Verified Document

Math Anxiety Term Paper

Math Anxiety I did not realize before that I had any feelings of anxiety related to the subject of mathematics. Math is not the most difficult subject although certainly it can be challenging. Yet, my writing indicates that I do feel math-related anxiety which therefore need to be better understood. From early on, I knew that math was not my favorite subject. For many people math is difficult, primarily because it takes a great deal of memorization and strict rules. It is not a subjective subject, but rather an objective one. When you do a math problem, you either find the correct answer or you find a wrong answer. There is little room for maneuvering between these two extremes. Perhaps this is where my anxiety with math is the most obvious, in the fear of finding the right answer and the subsequent fear of being wrong in my findings. My math anxiety is really an anxiety over being wrong, of failing, and of not living up to what I perceive is my intellectual potential.

During an interview with someone who possesses a high degree of knowledge in mathematics, the same concept seemed to appear even though this individual did not know my assumptions about the different components of math and its objectivity being a decisive factor in anxiety. This individual had never really faced difficulties with the subject. In the interview, they informed me that math had always been their best subject in school. This person attributes that to the fact that the subject does not involve writing and is objectively correct or incorrect. Their degrees are in science and education, with a major in mathematics, indicating that these types...

Yet, this person also says that they experienced a level of math anxiety while they were a student, primarily during examinations. This might not necessarily be anxiety related to math, but test anxiety which is something many students have to deal with, but it not limited to mathematics. A person can be terrified of math and feel no more pressure during tests or they might be wonderful in math but then become fearful when it comes time to take the tests.
In subjects such as mathematics where there is a definitive right or wrong response to any given question, I believe there is more pressure to be correct than anything else. In other subjects you might ultimately come to the wrong conclusion, but you can still be successful. An example of this would be English or History classes. The professor gives you a prompt and you must write about that prompt to prove a point. Your findings or analysis may be wholly different from the way that your professor sees things. Certainly in history if you have your dates or names wrong, then your work will have less potency and be worth less as a piece of academic discourse. However, you will still likely receive some credit for what you were able to do in the writing. Even if you understand the question wrongly and assert an incorrect response, you will still receive credit for your efforts. Mathematics rarely gives room for this kind of consideration. The situation is far more about black or white, true or…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Sparks, S. (2011). Researchers probe causes of math anxiety: it's more than just disliking math, according to scholars. Education Week. 30(31). Chicago, IL. 1-16.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Math Anxiety How to Combat
Words: 1548 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

As always, understanding is always the building block of finding a lasting solution to a problem, and this anxiety has not always been at the forefront of teachers' minds, but raising awareness could also help in beginning to solve the problem. Works Cited: Borhod et. al. (2012). "Math Anxiety." Anoka Ramsey Community College Working Paper. Retrieved, < http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/math/pdf/MathAnxiety.pdf>. Curtain-Phillips, M. (2012). "Causes and Prevention of Math Anxiety." Math Goodies. Retrieved, < http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/math_anxiety.html>. No

Math Anxiety
Words: 1322 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

De-Stressing the Stress From Math Arithmetic is a core rudiment of academia and spells academic and vocational success for many. Even those who do not need skill in arithmetic to progress with their career do need high grades in arithmetic to succeed in school. Unfortunately, for many, these high grades are almost unobtainable by the debilitating presence of math anxiety. Math anxiety is, in fact, so common that there is even

Student Learning Math Anxiety
Words: 669 Length: 2 Document Type: A2 Coursework

Math AnxietyMost students have a challenge learning Math, and this depends on the strategies that the teacher uses. Assessment is joint in teaching the subject (Kostos & Shin, 2010). It refers to the settings and tasks that give the students opportunities to demonstrate the skills, understanding, and application of content within a context allowing for continued growth and learning.Several types of assessments are used to evaluate the development and student

Does Math Anxiety Impede Working Memory
Words: 538 Length: 2 Document Type: Article Critique

Although many people state that they have math anxiety, quantifying the extent to which this can inhibit learning has proven challenging. In an attempt to do so, Shi & Liu (2016)’s study “Worrying Thoughts Limit Working Memory Capacity in Math Anxiety” hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of math anxiety would show poorer working level memory capacity performance when confronted with material with mathematical content, versus individuals with lower levels

Math Curriculum Science and Its
Words: 4174 Length: 13 Document Type: Term Paper

Susan K. Peterson and associates (1988) conducted a study on the impact of the use of manipulatives on different kinds of students and concluded that the result of using manipulative was positive for both gifted and disabled students (Peterson, Mercer & O'Shea, 1988). Joseph Martinez (1987) also explained that the use of solid manipulatives made studying math more fun as well as less hectic and demanding for most of

Assessing the Antecedents of Math Anxiety
Words: 1037 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Review

Research Article CritiqueThe purpose of this critique is to critically review an article by Amanda S. Williams, �Worry, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Statistics Anxiety� (May 2013). This type of critique is important because far too many college students struggle with their math requirements for graduation due to anxiety over their abilities and anticipated suboptimal performance. The critique includes an analysis of the statistical data presented to determine whether they support

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now