MATH ANXIETY… CAUSES… WHAT TO DO…
The author is Teacher III
LANY F. ROSARIO
Are you a student who sweats by the mere mention of mathematics? Do you feel like your nerves are on the edge every time the bell rings and signals the start of your Mathematics subject? Many students claim not to like math. But for some, it is simply disliking a certain math topic like fractions.
For some, doing math can cause negative emotions like fear of failure, which harm their ability to perform. This is called “math anxiety”.
What is Math Anxiety?
Math anxiety is an intense emotional feeling of anxiety that students have about their ability to understand and do mathematics. It is a negative emotional reaction to mathematics that can be debilitating. It has been defined as “a feeling of tension and anxiety that interferes with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems. Students who suffer from math anxiety feel that they are not capable of doing activities and classes that involve mathematics.
What Causes Math Anxiety?
Math anxiety does not have a single cause. Most of the time, math anxiety is the result of student’s embarrassing experience with math or a math teacher in previous years and the pressure caused by time limits on tests, the fear of public embarrassment.
Math anxiety has also been linked to negative emotions from the past. If a student has been scolded for getting a wrong answer, it can make his anxiety worse. The same is true if he has been embarrassed in front of others. The deadlines that timed tests impose on students lead them to be uneasy which lead them to forget what they have reviewed and in effect, a lower grade or failure. This creates a vicious cycle which is difficult to break.
How to Deal with Math Anxiety
There are number of ways in dealing with students having math anxiety. Some are listed below:
1. Work on having a positive attitude in math. Having a positive attitude will build confidence and does reduce anxiety.
2.Seek help. Get a tutor. Tutors can provide personal attention that is hard to get at school. They can help students work through their problems in a low-pressure environment. Tutoring can also improve students’self-confidence.
3.Learn the vocabulary of mathematics. Math often uses words in a completely different way than they are used in other subjects.
— oOo— at Meycauayan National High School