Maths anxiety in the classroom

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The term ‘maths anxiety’ refers to a feeling of worry or fear when confronted with mathematical questions. Worrying about maths can present in a mental block when attempting to answer questions, and can present in physical symptoms, too, with a quickened heart rate, sweating, and feeling hot or nauseous. Maths anxiety can affect individuals of any age, although research shows girls and women are more commonly affected. Why is it important to consider maths anxiety when teaching? If people are fearful of maths, this can lead to them avoiding maths; in adulthood, this could mean being able to help children with homework, or avoiding jobs or training or promotions where maths may be involved, thus having a detrimental effect on someone's career pathway. In this chapter, we have six contributions from individuals who have either experienced maths anxiety personally or helped to support learners in finding strategies to deal with their maths anxiety. We hope that as you read through these reflective, personal recounts, you can consider how to best support learners who are worried about maths in your classroom.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPrimary Teacher Solutions
PublisherRoutledge
Pages81-88
Number of pages8
ISBN (electronic)9781003218098
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jul 2023
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