Engaging Tools for Reducing Math Anxiety

KEY POINTS

• Focus on real-world applications of math concepts.
• Keep it interesting – not memorization-driven.
• Offer several techniques for approaching difficult concepts.
• Encourage teamwork among students.

Math is a subject that every student is required to take, but it’s often one of the most-dreaded across the board. The term “math anxiety” is becoming an increasingly common term at an alarming rate in education literature as students who struggle with the subject continue to express low confidence. In response, teaching techniques are being developed that can help in easing this student-based concern.

APPLY IT TO THE REAL WORLD

Math often involves plugging numbers into formulas and solving for variables, which can often cause students to lose sight of its real-world application. Incorporating examples of math as a tool for solving real-world problems is a great way to stress the importances of and reasoning behind math as a subject. Try hands-on, interactive projects like building scale models to apply geometry or calculus or using coding with a programming language to apply algebra and arithmetic. Through these projects, students will gain a better understanding of how they might use what they have learned in the workforce.

DISCOURAGE MEMORIZATION

Many students begin their journey into the realm of mathematics in the form of reciting multiplication tables by heart and subsequently being subjected to timed tests which reward memorization over true understanding. At certain early grade levels, this is acceptable, but unfortunately this style of teaching, if continued into later grad levels, can spell the downfall of many students in the subject of mathematics. It’s very important for middle school and high school students to transition into an understanding of math as a language, with rules, symbols, and grammar, just like any spoken language. When students understand the fundamental concepts behind math instead of simply memorizing content, they are much more likely to grasp challenging content that would otherwise lead to confusion.

REVISE YOUR EXPLANATIONS AND INVITE COLLABORATION

Every student learns differently, and despite their best efforts, some may continue to fall behind. Because of this, it’s important for instructors to be able to explain mathematical concepts from multiple angles for students who are struggling. Try offering new ways to look at the same problem, applying it to a different example and thereby offering students more opportunities to understand the material. Encouraging student collaboration can also be a productive way for struggling students to learn new material, as teamwork may provide new perspectives. The classroom can, and should be, a place where students feel they can find success. Provide these young adults with a multitude of ways of staying engaged in math and moving toward reducing anxiety surrounding the subject in the classroom.

— Dr. Jake Roark