Lower Math Research Articles

"It's Different for Girls!" The Role of Anxiety, Physiological Arousal, and Subject Preferences in Primary School Children's Math and Mental Rotation Performance.

(1) Background: This study examines the role of subjective anxiety (mathematics and spatial anxiety), along with physiological responses, in mathematics or math and mental rotation performance in 131 German primary school students (65 girls, 66 boys; Mean age = 8.73 years). (2) Method: Students' preference for math vs. German and their subjective anxiety were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Emotional reactivity was measured using the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). Math performance was evaluated via percentage scored and completion times on number line estimation, word problems, and missing terms tasks. Spatial skills were assessed using a novel mental rotation task (nMRT) incorporating gender-congruent and -neutral stimuli. (3) Results: Girls outperformed boys on percentage scored on the math task but took longer to complete this. No gender differences were found in performance on the nMRT. Girls demonstrated higher math anxiety and were less likely to prefer math over German. Math anxiety predicted math scores and accuracy on the nMRT while gender predicted math performance and mental rotation response time. Subject preference was associated with longer completion times and emotional reactivity with longer response times. Girls' preference for math and lower emotional reactivity was linked to shorter completion times, while lower math anxiety predicted higher scores. In contrast, these factors did not affect boys' math performance. Additionally, subjective anxiety, emotional reactivity, or subject preference did not impact spatial performance for either gender. (4) Conclusions: Supporting mathematical self-efficacy and emotional regulation, especially in girls, is crucial for enhancing STEM outcomes in primary education. Gender-fair assessment in mental rotation reveals equitable spatial performance and reduces the impact of anxiety.

Utilizing task with scaffolding: growth of students' mathematical understanding from layers of image having to property noticing

Introduction. Learning mathematics accompanied by understanding is an essential component of factual and procedural knowledge skills practical for students in solving real-life problems. Errors in solving systems of linear equations in two variables (SPLDV) among students can be caused by various factors, including students' lack of understanding of this concept, so this problem must be studied in depth by utilizing task with scaffolding. The research aimed to explore the potential of a task to foster mathematical understanding of students from the image-having layer to the property noticing layer in the learning context of a system of linear equations in two variables (SPLDV). Study participants and methods. The study involved three students in grade 8 at a junior high school in Indonesia. They were selected based on their mathematical ability (low, moderate, and high) based on their accumulated score reports in grade 7 and information from the teacher who taught them. This study employed a qualitative research approach, data collection was carried out by giving task to students, observing, and interviews them while doing the task, and data analysis began with transcription and organizing the results of interviews and student task, followed by identification and classification of difficulties faced by students. The results. The study showed that student with low mathematical ability has difficulty recognizing patterns or relationships between coefficients and variables in equations. Even with the help of scaffolding, the student still did not succeed in strengthening her understanding to complete the task given, so her understanding only shifted slightly from the image having layer and could not move completely to the property noticing layer. Next, a student with moderate mathematical ability had a sufficient understanding of the concept of variables and coefficients. However, she still needed additional help to complete task, especially in determining the value of variable. She was observed to be already at the property noticing layer of understanding because she had been able to identify the property of two linear equations in two variables that is equivalence and complete the task given. Lastly, the student with high mathematical ability could understand the relevant mathematical concepts well. She could complete the task assigned well despite folding back and scaffolding. Thus, this student's understanding reached the property noticing layer. Conclusions. The research showed differences in the growth of mathematical understanding from the image having layer to the property noticing layer among junior high school students with low, medium, and high mathematical ability. The student with lower math skills was only slightly shifted from the image having layer and could not be transferred completely to the property noticing layer. The student with moderate mathematical ability had reached the layer of understanding properties because she was able to identify equivalent properties of two linear equations in two variables and complete the given task. Lastly, the student with high mathematical skills has reached the layer of property noticing.

Penerapan Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving (Tapps) Setting Working Backward Pada Materi Belah Ketupat Untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa

One common goal of learning mathematics junior high school students were included in the National Education Standards is that students have the competence to solve problems that include the ability to understand the problem , devised a mathematical model , solve the model , and interpret the obtained solution . This research is motivated by the low student math learning outcomes . This is because of the lack of creative educators in teaching mathematics so that math becomes fun. Based on those explanations, problem formulation in this research is 1)Is the application of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving (TAPPS) setting working backward method into Rhombus topic able to improve learning activity of Class VII B students of MTs Miftahul Huda?; and 2) Is the application of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving (TAPPS) setting working backward method into Rhombus topic able to improve learning result of Class VII B students of MTs Miftahul Huda. Meanwhile, the purpose of this research is 1) to find activity improvements of the students in the application of Thinking Aloud Pair Problem solving (TAPPS) setting working backward learning method into Rhombus topic in Class VII B MTs Miftahul Huda; 2) to find study result improvements after using Thinking Aloud Pair Problem solving (TAPPS) setting working backward method into Rhombus topic in Class VII B MTs Miftahul Huda. The research method is descriptive quantitative research method and classroom action research by data analysis technique. Based on this study result, students activity porcentage in first meeting was 87,5 % with ‘very active category’, while in second meeting the porcentage was 92,4 % with ‘very active category’. This result shows the improvement by 4,9%. Meanwhile, result analysis of students learning progress data based on data in Mathematics teacher, shows that comprehension porcentage of previous material reviews was 70,8 %, while comprehension porcentage of the last test is 87,5 %. It shows that there is improvement by 16,7 % in students comprehension at Mathematics and classically comprehensed. Based on research results and analysis, it can be concluded that 1) Aplication of TAPPS setting working backward is able to improve students activities in Class VII B MTs Miftahul Huda; and 2) Application of TAPPS setting working backward is able to improve study results of students in Class VII B MTs Miftahul Huda.

Racial stereotype and Black adolescents' math achievement: Unpacking the socio-cognitive mechanisms

Racial stereotypes are salient to Black adolescents and to the academic domain of mathematics; however, few studies have examined the socio-cognitive mechanisms through which racial stereotypes impact math achievement. This 2-year longitudinal study (N = 790 Grade 6, 8, and 10 students during Year 1; 50.7% girls and 49.3% boys) investigated (a) the extent to which the endorsement of positively and negatively biased racial stereotypes predicted Black adolescents' math performance through their cognitive engagement and ability mindset and (b) whether gender and ethnic-racial identity moderated these links. Results suggested that endorsement of negatively biased stereotypes was associated with diminished cognitive engagement and lower math scores across 2 years (p < .05). Additionally, adolescents' ethnic-racial identity commitment moderated the negative links between stereotype endorsement and math cognitive engagement in Year 2 (p < .05). When considering the mediating role of math ability mindsets, the endorsement of both positively and negatively biased racial stereotypes operated on math performance via its links to stronger fixed ability mindset beliefs in both years (p < .05). Gender also moderated the effects of racial stereotype endorsement on math mindset beliefs in Year 1 (p < .01). This study's findings advance the field's understanding of the psychosocial mechanisms through which racial stereotypes operate, thus enabling educators to develop tailored practices that facilitate equitable access to math learning opportunities.

The impact of math anxiety and self-efficacy in middle school STEM choices: A 3-year longitudinal study.

In today's world, which is progressively oriented towards science and technology and facing a growing demand for skilled professionals, it becomes essential to identify the factors that encourage individuals to pursue careers in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Previous research has shown that affective-motivational factors, math performance and gender influence STEM occupational and academic choices in adulthood. However, few studies examined how these factors may influence STEM choices as early as middle school. This study aims to assess how math anxiety, math self-efficacy, math performance and gender influence STEM school choices during middle school. We longitudinally assessed a group of 109 students (Year 6) over three school years, with measurements taken on three different occasions. Findings indicated that individuals who made an STEM school choice experienced lower math anxiety, higher self-efficacy and math performance and were predominantly male. Furthermore, the results indicated that both math anxiety in Year 7 and self-efficacy in Year 6 made the most substantial unique contributions to the STEM school choice. Math anxiety and math self-efficacy seem to be both crucial in influencing middle school students' STEM choices, offering new perspectives for early interventions aimed at promoting more informed school choices.

Beyond numbers: the role of mathematics self-concept and spatial anxiety in shaping mental rotation performance and STEM preferences in primary education

IntroductionFactors such as low self-concept and anxiety have been shown to negatively impact mathematical achievement and spatial skills, as well as enjoyment of math-related subjects. Understanding these factors is crucial for promoting STEM interest and performance, particularly among primary school students.MethodsThis cross-sectional study examines the influence of gender, childhood development stage, maths self-concept, spatial anxiety, perceived difficulty, mental rotation performance, and STEM preferences in a sample of 144 primary school students (mean age M = 8.47), comprising 70 girls and 74 boys. Data were collected through four questionnaires and a computerized Mental Rotation Task (MRT).ResultsGirls and tweens (9-to-11-year-olds) exhibit lower maths self-concept, impacting their preference for maths as a STEM subject. Girls also demonstrate higher spatial anxiety and perceived difficulty of the MRT compared to boys. Maths self-concept is significantly associated with spatial anxiety and perceived difficulty, while gender is not. Maths self-concept shows marginal effects on students’ accuracy on the MRT, with evidence of a mediating effect of spatial anxiety.DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of maths self-concept in shaping STEM preferences, particularly among girls and tweens. Additionally, maths self-concept serves as a mitigating factor for spatial anxiety and perceived difficulty in spatial tasks among primary school children. The study also suggests that spatial anxiety may contribute to gender disparities in mathematics and STEM-related domains. Further research is needed to explore interventions targeting maths self-concept and spatial anxiety to promote equitable STEM engagement amongst primary school students.

Examining changes in adolescents' high school math and science motivational beliefs and their relations to parental STEM support and STEM major choice at the intersectionality of gender and college generation status.

Drawing on the situated expectancy-value, dimensional comparison theories, and the intersectionality approach, this article examined the changes in adolescents' math and science motivational beliefs, the parental and college correlates of those beliefs, and the differences at the intersection of gender and college generation status (i.e., female and male first- and continuing-generation college students). Findings based on the nationally representative high-school longitudinal study data (N = 12,070; Mage = 14 years; 54% female students; 28% first-generation college students; and 14% Latinx, 9% Black, 10% Asian, and 57% White) suggest that although adolescents' math and science ability self-concepts declined during high school, their science interest remained stable, and their math and science utility values increased. Adolescents' motivational beliefs in ninth grade and the changes from ninth to 11th grade positively predicted whether they declared a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college major. Parents' ninth-grade STEM support was more consistently associated with adolescents' concurrent beliefs compared to the changes in their beliefs. Finally, we found that female first-generation college students, who were more likely to be Latinx and Black students, tended to have lower math and science motivational beliefs, received less parental STEM support, and were less likely to choose a STEM major than their peers. The findings of this study indicate adolescents' math and science motivational development in high school matters for their college majors and that certain understudied groups, including female first-generation college students, may experience acute marginalization in STEM and warrant further attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of COVID-19 school disruptions on children's learning.

National health policies to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the US resulted in widespread school closures and disrupted learning in Spring 2020. This study draws on unique individual-level data from n = 282 5-12 year olds enrolled in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Research Program to investigate associations between caregiver-reported duration of Spring 2020 learning disruptions and academic achievement. Linear regression analyses estimated that children who experienced more than 4 weeks of instruction disruptions in Spring 2020 scored 4.5 points [95% CI: -8.77, -0.22] lower on age-normed math assessments compared to peers who had four or fewer weeks of disruption, adjusting for sociodemographic variables, pre-pandemic vocabulary, and COVID-19 family hardships and stress. No differences were found for reading. Children whose caregivers had higher levels of pandemic-related traumatic stress and lower educational attainment also had lower math scores, adjusting for all other covariates. Results suggest educators and schools focus additional attention on supporting math instruction for children who experienced extended learning disruptions.

ANALISIS KEMAMPUAN PEMECAHAN MASALAH MATEMATIS SISWA SMK PADA MATERI PELUANG DITINJAU DARI KEMAMPUAN AWAL MATEMATIS

This study was conducted to analyze the problem-solving ability of grade XII students of SMKN 2 Karawang for the 2023/2024 Academic Year in terms of their initial mathematical abilities. This research uses a qualitatively descriptive approach. The subjects consisted of six students who were selected representatively to represent each level of initial mathematical ability. Data was collected based on problem-solving ability tests and initial mathematical ability tests. The collected data were analyzed to evaluate students' problem-solving abilities in three categories: high, medium, and low math skills. Students who have high initial mathematical abilities manage to precisely meet all indicators at each stage of problem solving. Students with moderate initial mathematical ability still do not meet the indicators at all stages of mathematical problem solving. Students with low initial mathematical ability understand all indicators but do not apply them to every solution.

Exploring the potential of a game-based preschool assessment of mathematical competencies

BackgroundEarly mathematical competencies are foundational for later academical development. There is a need for valid and resource-saving approaches to assess those skills. The House of Numbers (HoN) is a newly developed linear board game that allows the assessment of preschool early mathematical competencies. This article aims to examine aspects of this 24-item screening such as its reliability and validity, and whether it can successfully identify children at risk of developing math difficulties. It also aims to explore children’s perceptions of the game-based HoN compared to a typical preschool math test.MethodsA sample of 147 German preschoolers (Mage = 5 years 10 months, SDage = 5 months) was evaluated with the HoN and with a standard instrument for assessing early mathematical competencies (MARKO-D). Additionally, a subsample of n = 47 children rated their perception of both tools.ResultsThe results speak against an effect of the game-setting on the children’s performance. Regarding the aspects of the reliability and the validity of the HoN, both tools were sensitive to age differences between 5- and 6-year-old children. The high correlation between the two assessments speaks for the convergent validity of the HoN. Furthermore, an item analysis based on the Rasch model showed excellent results for all items of the new game-based approach. The distribution of the items on the logit measurement ruler of the Person-Item Map confirms, with only a few explainable exceptions, the developmental levels of the model the HoN is based on. A high person and item reliability confirm the internal consistency of the HoN. Regarding the diagnostic validity of the HoN, running a receiver operating characteristic curve resulted in a superior discrimination area under the curve. A sample relevant cut-off z-score was specified. Using this score as an indicator of low math performance resulted in high sensitivity, specificity and a high relative improvement over chance index. In addition, children’s explorative assessment of perception speaks in favor of the game-based assessment.ConclusionAll in all, the findings suggest, that the game-based measurement HoN can be a reliable, valid, time-saving, and attractive option for assessing early mathematical competencies in preschool settings.

Profiles of general, test, and mathematics anxiety in 9- and 12-year-olds: relations to gender and mathematics achievement

AbstractAs international focus increasingly turns to the need to build a future mathematics workforce, research has aimed to better understand the salient individual and contextual factors that influence maths engagement and achievement across development. This study investigates self-reported general anxiety, test anxiety, and maths anxiety in two cohorts of Australian students aged 9–10 years (n = 158) and 12–13 years (n = 115) and associations with maths achievement and gender. Test and maths anxiety were negatively correlated with maths achievement and there were no gender differences in maths achievement. Cross-sectional latent profile analyses established two anxiety profiles in the older cohort (low and high across all anxiety measures) and a more complex five-profile solution for the younger cohort (various combinations of anxiety). Members of profiles with higher levels of test and mathematics anxiety had lower maths achievement, with girls over-represented in these profiles.

How mathematical dispositions of adult learners play a role in their STEM choices

AbstractMathematical dispositions, or an individual's behavioral (i.e., things they say and do), cognitive (i.e., attention and memory), and affective (i.e., emotions and beliefs) tendencies related to mathematics, are critical to the learning of mathematics and choices related to STEM. Previous research has suggested that adult learners may possess unproductive mathematical dispositions, such as high math anxiety and low math self‐efficacy. This paper argues that unproductive mathematical dispositions may serve as a barrier to adult learners' STEM choices and provides strategies and techniques to help move adult learners towards productive mathematical dispositions and potentially stronger attraction to STEM fields.

Investigating the relationship between math literacy and linguistic synchrony in online mathematical discussions through large‐scale data analytics

AbstractPrevious literature has associated math literacy with linguistic factors such as verbal ability and phonological skills. However, few studies have investigated linguistic synchrony, shown in mathematical discussions. This study modelled math literacy and examined the relationship of math literacy with linguistic synchrony between students and facilitators. We retrieved data from 20,776 online mathematical discussion threads at a secondary school level. First, we assessed students' math literacy based on their discussions and classified them into high‐ and low‐math literacy groups. Then, we conducted Cross‐Recurrence Quantification Analysis (CRQA) to calculate linguistic synchrony within each thread. The result implies that students with high math literacy are more likely to share common words (eg, mathematical terms) with facilitators. At the same time, they would paraphrase the facilitators' words rather than blindly mimic them as the exact sentences or phrases. On the other hand, students with low math literacy tend to use overlapping words with facilitators less frequently and are more likely to repeat the exact same phrases from the facilitators. The findings provide an empirical data analysis and insights into mathematical discussions and linguistic synchrony. In addition, this paper implies the directions to improve online mathematical discussions and foster math literacy. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Mathematical discussions are known to be an effective way to promote math literacy. Math literacy and linguistic skills have a strong link. Linguistic synchrony is related to better collaboration and common knowledge building. What this paper adds Reveals the relationship between math literacy and linguistic synchrony and deepens the understanding of digital communication in online learning environments. Provides empirical analysis of natural language data in group discussions using CRQA. Conceptualizes linguistic synchrony with three sub‐concepts: linguistic concurrence, predictability, and complexity. Implications for practice and/or policy Educators and practitioners could utilize the automatic formative assessment of math literacy based on the student's language use in mathematical discussions. Educational technology researchers and designers could include CRQA indices and recurrence plots in the dashboard design to provide information to support teachers and learners. Teachers would be able to provide real‐time interventions to promote effective mathematical communication and foster math literacy throughout mathematical discussions.

How do Math Anxiety and Self-Confidence Affect Mathematical Problem Solving?

Problem-solving performance requires both cognitive and affective aspects related to math anxiety and self-confidence. This study aims to determine the effect of math anxiety and self-confidence on geometry problem-solving skills and then explore students' geometry problem-solving based on their level of math anxiety and self-confidence. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design and involved 106 students. The quantitative portion of the study employed a multiple linear regression test to examine the influence of math anxiety and self-confidence on problem solving. Furthermore, qualitative research was done to thoroughly examine the effect through in-depth interviews. The results demonstrate that math anxiety and self-confidence influenced geometry problem-solving (R = 0.476; p = 0.000) and contributed 22.6% based on the value of R-square. Furthermore, the present study also found differences in the performance of a subject with low math anxiety and high self-confidence and a subject with high math anxiety and low self-confidence.

Mathematics anxiety and number processing: The link between executive functions, cardinality, and ordinality.

One important factor that hampers children's learning of mathematics is math anxiety (MA). Still, the mechanisms by which MA affects performance remain debated. The current study investigated the relationship between MA, basic number processing abilities (i.e., cardinality and ordinality processing), and executive functions in school children enrolled in grades 4-7 (N = 127). Children were divided into a high math anxiety group (N = 29) and a low math anxiety group (N = 31) based on the lowest quartile and the highest quartile. Using a series of analyses of variances, we find that highly math-anxious students do not perform worse on cardinality processing tasks (i.e., digit comparison and non-symbolic number sense), but that they perform worse on numerical and non-numerical ordinality processing tasks. We demonstrate that children with high MA show poorer performance on a specific aspect of executive functions-shifting ability. Our models indicate that shifting ability is tied to performance on both the numerical and non-numerical ordinality processing tasks. A central factor seems to be the involvement of executive processes during ordinality judgements, and executive functions may constitute the driving force behind these delays in numerical competence in math-anxious children.

Anxiety's Impact on Mathematics Ability in Tanzanian Secondary School Students: A Singida District Case Study

Professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are in greater demand globally. Numerous governmental and commercial organizations have redesigned education and encouraged training to improve workers' and students' math and science proficiency in order to successfully meet this need. Programs for education and training usually aim to increase participants' understanding of math and science. Tanzania's consistently low math success has alarmed many, including the government, which has led them to investigate potential reasons for the poor performance. It is thought that students' experiences with mathematics anxiety have an impact on their mathematical achievement. This study looked into how secondary school students in Singida district's area performed academically in relation to math anxiety. The study's sample consisted of 1150 students who were selected from twelve secondary schools in the Singida area. To gather data, standardized questionnaires with closed-ended questions were distributed to participants. The study made use of the respondents' terminal exam results in mathematics. To examine the gathered data, both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Overall, the findings demonstrated a statistically significant ( 0.025-two tailed) impact of mathematics anxiety on students' academic performance in mathematics. A correlation coefficient, r=0.425 suggests a substantial, positive association or relationship between the impact of math anxiety and math performance. When all other factors are maintained constant, a regression analysis using the equation

Blood lead levels and math learning in first year of school: An association for concern

Lead is a well-known neurotoxicant that continues to affect children's cognition and behavior. With the aim to examine the associations of lead exposure with math performance in children at the beginning of formal schooling, we conducted a cross-sectional study of first-grade students from 11 schools in Montevideo, Uruguay. Math abilities were assessed with tests from the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz (Calculation, Math Facts Fluency, Applied Problems, Math Calculation Skills and Broad Maths). Separate generalized linear models (GLM) tested the association of blood lead level (BLL) and each math ability, adjusting for key covariates including age and sex, maternal education, household assets and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory score. In a complete-case of 252 first-grade students (age 67–105 months, 45% girls), mean ± SD blood lead level was 4.0 ± 2.2 μg/dL. Covariate-adjusted logistic models were used to examine the association between childhood BLLs and the odds of low math performance. BLL was negatively associated with scores on the Calculation test (β (95% CI): −0.18 (−0.33, −0.03)), Math Calculation Skills (−1.26 (−2.26, −0.25)), and Broad Maths cluster scores (−0.88 (−1.55, −0.21)). Similarly, performance on the Calculation test, as well as cluster scores for Broad Maths and Math Calculation Skills differed between children with BLLs <5 and ≥ 5 μg/dL (p < 0.01), being lower in children with higher BLLs. Finally, considering the likelihood of low test performance, each 1 μg/dL higher B–Pb was related to 27% higher likelihood for Maths Facts Fluency, 30% for Broad Math and Math Calculation Skills, and 31% for Calculation (p < 0.05). These results suggest that lead exposure is negatively associated with several basic skills that are key to math learning. These findings further suggest that the cognitive deficits related to lead exposure impact student achievement at very early stages of formal education.

Socioeconomic Status and Children’s Math Proficiency Development: The Role of Parental Math Expectation, Investment, and Involvement

Parental investment mechanisms underlying the relations between socioeconomic status (SES)and primary math proficiency are not well-understood. Using the lens of parental expectation, parental investment and parental stress model, present study narratively reviewed relevant literature on parental math expectation, math investment and math involvement that mediates the relations between SES and primary math proficiency. Evidence suggests that compared to high-SES parents, low-SES parents have low math expectation, poor math investment and math involvement by which low-SES influences poor math proficiency development over the primary schooling. Further research is necessary to confirm the parental investment pathways by which low-SES compared to high-SES influences children’s poor math proficiency during primary grades.

Cognitive correlates of math abilities in autism spectrum disorder.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the contribution of different cognitive processes to specific math abilities in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) students. The study involved a group of students with ASD without intellectual disabilities (n = 26) and a group with TD students (n = 52). The two groups aged from six to 20 years old and were matched for age, sex ratio and visuospatial reasoning. To assess math abilities, four math tasks were administered: arithmetic facts, mental calculation, mathematical inferences and math problem solving. Concerning cognitive processes, participants were tested on vocabulary, verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, response inhibition and interference control. The group with ASD showed lower scores on all specific math measures than the TD group; cognitive processes differently contributed to diverse math abilities, and vocabulary and verbal working memory were stronger associated to specific math abilities in the group with ASD than in the TD group. The current results suggest that students with ASD had lower math abilities that are generalized to different math tasks. Implications for research and clinical assessment and intervention were discussed.

Exploring Challenges Towards Learning Mathematics Among Secondary School Students in Nepal

Mathematicians had been concerned with everyday problems. However, today's students are uninterested in learning mathematics. The main objective of this research is to identify students' challenges to learning mathematics. Employing an interpretative research paradigm, the study utilizes a narrative research design involving eight students from public and private schools in the Kaski district. To achieve the research objective, in-depth interviews were conducted with research participants. I had narrated views about challenges towards learning mathematics from my participants. After analysis and interpretation of data, challenges towards learning mathematics were difficulties in learning mathematics, negative perception and external pressure, disruption in learning environment and foundation, changing teacher and lack of support, enjoyment in mathematics practice and fear of teacher, barriers in conceptual clarity and guidance, obstacles in effective mathematics teaching and disinterest, unclear teaching and insufficient support respectively. Moreover, Students face a multitude of challenges in learning mathematics, including issues related to teacher behavior, lack of motivation, the current curriculum, low parental socio-economic status, ineffective teaching strategies, poor home environments, low academic achievements, math anxiety, impractical curricula, and traditional teaching methods.