Abstract
In our technologically advanced society proficiency in mathematics is paramount to success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) employment sector. Mathematics anxiety negatively affects an individual’s physiological and cognitive functioning, which results in the individual obtaining lower achievement in mathematics. The consequences of low mathematics achievement can have devastating consequences for the individual’s career in STEM fields which require high level mathematics. This article will provide a review of the prevalence of mathematics anxiety, its historical development, as well as theories from education, psychology, neuroscience and causal factors purporting to provide a comprehensive understanding of mathematics anxiety. We propose a fourth causal factor, missed opportunity, in which the individual is high functioning academically, but exhibiting mathematics anxiety. He or she is not able to perform well in mathematics due to missing the opportunity to learn the foundational mathematics knowledge necessary in STEM fields.
Highlights
Mathematics anxiety causes an adverse reaction to the physiological and cognitive functioning of an individual when mathematics is presented
Previous research supported the idea that mathematics anxiety was caused by the individual being less skilled, possibly due to a missed opportunity to learn the mathematics, and perhaps less practiced and prepared in the area of math (Rameriz et al, 2018), Maloney and Beilock (2012) purported that perhaps the link between mathematics anxiety and performance in mathematics could be caused by working memory being less available for use because it was occupied by worry when the individual was given a mathematics problem
We propose the possibility of a fourth domain called, missed opportunity, which would account for individuals who are otherwise intelligent and successful, but who still suffer from mathematics anxiety
Summary
Mathematics anxiety causes an adverse reaction to the physiological and cognitive functioning of an individual when mathematics is presented. It is not known whether the self-reported measures of mathematics anxiety were early stages of mathematics anxiety characterized by nervousness, worry, and fear or whether students’ level of anxiety was debilitating causing increased heart rate, perspiration which stifled their ability to perform mathematics because the processing mechanism of their working memory is not functioning fully.
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