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Horacio Aguilar

Mr. Keaton Powers

ENGL 1302-102

Oct. 22th, 2023

Understanding Math Anxiety: Causes and Solutions

Introduction

Mathematics can bring both enjoyment and desperation to an individual's life. However,

what if mathematics was to bring anxiety into an individual? Many scholars have agreed that

math anxiety can appear in one due to the experiences a student goes through in their life. Not

only that, but math anxiety can make one feel hopeless and discouraged to continue studying or

practicing mathematics. This research analysis will explore how an individual can get math

anxiety and how it can be solved, a common issue experienced by students; it will cover what

math anxiety is, its causes, and solutions.

What Is Math Anxiety?

Math Anxiety, as told by Greg Fiore, is "the panic, helplessness, paralysis, and mental

disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematical

problem" (403). In addition, Fiore later states that math anxiety can be passed on, as he states,

"parents who have math anxiety can pass it on to their children and that teachers who have math

anxiety can pass it on to their students" (403). Moreover, math anxiety is a psychological

condition affecting one's approach to mathematics. When one experiences math anxiety, one

might tremble in fear and sweat, feel anxious or nervous, want to avoid mathematics at all costs,

and put themselves in the belief that they can not do it. So math anxiety, in a way, is like a
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sickness; it can be contagious, but it also has its solution. Now that one knows what can pass it

along, what causes math anxiety in the first place?

Causes of Math Anxieties

As mentioned, math anxiety can be passed on by a parent or teacher to a student or

individual; however, what causes it varies. One leading cause that causes math anxiety in

students can happen in one's environment. Malgorzata Dubiel, a mathematician and mathematics

educator, gives the reader a short story about her neighbor's daughter, who at the time was in

eighth grade (the neighbor's daughter). However, at that time, the daughter's teacher told the

neighbor's daughter, "You know that you cannot do math. Just try to finish school, marry a nice

man - we need women who are just mothers" ( Dubiel 22). This quote means that students,

especially females, are being discouraged from doing well in mathematics; as Dubiel states

herself, "For years, girls [have] been discouraged from taking mathematics and sciences classes

in high school" (22). In this case, a teacher telling such a negative comment to a student can

leave a long-lasting impact on that student's attitude and performance in mathematics. As

Jadwiga Domina states, "Teacher's behaviors in mathematics classrooms have a large impact on

student's attitudes towards mathematics" (48). Not only that but because girls have been

discouraged from taking mathematics, it can lead to math anxiety because due to gender

stereotypes and "social expectations," an individual, especially a female, may create pressure on

herself because they might feel that they are not expected to do well in mathematics. So overall,

negative experiences and "social expectations," particularly gendered expectations, can cause an

individual to get math anxiety.

Additionally, math anxiety is not just caused by others, but it could be caused by oneself.

Kathleen Walker discusses the reasons why students tend to have a hateful attitude towards
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mathematics at a higher education. Walker discusses the term known as "mathphobia." For

context, Walker mentions Jerrold Zacharias, a physicist and educator, on the phobia mathophobia

in which, according to Walker, Zacharias defines mathphobia as "the fear of mathematics," or as

Walker sees it, "[people] who are usually very proud of their education will tend to speak freely

of their mathematical ignorance" (503). In other words, mathphobia can be defined as people

who will proudly say they are bad at mathematics. Unfortunately, mathphobia can spread even

more, leading to individuals getting math anxiety. A way mathphobia spreads is "to children in

school" (Walker 503). To further emphasize, what Walker wants to state is that when a child

starts to struggle in mathematics, unfortunately, the parents "many [times] are not concerned"

(503), which unfortunately leads to parents stating that because they did not do well in

mathematics, their child will not be good at it either, this being mathphobia, causing for "all

motivation from home [to be lost] (Walker 503). Furthermore, according to Walker, if a student

does not have any motivation, they will not have any mathematical skills, and "The lack of

mathematical skills will certainly cause anxious and fearful moments for this child when he is

faced with using the math he or she should have learned in school" (503), in short, will lead to

math anxiety in the long term. So overall, math anxiety is caused by mathphobia due to

individuals being proud of having mathematical ignorance or parents discouraging their kids,

leading students into it.

Solutions

As mentioned in the beginning, math anxiety is just like a sickness; while it has its

causes, it also has its potential solutions. Wade H. Sherard starts by stating, in this case, "Avoid

Sex Role Stereotyping of Mathematics as a Male Domain" (106). As told earlier, math anxiety is

brought upon students by stereotyping that mathematics is for males, not females. So, as Sherard
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stated, the solution to this is not to stereotype mathematics as a male subject, or as Sherard later

states, "Do not have different expectations for success for male and female students, … Do not

differ interactions with male and female students,... Do not influence the development of

inappropriate sex role standards, … [and] Provide positive, appropriate role models for students"

(107). So overall, by challenging gender stereotypes, fostering equal expectations, and providing

positive role models, one can help address math anxiety and create a more inclusive and

supportive environment for all students.

Additionally, a solution to math anxiety, or Walker's term of mathphobia, could be in a

classroom. The reason is that teachers have such a powerful impact on a student's mathematical

or general school life. As Fiore states, "Preventing and overcoming math anxiety begins with

teachers and teaching strategies that develop positive and realistic self-concepts" (405); even

Janet Morris, a math teacher, enforces Fiore's statement by stating a teacher must "understand

this problem of math anxiety and do what we can to prevent it… [because] it may cause math

anxious to become math avoiders" (13). The point is that if a child is struggling in their class, a

teacher must help that student understand and succeed; even if they are not getting help from

their own home, a teacher must be there to help out their students. However, for this to be

possible, a teacher and student must love mathematics, or it will surely not work. As Ada Grey

puts it into perspective, her message is that to teach something, one must love it and that "The

students also have to have love for what they are doing" (Grey 58). In other words, for a student

to understand what they are doing, they need to love it, and as a teacher, they need to love what

they are doing, or else it might be the demise of their students. Patrick Honner, a three-time Math

for American Master Teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School, shows an example of the

mindset a teacher should have in a classroom. Honner concluded that he wanted to be a teacher
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because he loves math and is a great tutor (34). Honner adds that being a math teacher allows

him to be more creative with mathematics, inspiring him and his students (34). This supports

Fiore's statement that teachers need to love mathematics to "inspire" their students to avoid math

anxiety.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mathematics can be fun and bring enjoyment to many; however, it can also

bring anxiety into one's life. This research paper covered how a student or individual can acquire

math anxiety and how it can be solved. This essay went over the leading causes of why students

get math anxiety; one is because of the stereotype students get between girls and boys. Boys are

favored to be better at mathematics, and girls are discouraged from even trying to do

mathematics. Another is because of the negative experiences and the lack of motivation a student

gets due to their environment. Moreover, the (potential) solutions to solving math anxiety is by

avoiding gender stereotyping within the classroom setting and not giving a "biased" expectation

on which gender is or should better, and by improving the teachings and classroom environment

by creating a more positive, supporting classroom for the students. These solutions can make

students feel at ease, taking away their math anxiety. Nonetheless, in order for more research to

be done, one must fight for more on other causes and solutions to math anxiety.
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Works Cited:

Domino, Jadwiga. “Teacher’s Influences on Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics.” Research

and Teaching in Developmental Education, vol. 26, no. 1, 2009, pp. 32-54. (hold)

Dubiel, Malgorzata. “Math Is Hard.” For the Learning of Mathematics, vol. 27, no. 3, November

2007, pp. 22-23

Fiore, Greg. “Math-Abused Students: Are We Prepared to Teach Them?” The Mathematics

Teacher, vol. 92, no. 5, May 1999, pp. 403-406

Grey, Ada. “Loving/Learning.” Visual Arts Research, vol. 40, no. 1, 2014, pp. 56-58

Honner, Patrick. “AFTERMATH. I Love Teaching Math: Maybe You Will Too.” Math Horizons,

vol. 24, no. 2, November 2016, pp. 34

Morris, Janet. “MATH ANXIETY: TEACHING TO AVOID IT.” The Mathematics Teacher,

vol.74, no. 6, September 1981, pp. 413-417.

Sherard, H. Wade. “Math Anxiety in the Classroom.” The Clearing House, vol. 55, no. 3,

November 1981, pp. 106-110

Walker, Kathleen. “CAUSES OF MATH ANXIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY.” Pi Mu Epsilon

Journal, vol. 6, no. 9, 1978, pp. 503-506