“Origin and Cessation of Math Anxiety” Anthoun Enarciso February 21, 2019 Anxiety issues are probably the most boundless emotional well-being issues around the world. Besides, there are cases that students suffer from academic phobia; one of these is known as math anxiety. We commonly hear people saying “I HATE MATHEMATICS”. Hence, a research was conducted in University of Granada in Spain that reveals six out of ten of the students suffer from math anxiety and the problem affects more on women. Math anxiety is simply the fear to perform mathematical performances. As a senior high student, whatever strand you take, you can still face mathematics even though you think it is useless for you. Thus, there are different reasons why students dread mathematics and as well as ways to lessen students with math anxiety population.
Some psychologists conclude that math anxiety is a diagnosable condition. Nevertheless, having this kind of fear does not certainly mean that a student is bad in math. One of the reasons why people may experience this kind of condition is when they are anxious of doing math and in result, doing poorly to it. The anxiety may decrease an individual’s working memory. Working memory is a shortterm memory system that has a capacity to organize thoughts and information to do things. Obviously, fear of mathematics eats up a lot of working memory. Another potential reason for math anxiety is the way parents or teachers introduce mathematics to children. If a parent talks mathematics to a child regarding something critical in an unfamiliar manner, it imputes the mindset of a child whereas teachers having math anxiety are most likely to spread it to students causing pressure for them and building up stress to solve mathematics. In fact, some cultures believe in several myths that increase an
individual anxiety in math. For example, people saying that students who are good in math are generally smart and boys can do better in math than girls, which is a complete fallacy. However, despite all of these, there are still arousing ways to prevent math anxiety especially to students. Relaxations like short breathing exercises can be an essential way to lessen the condition in which an individual can let go of the pressure and stress upon doing math. Writing down your worries can also help. For instance, you can re-evaluate your stress and freeing up your working memory. Furthermore, if you choose to do it more physical, you can have brisk walking to relax muscle tensions and deepen breathing, preventing anxiety from developing. The most effective way is to change your mindset. Mindset is a way of thinking in which it motivates a person’s belief. Having a negative mindset towards mathematics will lead you to do worse in math. Meanwhile, having a positive mindset about mathematics can boost your confidence to do math, improving your statistical thinking. Consequently, math anxiety occurs because of the negative approach to mathematics and lack of self-esteem to do it. However, you can help yourself to extinguish your tension in mathematics.
Overall, there are great numbers of bases on why students tend to dismay mathematics in their lives. On the other hand, regardless of that, there are still things that inspire people to do math and reduce negativity to the subject. After all, senior high students taking up strands that involve a lot of mathematics must practice themselves to accept mathematics and to enjoy solving equations. As what the founder of Iron Box Education Dr. Randy Palisoc said, “Math isn’t hard, it’s a language.” On other words, mathematics is like the other languages worldwide which allow people to communicate especially in business terms, to estimate something, etc. Mathematics is with us every day; it only depends on how you accept it either on a positive or negative way.
References: Texas A&M University (n.d).Math anxiety Retrieved from https://successcenter.tamu.edu/getattach ment/student -Resources/Handouts/Math-Anxiety.pdf.aspx?fbclid= IwAR3NXantuc_ wnHiWc0LWaXHn9ecGY9PkUBgD4n5OwLBgR1Jt2qswESKHCJE
Dowker,A., Sarkar, A. &Looi, C. Y. (2016). Mathematics Anxiety: What have we learn in 60 years? Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842756/?fbclid=IwAR1woZXoggzYW5IMa28804_eZyesMJZMj4k94AzDsZ7LRn_mLDMTmif3R8
Moritz, K. (2017). “Math Anxiety”is Real, Even if You’re Good at Math Retrieved from https://www.rewire.org/living/math-anxiety- real/
Rubinsten, O. (2019). Why do people get so anxious about math?.TEDEd Information.