.
• Math must be looked upon in a positive light to
reduce math anxiety.
• Teachers must re-examine traditional teaching
methods which often do not match students’
learning styles and skills needed in society.
• As a result once young children see math as fun,
they will enjoy it, and, the joy of mathematics
could remain with them throughout the rest of their
lives.

70. Paraphrase
A Chinese proverb
“Tell me mathematics, and I will forget;
show me mathematics and I may remember,
involve me...and I will understand mathematics.”
If I understand mathematics, I will be less likely to
have math anxiety. And if I become a teacher of
mathematics, I can thus begin a cycle that will
produce less math-anxious students for
generations to come.

71. THE END