Abstract
Mathematics anxiety is prevalent in many societies around the world, ranging from 30 to 70% (for a review, see Betz, 1978; Dowker et al., 2016). More than 30% of 15-year-old students across the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries reported having mathematics anxiety (OECD, 2013). Several studies have shown that mathematics anxiety is related to both mathematics performance and joining Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related careers (Moustafa et al., 2017, 2020; Zhang et al., 2019). While most prior studies on the link between mathematics anxiety and interest in STEM careers are correlational, it is plausible to assume that mathematics anxiety at early school years (Krinzinger et al., 2009) could have led to low interest in STEM careers later in life. Importantly, there are almost no existing approved interventions for mathematics anxiety. The purpose of this current opinion article is to highlight the need to develop an individualized intervention that targets factors leading to mathematics anxiety in students.
Highlights
Mathematics anxiety is prevalent in many societies around the world, ranging from 30 to 70%
While most prior studies on the link between mathematics anxiety and interest in STEM careers are correlational, it is plausible to assume that mathematics anxiety at early school years (Krinzinger et al, 2009) could have led to low interest in STEM careers later in life
We argue that individualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (i-CBT) program should include sessions on identifying and modifying wrong beliefs related to mathematics anxiety and issues related to low self-esteem and self-efficacy (e.g., “girls cannot do math” or “I am not a math person”), in individuals with erroneous beliefs about mathematics practices
Summary
Keywords: mathematics anxiety, intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, math education, individualized treatment Reviewed by: Alberto Sardella, University of Messina, Italy Juanna Joensen, University of Chicago, United States Specialty section: This article was submitted to Educational Psychology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychology Citation: Moustafa AA, Al-Emadi AA and Megreya AM (2021) The Need to Develop an Individualized Intervention for Mathematics Anxiety. Front. Psychol. 12:723289. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.723289
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