Abstract
Recent studies indicate that math anxiety (MA) can already be found in school-aged children. As early MA depicts a potential risk for developing severe mathematical difficulties and impede the socio-emotional development of children, distinct knowledge about how to reduce MA in school-aged children is of particular importance. Therefore, the goal of this systematic review is to summarize the existing body of research on MA interventions for children by identifying the approaches, designs, and characteristics as well as the effects of the interventions.
Highlights
In the last decade, a considerable amount of research focused on math anxiety (MA). Ramirez et al (2018) sum up results of across 65 countries that participated in the 2012 PISA survey and highlight that “33% of 15-year-old students, on average, reported feeling helpless when solving math problems” (p.146)
Answers to these questions might contribute to the field of MA intervention research, as they might serve as a foundation and orientation for future intervention studies aiming at improving children’s emotional well-being and academic development in schools, especially regarding mathematics
The study samples differed between the two main intervention approaches (MI and cognitivebehavioral interventions (CBI)) in regards to the age groups of the participants. 82% of the mathematical interventions (MI) studies targeted school age children (6–12 years), whereas 57% of the studies within the CBI approach focused on adolescents (13–17 years)
Summary
A considerable amount of research focused on math anxiety (MA). Ramirez et al (2018) sum up results of across 65 countries that participated in the 2012 PISA survey and highlight that “33% of 15-year-old students, on average, reported feeling helpless when solving math problems” (p.146). More recent research described MA as early as in primary school children (Ramirez et al, 2013; Cargnelutti et al, 2017; Gunderson et al, 2018; Sorvo et al, 2019; Primi et al, 2020) and highlighted negative impacts of early MA on their short- and long-term development and performance in mathematics (Sorvo et al, 2017; Namkung et al, 2019; Zhang et al, 2019; Barroso et al, 2021). The paper at hand aims to systematically review the existing literature on interventions and approaches that target to reduce MA in school-aged children
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