Reduce Math Anxiety Research Articles

Investigating math education in reducing math anxiety with the help of Data Envelopment Analysis

Investigating math education in reducing math anxiety with the help of Data Envelopment Analysis

Implementation of the Problem Based Learning Model Assisted with Google Sites to Improve Concept Understanding and Reduce Students' Mathematical Anxiety

This research explores the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) with Google Sites in improving concept comprehension and reducing math anxiety among 36 class X students at SMA N 1 Sewon. Following Kemmis and Mc Taggart's model, the study consisted of two cycles, each with two meetings. Data collection involved observation sheets, concept tests, and anxiety questionnaires. The success criteria were set at over 70% of students achieving high concept understanding and low anxiety. Results indicate significant improvements in both areas. Between pre-action and cycle I, students' understanding increased by 65.97%, with a further 40.28% increase between cycles I and II. The anxiety decreased by 7.73% and 9.03% between the respective periods. By cycle II, 83.33% of students demonstrated high concept understanding, and 80.56% reported low anxiety, meeting the success criteria. This suggests that PBL with Google Sites effectively enhances concept comprehension and reduces math anxiety among class X students.

Examining the efficacy of inoculation and value‐affirmation interventions in improving precandidate reactions among prospective military recruits

AbstractThis study engaged 4848 first‐time, English‐speaking prospective Canadian Armed Forces applicants to evaluate pre‐application interventions' efficacy on the Practice Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (PCFAT). Using a five‐level between‐subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to one of the following intervention conditions: inoculation message, value‐affirmation message, a combination of both, placebo writing intervention, or a no‐intervention control group. The interventions were anchored in inoculation theory and value‐affirmation theory and aimed to reduce math anxiety and close the gender gap in test performance. Contrary to expectations, the interventions did not significantly reduce math anxiety or improve problem‐solving performance. Consistent with the literature, a negative relationship was found between levels of math anxiety and problem‐solving scores, and men outscored women in problem‐solving across all conditions. Despite these outcomes, the study lays a foundation for future research on enhancing pre‐applicant experiences in an increasingly competitive labor market. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The effect of student-perceived teacher support on math anxiety: chain mediation of teacher-student relationship and math self-efficacy.

This study investigates the mechanisms linking students' perceived teacher support with math anxiety, focusing on the mediating roles of the teacher-student relationship and mathematics self-efficacy. The research was conducted with 401 fifth-grade students in China, utilizing scales for Students' Perceived Teacher Support, Teacher-Student Relationship, Math Self-Efficacy, and Math Anxiety. Findings revealed that student-perceived math teacher support, teacher-student relationship, and math self-efficacy were all significantly negatively correlated with math anxiety. It was notably found that student-perceived math teacher support influenced math anxiety through the chain mediation of teacher-student relationship and math self-efficacy. Additionally, the effect of students' perceived emotional support from math teachers on math anxiety, mediated by teacher-student relationship intimacy, was significant only among male students. These results underscore the importance of fostering positive teacher-student interactions and enhancing self-efficacy to reduce math anxiety among primary school students. The gender-specific findings regarding emotional support and relationship intimacy highlight the need for tailored strategies in addressing math anxiety.

Math Anxiety and Development of an Instructional Material to Improve Performance in Mathematics

In the quest to improve mathematics proficiency, it is worthwhile to emphasize not only enhancing instructional strategies but also developing a positive attitude towards mathematics. One of the things that hinder students’ performance is math anxiety, which interferes with cognitive and learning processes. This research determined the level and causes of math anxiety among students and developed an instructional material to improve their performance in mathematics. The study is an educational design research (EDR). Data on the levels of math anxiety were gathered from 307 Mathematics students, and the causes were examined through focus group discussions with 50 students and 4 mathematics specialists. Using this data, an instructional material was developed and pilot implemented in a mathematics class of forty- two (42) students. Findings revealed that 80.13% of the student- respondents had Average to High Math Anxiety. The causes of math anxiety were mainly negative experiences such as past failures, pressure to find the correct answers, embarrassment in front of peers, and strict teachers. Instructional materials that reduce math anxiety are easy to understand, contain varied activities, and incorporate additional online resources. Analysis of paired samples t-test conducted using SPSS resulted to a t-value of -12.513 and a p-value of 0.000, revealing that the instructional material significantly lowered math anxiety and improved the student’s performance in mathematics. It is recommended that universities expand guidance and counseling services to recognize math anxiety as an integral factor in students’ mental health and conduct a review of the mathematics instructional materials to evaluate their adequacy in lowering the math anxiety.

현장 적용성을 고려한 수학불안 관련 수학학습 상담 및 코칭 모델(R-UTF) 개발

Recently, the 2022 curriculum included a section on math learning clinics for the personalized education, so in order to develop a program that is feasible in the field, first, responses of elementary and middle school teachers in a teacher training program using a treatment program to reduce math anxiety among the affective areas, was analyzed and a revised model was constructed, and secondly, a math learning counseling and coaching model for treating math anxiety was finally sought by re- vising the results of applying the revised model to students according to the results from the first phase. This study was a basic attempt at developing a model for field application, and the entire process was inspected using a professional council by an expert advisory group. In particular, it is expected that field applicability will be greatly increased as the results of applying the revised model to students based on the responses of teachers who participated in the teacher training were produced. As a result of the study, the advantage of literally realizing personalized education was highlighted as it is easy to diagnose and administer complex treatments in the mathematics learning process that progresses from counseling to coaching.

Promoting Effective Math Learning with Educational Robots

Mathematics is a key subject for building competencies of the future. Managing students’ attitude towards learning mathematics is an important challenge in the Romanian educational system. Thus, it is essential to bring new teaching practices into the class in order to reduce math anxiety, increase motivation and successfully develop students’ cognitive skills. Due to the increasing importance of technology in our lives, using educational robotics may be an effective strategy to meet those demands. The aim of the present study was to design and test 5 educational robots-based scenarios for teaching math competencies, as logical, spatial and computational thinking, in primary school setting. More specifically, we describe the scenarios for robot-supported teaching, the competencies aimed to be developed and the process of testing their effectiveness in class. Main challenges and further recommendations in promoting math learning with educational robots for primary school children are also discussed.

A meta-analysis of math anxiety interventions

The experience of math anxiety can have detrimental effects on students’ math performance, and researchers have in recent years tried to design interventions aiming at reducing math anxiety. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effectiveness of math anxiety interventions in reducing math anxiety and improving math performance. The meta-analysis comprised 50 studies and included 75 effect sizes. On average, the effect sizes were moderate (g = -0.467) for reducing math anxiety and improving math performance (g = 0.502). Interventions that focused on Cognitive support or regulating Emotions were effective both in reducing math anxiety and improving math performance. In addition, longer interventions and interventions targeting students older than 12 had the biggest decrease in math anxiety. Study quality was not related to intervention outcomes.

Reducing Medication Math Anxiety of Prelicensure Nursing Students Using Social Media Tutorials: A Feasibility Study.

First-semester prelicensure nursing students commonly report experiencing math anxiety that negatively affects academic performance and triggers fear of causing patient harm. Students often turn to social media platforms to supplement their learning experience. To explore the feasibility of using Instagram tutorials to reduce math anxiety of first-semester prelicensure nursing students. A quasi-experimental descriptive survey design was used to evaluate the utility of posting supplemental math tutorials on Instagram and examined the effect of tutorials on math anxiety levels. A convenience sample of 20 students used the tutorials. Math anxiety levels were evaluated using the Single-Item Math Anxiety Scale. A statistically significant inverse relationship was observed between math anxiety levels and tutorial use. The Instagram platform was familiar to students and simple to access. Brief tutorials appealed to audio-visual learners. Using Instagram-based tutorials is feasible and appears effective in reducing medication math anxiety.

A study of factors causing math anxiety among undergraduate students

Mathematics is a subject with numerous applications in everyday life but it is often viewed as difficult leading to math anxiety among students. This anxiety can limit students' career options and affect their success. To address this issue, we investigated the factors contributing to math anxiety among university and college students. This study focused on students from the National University of Mongolia (NUM) and the Mongolian State University of Education (MSUE). We used the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale questionnaire (A-MARS) developed in 1972 by Richardson and Suinn and conducted various statistical tests including factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis to analyze the data. Our results show that teacher-related factors have a strong negative correlation with math anxiety (β=-0.583) while family-related factors (β=-0.311) and student-related factors (β=-0.133) have weaker correlations. Possible explanations for these findings include inadequate teaching and professional skills, poor communication between students and teachers, heavy task loads and outdated resources. This study highlights the importance of these factors to reduce math anxiety and promote success in mathematics education.

The Application of Contextual Teaching and Learning for Increasing Learning Outcomes and Reducing Anxiety in Elementary School Mathematics

The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) in reducing and improving learning outcomes and math anxiety among students at a private elementary school in Indonesia. The research utilized a one-group control pre-posttest design with a sample of 51 4th-grade students. The study used a combination of pre-test and post-test and a closed-ended questionnaire as the data collection instruments. The independent variable in the study was CTL, while the dependent variables were learning outcomes and math anxiety. The paired t-test showed a significant increase in the students' average learning outcomes and a decrease in the average math anxiety levels. The findings suggest that implementing CTL is a practical approach to reducing math anxiety and improving student learning outcomes.

The convergence of culture, technology and context: A pathway to reducing Mathophobia and improving achievement in mathematics

AbstractThis study explored the potency of CTCA in reducing math anxiety and promoting meaningful learning of mathematics among secondary school students. The study adopted a mixed‐method (explanatory sequential) design involving a quasi‐experimental design and individual in‐depth interviews. Participants were drawn from two schools, purposively selected within Lagos state educational district V. Three instruments: Set Theory Achievement Test, Math Anxiety Scale and Students' Perception about CTCA Interview Guide were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data subsequently. The experimental group (102 students) was taught using the culturo‐techno‐contextual approach while the control group (106 students) was taught with the traditional lecture method. Treatment lasted six weeks after which posttest and retention test (four weeks after posttest) were conducted. MANCOVA was used to analyze the quantitative data. The results obtained suggest that CTCA reduces math anxiety and enhanced learning achievement [Pillai's Trace = 0.34 (F = 53.09; p<0.01)] more effectively than the traditional teaching method. No significant gender difference was also found in the achievement of the experimental group. Students' perception about the use of CTCA was generally positive. Within the scope and limitations of the study, it was recommended that CTCA should be adopted by secondary school teachers in teaching mathematics concepts.

Addressing Math Anxiety in a STEM World: Preventative, Supportive, and Corrective Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom

Mathematics teachers may at times take on the role of counselors to address the “math anxious” in their classrooms. Today math anxiety is real and is a factor in attracting young people to many STEM fields. By the time many young people reach middle school, they have developed certain dispositions toward mathematics. What strategies will lessen the negative disposition and anxiety many students have toward math? The strategies included in this article are applicable for both general and special education teachers, especially when used together to prevent and reduce math anxiety. It is important that all students feel confident in their ability to do mathematics in an age that relies so heavily on problem solving, technology, science, and mathematics. In a STEM world it really is a school’s obligation to see that their students value and feel confident in their ability to do math, because ultimately, all decisions individuals make and choices of careers may be determined in part by their attitudes toward mathematics.

PENGARUH KECEMASAN MATEMATIKA TERHADAP PERSIAPAN TES UTBK SISWA SMAN 1 KEFAMENANU

Math anxiety is a condition that inhibits students' ability to reach the potential of learning experiences and classroom math assessments, or both which are emotional responses and objects of fear or fear. This definition shows that math anxiety can be one of the internal factors felt by each individual, especially when approaching certain tests or exams. UTBK test is one type of test or exam that makes math a compulsory subject that is tested. Students need to be given preparation in the form of guidance to reduce math anxiety in order to get maximum results. The purpose of this study is to see if there is an influence between math anxiety on UTBK test preparation of SMAN 1 Kefamenanu students. The method used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The population of this study were all students of SMAN 1 Kefamenanu Class XII. While sampling was done randomly totaling 71 students. The results showed that there was a negative relationship between math anxiety and UTBK test preparation results (simulation). However, this relationship does not have a significant effect on the result of UTBK test preparation

A Digital Learning Game for Mathematics that Leads to Better Learning Outcomes for Female Students: Further Evidence

Stereotypes about men being better than women at mathematics appear to influence female students’ interest and performance in mathematics. Given the potential motivational benefits of digital learning games, it is possible that games could help to reduce math anxiety, increase self-efficacy, and lead to better learning outcomes for female students. We are exploring this possibility in our work with Decimal Point, a digital learning game that scaffolds practice with decimal operations for 5th and 6th grade students. In several studies with various versions of the game, involving over 800 students across multiple years, we have consistently uncovered a learning advantage for female students with the game. In our most recent investigation of this gender effect, we decided to experiment with a central feature of the game: its use of prompted self-explanation to support student learning. Prior research has suggested that female students might benefit more from self-explanation than male students. In the new study, involving 214 middle school students, we compared three versions of self-explanation in the game – menu-based, scaffolded, and focused – each presenting students with a different type of prompted self-explanation after they solved problems in the game. We found that the focused approach led to more learning across all students than the menu-based approach, a result reported in an earlier paper. In the additional results reported in this paper, we again uncovered the gender effect – female students learned more from the game than male students, regardless of the version of self-explanation – and also found a trend in which female students made fewer self-explanation errors, suggesting they may have been more deliberate and thoughtful in their self-explanations. This self-explanation finding is a possible key to further investigation into how and why we see the gender effect in Decimal Point.

Math Anxiety, Math Achievement and Gender Differences among Primary School Children and their Parents from Palestine

This study explored the math anxiety (MA) level and math achievement of primary school children and the association of these variables to their gender differences and parents’ math anxiety. Also, we investigated the potential interaction between child MA and parental variables on child math outcomes. The sample consisted of 230 students in the 3rd and 4th grades (Mean age = 8.9; SD =.59), including one parent for each child. The Scale for Early Math Anxiety, The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, The Children Test Anxiety Scale and the parental involvement survey was used for data collection. Palestinian children reported lower levels of MA compared to previous research, and the expected negative relation between students’ MA and their math achievements was confirmed. Girls reported higher levels of both MA and test anxiety than boys. A positive correlation was found between mothers’ MA and daughters’ MA, while no association between fathers’ MA and sons’ MA was found. Moreover, child MA, parental MA and trait anxiety were found to significantly predict children’s math achievement. This study contributed to a better understanding of some factors affecting mathematics achievements and future career orientations, such as Math anxiety, Test anxiety, and possible gender differences. We suggest implementing new strategies to reduce math anxiety, improve math achievement, and enhance females' contribution to math-related fields in the Palestinian community.

“I Can Math, Too!”: Reducing Math Anxiety in STEM-Related Courses Using a Combined Mindfulness and Growth Mindset Approach (MAGMA) in the Classroom

ABSTRACT Math anxiety has become an alarming social justice concern, as it results in negative academic consequences, contributes to disinterest and lack of persistence in STEM programs for underrepresented students, and limits their opportunities in STEM careers. According to research, this fear of math occurs long before students begin working on math problems. When high-math anxious students encounter math situations, anticipation anxiety consumes working memory capacity, inhibits learning, and causes them to severely underperform on mathematical tasks. However, very few studies have been conducted to embed psychological interventions in the classroom in an effort to mitigate both anticipation and execution anxiety. Findings from preliminary research suggest that a combined mindfulness and growth mindset intervention, designed to address both anticipation and execution anxiety, was effective in reducing math anxiety in students in a semester-long statistics course. The current research, a replication of the successful pilot study, investigated the generalizability of the mindfulness and growth mindset approach (MAGMA) in decreasing math anxiety in students in various STEM-related courses, and with different instructors. Results indicate that overall, students’ self-perceived math anxiety decreased significantly compared to their control counterparts. Furthermore, considerable anxiety reduction was found for female students. However, no differences were found for final exam scores between the intervention and control group. Nevertheless, the MAGMA intervention appears to be an effective, inexpensive approach in alleviating math anxiety, and increasing mathematical resilience in community college students as they take STEM-related courses.

Reducing Math Anxiety in School Children: A Systematic Review of Intervention Research

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.

Online counselling: Application of cognitive behaviour therapy and music counselling to reduce math anxiety

Math anxiety is one of the causes of the low achievement of students in mathematics lessons. Guidance and counselling teachers need strategies for students who experience math anxiety. This study aims to determine an effective counselling approach to reduce students' math anxiety. This type of research is a single subject experiment with multiple baseline designs. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The research subjects were 2 individuals. The data analysis technique consisted of data analysis using Mann Whitney and qualitative time triangulation techniques. Based on the research results, cognitive behaviour therapy and music counselling can reduce students' math anxiety. Several techniques in cognitive behaviour therapy affect many aspects such as feelings, thoughts, physical sensations, and actions. In music counselling, the lyrics and lyrics of the songs shift the focus of the individual who was originally fixated on the fear of facing math problems to become calmer during math lessons

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy in Reducing Math Anxiety in Adolescents

The current study examines the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy in reducing math anxiety in adolescents. The study was conducted using an experimental method. The research sample consisted of 24 high math-anxious students based on the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Rating Scale (A-MARS) scores having their ages between 13-17 years. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, 12 subjects in each group. 5 males and 7 females were in the experimental group while 6 males and 6 females were in the control group. Pre-testing was followed by the intervention given to the experimental group, 16 sessions of tailored Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy, involving 90-minute sessions twice weekly. Both groups were tested again with A-MARS after the intervention terminated. Statistical analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics, paired and independent sample t-tests. The data analysis revealed that the intervention has high statistical significance proving CBGT to be highly effective in reducing math anxiety and three subscales of A-MARS: math test anxiety, math course anxiety, and numerical anxiety. The research experiment is implicative for therapists, school psychologists, educators, and parents of math-anxious children.