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Understanding Mathematics Anxiety in University Non-Specialists - Insights and Innovation. Dr Meena Mehta Kotecha

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Understanding Mathematics Anxiety in University Non-Specialists - Insights and Innovation. Dr Meena Mehta Kotecha

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This book addresses a critical gap in higher education by offering evidence-based strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety in non-specialist university students. Grounded in original research, Dr Meena Mehta Kotecha introduces an interdisciplinary, theory-driven and student-informed pedagogical intervention that has been empirically tested and positively received. Drawing on insights from psychology, sociology, neuroscience, and education, the book equips educators with inclusive, practical tools to build resilience, foster confidence, and support emotional wellbeing in mathematically anxious students. It also presents a unique overarching theoretical framework that enriches both teaching practice and academic research. Ideal for academic libraries serving education, psychology, social science, statistics and mathematics departments, this volume supports lecturers, teaching fellows, education developers, and researchers seeking to create more compassionate and effective learning environments. With its accessible language and cross-disciplinary relevance, it is a valuable resource for anyone committed to improving student engagement and success in quantitative courses.

Presents a unique overarching theoretical framework to help understand and reduce mathematics anxiety in non-specialist university students

Helps educators create supportive learning environments that foster confidence, engagement, and empower students to tackle mathematics anxiety

Draws on interdisciplinary perspectives to promote inclusive, mistake-friendly teaching practices that support mathematically anxious students

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This book addresses a critical gap in higher education by offering evidence-based strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety in non-specialist university students. Grounded in original research, Dr Meena Mehta Kotecha introduces an interdisciplinary, theory-driven and student-informed pedagogical intervention that has been empirically tested and positively received.

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Webinar for Primary School Teachers, Support Staff, Parents

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Webinar for Primary School Teachers, Support Staff, Parents

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Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing

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Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms. Founded in 2011, Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Zoom is a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, CA.

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MIND Education - Math Learning Resources

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MIND Education - Math Learning Resources

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High-quality, neuroscience-based K–6 math curriculum proven to deepen conceptual understanding, increase student engagement, and deliver visual, game-based learning that works in every classroom.

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Maths - not stupid but panicking. Hand Model of the Brain

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Maths - not stupid but panicking. Hand Model of the Brain

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Maths - Not stupid but panicking: the hand model of the brain

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Dyscalculia vs maths anxiety - Article by Williams (2025)

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Dyscalculia vs maths anxiety - Article by Williams (2025)

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Parent Resources Website from Prof. Jo Boaler

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Parent Resources Website from Prof. Jo Boaler

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The New Revolution: Freedom from Maths Anxiety - Webinar Flyer

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The New Revolution: Freedom from Maths Anxiety - Webinar Flyer

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Recording available in Video Resources column

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Mathematics Resilience Network - Ireland branch

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Mathematics Resilience Network - Ireland branch

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Mathematical Resilience Network - Information

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Mathematical Resilience Network - Information

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The Mathematical Resilience Network was launched in 2022 at the Third International Conference on Developing Mathematical Resilience with the intention of supporting academic and practitioner research that uses the Mathematical Resilience Framework in addressing mathematics anxiety.

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This site will explain some of the milestones children make between the ages of 3-and-11-years-old.

Secure your own knowledge

Show you what schools are trying to do

Give you ideas of how to help

Lead you to more resources

The most important help - providing the right environment

One of the things that are true at any stage in a child's education is that, as a parent, your love, care and support has possibly the biggest positive influence on your child's achievement. You can help in this way even if you think (probably wrongly) that you are 'rubbish' at maths. Make sure they have a good diet, which includes fruit and vegetables, and are getting enough sleep. Let them enjoy a mixture of social activities. Have a laugh with them. Organise trips out like going swimming, visiting places of interest or going to the theatre. Having this balance is important, especially during exam times when they are older.

Everyday maths

Making maths part of everyday life is one of the best ways for children to feel confident in using and working with numbers and shapes. For example, look out for sequences in patterns on curtains, fabrics and wallpapers. Being able to predict when the pattern next occurs helps mathematical thinking. Practise matching objects and getting over the concept 'same as': Please fetch me a spoon the same as this. Use words which communicate comparisons: Which is the tallest / shortest tree?

For older children, shopping gives many opportunities for practising numeracy skills. Look out for offers: Buy two get the third free. Work out with them how much each item costs, and how much has been saved.

Start from where they are

Be sensitive when a child gets something wrong. Don't just say, "You've got that wrong, this is how you do it." Instead, start from where they're at and ask them, "Tell me, how did you get that answer?" As they discuss things with you, areas of misunderstanding and so on will become clear. Then show them where they went wrong, and help them to correct the mistake. Often, they have misunderstood or half-learnt a procedure, or they do not understand certain mathematical words or symbols (see the glossary). It could be that they have just misread the question!

Lots of ways to learn

There is no single, exclusively correct learning style in maths. We learn things in a variety of ways, so help children to learn by using two or more of their senses, e.g. hearing as well as seeing. Children can make use of a multi-sensory approach to learning multiplication facts (tables):

Write out tables

Draw arrays or groups of objects

Learn tables to a rhythm or rap

Cover the tables over

Write down the multiplication facts

Check what you have written

Some of the methods used to teach the basics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division may come as a surprise. Hopefully this book will help you to recognise what is going on, and the thinking behind it, so you can work alongside school, and not confuse your child. If you are unsure, do ask the teacher.

Keep in touch with the teacher, and don't be afraid to discuss any concerns you may have. Remember to pass on any good news too!

Praise and encouragement - building self-esteem

It is tremendously important to praise what is right, and not focus only on mistakes. If there has been a lot of failure at maths, a child's self-esteem can be brought down and this does not help them to learn. So, encourage them to ask questions if they don't understand, and reassure them that no question is too simple to ask. They may need another type of explanation, so be ready to give that. Remind them that other people probably have the same problem, but don't have the courage to ask. If they get stuck, backtrack to the point where they did understand, and start from there. Build self-esteem by encouraging them that these are quite common experiences. The key is to celebrate what is right!

Great expectations - but not too great!

Good maths is built on solid foundations, and these take time to settle. It is very important to develop mental arithmetic skills, even though calculators do exist. Be patient. Be aware that there is a huge gap between the very important early stages of informal, mental arithmetic and the formal, written methods that adults expect to see. Don't try to jump too quickly! Using practice books can be helpful, as long as sessions are not too long and the tasks are appropriate for the child's age.

Remember that children learn at different rates.

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This site will explain some of the milestones children make between the ages of 3-and-11-years-old. Secure your own knowledge Show you what schools are trying to do Give you ideas of how to help Lead you to more resources One of the things that are true at any stage in a child's education is that, as a parent, your love, care and support has possibly the biggest positive influence on your child's achievement.

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The Mathematical Resilience Book - How Everyone Can Progress in Mathematics (2024)

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The Mathematical Resilience Book - How Everyone Can Progress in Mathematics (2024)

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Maths on Toast Model - parents' perspective

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Maths on Toast Model - parents' perspective

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How talking about maths suddenly became easier – The Toast Model from a parent’s perspective | maths4mumsanddads

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I am reposting this article written by a volunteer for the charity Maths on Toast as I think it is really very helpful for parents to see how they can very easily support their children ! Have fun!

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Sue Johnston Wilder - Mathematical Resilience Tools

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NRICH Maths Resources - Uni. of Cambridge

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NRICH Maths Resources - Uni. of Cambridge

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search

Enriching mathematics for all learners

A free-to-use collection of mathematics activities, lessons and problems designed to nurture curious, resourceful and confident learners of mathematics. Produced by The University of Cambridge.

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The Nrich Maths Project Cambridge,England. Mathematics resources for children,parents and teachers to enrich learning. Problems,children's solutions,interactivities,games,articles.

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IMA Maths - Maths Anxiety and Improving Resilience

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IMA Maths - Maths Anxiety and Improving Resilience

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Conversation about maths anxiety and mathematical resilience with with Dr Meena Kotecha CMath MIMA, Prof. Sue Johnston-Wilder FIMA, Lynne McClure OBE FIMA, James Van Yperen (Chair)

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Five Principles of Extraordinary Math Teaching | Dan Finkel | TEDxRainier

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Steve Chinn Resources on Maths Anxiety, Maths Learning Difficulty, Dyscalculia

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Steve Chinn Resources on Maths Anxiety, Maths Learning Difficulty, Dyscalculia

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Jo Boaler: When you believe in your students they do better

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Jo Boaler: When you believe in your students they do better

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It may seem obvious that students achieve at higher levels when teachers believe in them, but few would have predicted how much a simple message from teachers can change students' whole trajectories and achievement.

A study many years ago that probably would not be allowed today, showed something remarkable about teacher beliefs. Researchers told teachers that some classes of students - across six grade levels - had been tested and were capable of greater intellectual growth than other students. In reality, those students were of the same achievement levels as other students and were randomly chosen for the classes. At the end of one year the students' scores on IQ tests matched the teachers' false beliefs. When teachers were told that students had higher intellectual ability their students scored at significantly higher levels on IQ tests than students whose teachers were not told anything (Rosenthal and Jacobs, 1968). This study is a powerful illustration that teachers' expectations and beliefs about students matter.

In a much more recent study, researchers illustrated just how powerful a single message can be. Hundreds of students were involved in an experimental study of high school English classes. All of the students wrote essays and received critical diagnostic feedback from their teachers, but half the students received an extra sentence on the bottom of the feedback. The students who received the extra sentence achieved higher grades a year later, even though the teachers did not know who received the sentence and there were no other differences between the groups. It may seem incredible that one sentence could change students' learning trajectories to the extent that they achieve at higher levels a year later, with no other change, but this was the extra sentence:

I am giving you this feedback because I believe in you.

Students who received this sentence scored at higher levels a year later. This effect was significant for students of color, who often feel less valued by their teachers (Cohen & Garcia, 2014). I share this finding with teachers frequently, and they always fully understand its significance. I do not share the result in the hope that teachers will add this same sentence to all of their students' work. That would lead students to think the sentence was not genuine, which would be counterproductive. I share it to emphasize the power of teachers' words and teachers' beliefs they hold about students, and to encourage teachers to instill positive belief messages at all times. Furthermore, belief in students alone is not enough (Shouse, 1996). Teachers must couple these beliefs with an academic environment that values open, growth mathematics , mistakes , and high quality assessments.

Teachers can communicate positive expectations to students by using encouraging words, and it is easy to do this with students who appear motivated, who learn easily, or who are quick. But it is even more important to communicate positive beliefs and expectations to students who are slow, appear unmotivated, or struggle. It is also important to realize that the speed at which students appear to grasp concepts is not indicative of their mathematics potential (Supekar et al, 2013). As hard as it is, it is important to not have any preconceptions about our students.

We must be open at all times to any student working hard and achieving at high levels.

Some students give the impression that math is a constant struggle for them and they may ask a lot of questions or keep saying they are stuck, but they are just hiding their mathematics potential and are likely to be suffering from a fixed mindset; often these students are scared to take a risk or to get anything wrong. Some students have had bad math experiences and messages from a young age or have not received opportunities for brain growth and learning that other students have, so they are at lower levels than other students. This in no way means they cannot excel with good mathematics teaching, positive messages, and, perhaps most importantly, high expectations from their teachers and parents.

You can be the person who turns things around for students and liberates their learning path. It usually takes just one person-a person whom students will never forget.

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cohen, G. L., & Garcia, J. (2014). Educational Theory, Practice, and Policy and the Wisdom of Social Psychology. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1), 13-20.

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom. The Urban Review, 3(1), 16-20.

Shouse, R. C. (1996). Academic press and sense of community: Conflict, congruence, and implications for student achievement. Social Psychology of Education, 1(1), 47-68.

Supekar, K.; Swigart, A., Tenison, C., Jolles, D., Rosenberg-Lee, M., Fuchs, L., & Menon, V. (2013). Neural Predictors of Individual Differences in Response to Math Tutoring in Primary-Grade School Children. PNAS, 110, 20 (8230-8235)

It may seem obvious that students achieve at higher levels when teachers believe in them, but few would have predicted how much a simple message from teachers can change students' whole trajectories and achievement.

A study many years ago that probably would not be allowed today, showed something remarkable about teacher beliefs. Researchers told teachers that some classes of students - across six grade levels - had been tested and were capable of greater intellectual growth than other students. In reality, those students were of the same achievement levels as other students and were randomly chosen for the classes. At the end of one year the students' scores on IQ tests matched the teachers' false beliefs. When teachers were told that students had higher intellectual ability their students scored at significantly higher levels on IQ tests than students whose teachers were not told anything (Rosenthal and Jacobs, 1968). This study is a powerful illustration that teachers' expectations and beliefs about students matter.

In a much more recent study, researchers illustrated just how powerful a single message can be. Hundreds of students were involved in an experimental study of high school English classes. All of the students wrote essays and received critical diagnostic feedback from their teachers, but half the students received an extra sentence on the bottom of the feedback. The students who received the extra sentence achieved higher grades a year later, even though the teachers did not know who received the sentence and there were no other differences between the groups. It may seem incredible that one sentence could change students' learning trajectories to the extent that they achieve at higher levels a year later, with no other change, but this was the extra sentence:

I am giving you this feedback because I believe in you.

Students who received this sentence scored at higher levels a year later. This effect was significant for students of color, who often feel less valued by their teachers (Cohen & Garcia, 2014). I share this finding with teachers frequently, and they always fully understand its significance. I do not share the result in the hope that teachers will add this same sentence to all of their students' work. That would lead students to think the sentence was not genuine, which would be counterproductive. I share it to emphasize the power of teachers' words and teachers' beliefs they hold about students, and to encourage teachers to instill positive belief messages at all times. Furthermore, belief in students alone is not enough (Shouse, 1996). Teachers must couple these beliefs with an academic environment that values open, growth mathematics , mistakes , and high quality assessments.

Teachers can communicate positive expectations to students by using encouraging words, and it is easy to do this with students who appear motivated, who learn easily, or who are quick. But it is even more important to communicate positive beliefs and expectations to students who are slow, appear unmotivated, or struggle. It is also important to realize that the speed at which students appear to grasp concepts is not indicative of their mathematics potential (Supekar et al, 2013). As hard as it is, it is important to not have any preconceptions about our students.

We must be open at all times to any student working hard and achieving at high levels.

Some students give the impression that math is a constant struggle for them and they may ask a lot of questions or keep saying they are stuck, but they are just hiding their mathematics potential and are likely to be suffering from a fixed mindset; often these students are scared to take a risk or to get anything wrong. Some students have had bad math experiences and messages from a young age or have not received opportunities for brain growth and learning that other students have, so they are at lower levels than other students. This in no way means they cannot excel with good mathematics teaching, positive messages, and, perhaps most importantly, high expectations from their teachers and parents.

You can be the person who turns things around for students and liberates their learning path. It usually takes just one person-a person whom students will never forget.

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cohen, G. L., & Garcia, J. (2014). Educational Theory, Practice, and Policy and the Wisdom of Social Psychology. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1), 13-20.

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom. The Urban Review, 3(1), 16-20.

Shouse, R. C. (1996). Academic press and sense of community: Conflict, congruence, and implications for student achievement. Social Psychology of Education, 1(1), 47-68.

Supekar, K.; Swigart, A., Tenison, C., Jolles, D., Rosenberg-Lee, M., Fuchs, L., & Menon, V. (2013). Neural Predictors of Individual Differences in Response to Math Tutoring in Primary-Grade School Children. PNAS, 110, 20 (8230-8235)

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When You Believe In Your Students They Do Better - YouCubed

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It may seem obvious that students achieve at higher levels when teachers believe in them, but few would have predicted how much a simple message from teachers can change students' whole trajectories and achievement. A study many years ago that probably would not be allowed today, showed something remarkable about teacher beliefs.

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Feeling good about maths (Positive Digital Practices)

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Feeling good about maths (Positive Digital Practices)

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As you watch this video , make a note of the tips and techniques.​

This video identifies five tips to help you get started at making friends with maths; we will explore others later in this resource. Did any of these tips resonate with you?
Reflect for a moment:

Does maths anxiety ever make your life harder, or stop you from doing what you want to do?

Do you feel ready to explore how to make friends with maths? (If not, you might like to revisit this resource when you feel able.)​

Hopefully you found the tips in Exercise 1 helpful, but it is possible that you will want to explore more ideas . This exercise will help you to build a strong er friendship with maths.
When you are doing maths, do you feel interested and challenged? Or perhaps you feel that you are not stretched , or even bored ? Do you panic and go blank? T he Growth Zone was created to help learners recognise and manage feelings such as these. (Lee & Johnston-Wilder, 2013).

Reflect for a moment:

Can you identify which zone you tend to be in when doing maths? You might like to print the image and mark your place in the zones.

Do you know what to do to recover from the anxiety zone? What works best for you?

Are you starting to feel more confident about making friends with maths?

Now you're exploring how to make friends with maths, it's a good time to try out y our skills . You might like to try one of the following resources , or you can look at the maths within your course, if appropriate. ( Remember: maths exercises are there to help you, so make sure you engage fully and don't just passively read through a resource!) ​

As you work through the resource, log your place on the growth zone. Are you in a comfort zone, a growth zone or an anxiety zone?
​
Reflect for a moment:

How did your growth zone change as you spent time doing mathematics?

How are you feeling now about making friends with maths?

This exercise takes place over a period of time, ideally 6-8 weeks.

First, explore the Growth Zone online logbook. This is a tool that can help you track where you are on the growth zone each time you engage with maths, and will show you how this changes over time. You can generate a demo logbook to see what this looks like, and when you're ready, you can create your own logbook.
​
Every week, r ecord your position on the Growth Zone. You can do this by clicking on the image below.

Reflect as you go:

How is your growth zone changing as you spend time doing mathematics?

How are you feeling now about making friends with maths?

​
Once you've completed the exercise, reflect on the experience and decide on what you need to do next. Do you want to challenge yourself to creep out of the comfort zone? Do you need a better way of recovering from anxiety? How can you go on to blossom in the growth zone?
Congratulations - you are well on your way with making fr ie nds with maths. As you start to blossom in the growth zone, remember that being a resilient mathe m atical lea rn er means that you know when to ask others for help - you don't have to struggle in silence. You might like to discuss how you feel with a friend, a tutor or a study skills adviser. The important thing is to persevere. Keep tracking your feelings about the maths you are doing using the Growth Zone Model. If you are starting to get a little too comfortable, then give yourself more of a challenge. If you get anxious, then take a step back and give yourself time to calm down. Remember that you are in charge of your learning - do whatever works best for you! ​

Foley, A. E., Herts, J. B., Borgonovi , F., Guerriero, S., Levine, S. C. & Beilock , S. L. (2017) The Math Anxiety-Performance Link: A Global Phenomenon. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26 (1): 52 - 58.
OECD (2013) Mathematics Self-Beliefs and Participation in Mathematics-Related Activities. In: PISA, ed. PISA 2012 Results: Ready to Learn - Students' Engagement, Drive and Self=Beliefs. OECD Publishing:
Krantz, S.G. (1999). How To Teach Mathematics. Providence: American Mathematical Society
Lee, C. and Johnston-Wilder, S. (2013) 'Learning mathematics-letting the pupils have their say', Educational Studies in Mathematics , 83(2), pp. 163-180. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-012-9445-3 .​

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Do you struggle with maths? Do you feel stupid when you come across it, or panic when you have to do a calculation? Do you experience sweaty palms, nausea, heart palpitations or paralysis of thought...

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Teaching and Learning Resources for Growth Mindset (J. Boaler et al.)

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Teaching and Learning Resources for Growth Mindset (J. Boaler et al.)

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas. Another 40% have a "growth mindset" - they believe that they can learn anything and that their intelligence can grow. The other 20% waver between the two mindsets.

Students with a fixed mindset are those who are more likely to give up easily, whereas students with a growth mindset are those who keep going even when work is hard, and who are persistent. The two mindsets are associated with different achievement pathways as the papers on this page show. It is possible to change mindsets - my student online class which can be accessed under courses - has been shown to shift students' mindsets from fixed to growth and cause higher mathematics achievement. There are a range of resources on this page - a poster of math norms, a strategizer card with lots of teaching ideas, a short video to boost students' mindset, and some interesting short papers.

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas.

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Think of an ideal gym - but for the brain.

The best times for our brains and learning are when we are struggling. If your children are working at the edge of their understanding, find something difficult, and keep going, their brains get the best possible workout. Uffff.

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A different way to learn, think and grow.

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Struggly unlocks your child's limitless potential with math education based in neuroscience.

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By joining the MA, you will be joining a community that has a love of mathematics and education at its heart! Find out more about the benefits of membership

The MA offers a wide range of publications and resources for all age groups, from early years to post-16

Watch our first webinar, hosted by Dr Jenni Back to launch her new book

MA News

Read the latest edition of Equals Online

The Mathematical Gazette July 2020

That's Mathematics! A musical mathematical medley

News Archive

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× This site uses cookies. By using the site you accept our cookie policy. By joining the MA, you will be joining a community that has a love of mathematics and education at its heart!

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Welcome This site is designed for all those interested in enabling people to learn and use mathematics. As I write this in September 2014 the site is just starting out; what is to be found on its pages is what we have started to find out about how focusing on developing MATHEMATICAL RESILIENCE can enable more people to take a positive stance towards learning mathematics and thus become more willing and able to engage with the power and significance of mathematics. We would like it to grow and become a community of learners sharing their experiences of helping people become mathematically resilient. The site is aimed at all those engaged with the business of learning mathematics; teachers and others in school who want to empower their students and help them gain satisfaction from learning mathematics, not learn to leave it alone because it only causes anxiety; coaches whose role it is to support others in learning mathematics; and parents who want help their children learn or at least avoid passing on their own antipathy towards mathematics. If you are interested in helping people to know that they can "do maths", then please look at what is in these pages and please contribute via the forum. If you have tried out something then please let us know so that we can build up a resource for those who understand the need for people to be mathematically resilient.

What is Mathematical Resilience?

Mathematical resilience describes a positive stance to learning that enables learners to engage successfully in what can be a difficult endeavour, that of learning mathematics. It is a pragmatic, mathematised understanding of the well-established concept resilience. In order to be resilient mathematically a learner must: understand the need to STRUGGLE mathematically; resilience is the opposite of path smoothing, learning mathematics can be difficult, but struggling and overcoming those obstacles brings satisfaction with success hold a GROWTH theory of learning; the prevailing fixed theory of learning (Dweck 2000) where students are led to believe that they have a ceiling to what they can do mitigates against the idea that with effort and the right sort of help, learning can grow; and have RESOURCES available to them to support their learning; this means resources such as friends and teachers, textbooks and the wider community of mathematicians such as those available through the internet. Mathematical resilience describes that quality by which some learners approach mathematics with agency, persistence and a willingness to discuss, reflect and research. Clare Lee and Sue Johnston-Wilder

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Maths Anxiety Trust UK Advice for Teachers

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Maths Anxiety Trust UK Advice for Teachers

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What is Maths Anxiety? Interview Part 1of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson (#RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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What is Maths Anxiety? Interview Part 1of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson (#RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Sue Johnston-Wilder: What is Maths Anxiety?

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Maths Anxiety - How do we fix it? (Interview Part 2of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Maths Anxiety - How do we fix it? (Interview Part 2of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Sue Johnston-Wilder: Maths Anxiety - How do we fix it?

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Irish Context: Working with Mathematics Teachers - Workshop Presentation Uni. of Warwick 04/07/2024

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Irish Context: Working with Mathematics Teachers - Workshop Presentation Uni. of Warwick 04/07/2024

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Help your child do maths even if you don't (R. Russell) Link to Amazon.co.uk

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Help your child do maths even if you don't (R. Russell) Link to Amazon.co.uk

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If you want your child to do well in maths this book is a great place to start. In a quick and easy to read format it outlines 10 important points that will help you to help them more effectively. And all without doing any maths whatsoever! Parents know how important it is for their children to be confident in maths, but many feel burdened by their own struggles with it. Rosemary Russell, who has a PhD for her research into Parents Helping Their Children With Mathematics, shows how any parent or care-giver - good at maths or not - can help give their child a can-do attitude to maths. Whatever your own feelings about maths, you can help build your child's confidence with the subject and pass on positive attitudes towards learning. This book gives some simple suggestions for where to start.

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Help Your Child DO Maths even if you DON'T: 10 things that anyone can do to help their child with maths

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If you want your child to do well in maths this book is a great place to start. In a quick and easy to read format it outlines 10 important points that will help you to help them more effectively. And all without doing any maths whatsoever!

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Maths Anxiety - Solving the Equation (Kirkland & Hunt, 2024)

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Maths Anxiety - Solving the Equation (Kirkland & Hunt, 2024)

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Maths Anxiety is a very common experience, reported by people around the world. This book will help all teachers of Maths, from primary education to secondary and beyond, to better understand Maths Anxiety and learn how we can address this within our classrooms, creating a more positive learning environment for all.
Supported by research, case studies, and anecdotes, this highly practical book explores and provides answers to the following questions: What is Maths Anxiety?
Who experiences it?
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Addressing Maths Anxiety - Guide for Educators (MARG, 2024)

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Addressing Maths Anxiety - Guide for Educators (MARG, 2024)

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Guide for Teachers with Maths Anxiety (Skyrme & Hunt, 2023)

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Guide for Teachers with Maths Anxiety (Skyrme & Hunt, 2023)

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Forthcoming! The Math Anxiety Handbook (A. Dillard & M. Ryan)

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Forthcoming! The Math Anxiety Handbook (A. Dillard & M. Ryan)

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Research Paper: Toolkit to Improve Mathematical Resilience

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Research Paper: Toolkit to Improve Mathematical Resilience

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Research Paper Abstract: MA in undergraduate business studies students

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Research Paper Abstract: MA in undergraduate business studies students

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Research Paper Abstract: Investigating MA among Mature Students in Service Mathematics courses using the MAS-UK

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Research Paper Abstract: Investigating MA among Mature Students in Service Mathematics courses using the MAS-UK

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Maths Anxiety - Can it be a good thing? (Interview Part 3of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Maths Anxiety - Can it be a good thing? (Interview Part 3of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Sue Johnston-Wilder: Maths Anxiety - When is it a good thing?

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Maths Anxiety - Does Ability Grouping Help? (Interview Part 4of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Maths Anxiety - Does Ability Grouping Help? (Interview Part 4of4 with Sue Johnston-Wilder by Rebecca Hanson #RebeccaTheMathsLady)

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Sue Johnston-Wilder: Maths Anxiety - Does ability grouping help?

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RTE Brainstorm article 'Do you have maths anxiety?'

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RTE Brainstorm article 'Do you have maths anxiety?'

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RTE Brainstorm piece: 'Do you have maths anxiety?' discussing recent research by Dr Orla McCullagh, Dr Olivia Fitzmaurice and Dr Maria Ryan

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www.rte.ie needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

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MCETM Maths Podcast on Maths Anxiety (S. Johnston-Wilder)

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MCETM Maths Podcast on Maths Anxiety (S. Johnston-Wilder)

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Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, Sue Johnston-Wilder, discusses the prevalence of anxiety in our maths classrooms.

A transcript (PDF) of this episode is available to download.

Show notes

Taking part in the discussion:

Sue Johnston-Wilder, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Warwick and co-founder of the international Mathematical Resilience Network

Rebecca Longworth, Communications Manager at the NCETM.

Episode chapters

01.06 - Introduction and background of Sue's work

04.29 - The brain and maths anxiety

10.34 - Who does maths anxiety affect?

16.00 - What signs to look out for

18.11 - Tips for teachers

23.07 - Where can we learn more about maths anxiety? Final thoughts from Sue

Useful links

Background reading

Siegel D (2011) Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation

Benson H (2000) The Relaxation Response.

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Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, Sue Johnston-Wilder, discusses the prevalence of anxiety in our maths classrooms

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/ / How talking about maths suddenly became easier - The Toast Model from a parent's perspective

6 March 2019
A parent who regularly attends our events has been trying out the Toast Model at home. Read on to hear first-hand the impact it is having on their learning...
My daughter was at the table, pen in hand, trying to figure out a maths activity. It was supposed to be fun - learning fun. But tension was rising. It wasn't plain sailing, or maybe she wasn't in the mood. She might burst out or give up at any moment, and I just don't want these small incidents to accumulate, as they undermine confidence.

This has happened before, and I know we are not the only ones! It happens with friends too, for all sorts of reasons. Pushy parents forging ambitions before the child is ready... Parents bemused by the school's new ways of teaching...

I used to find it difficult to defuse the situation quickly enough. But no need this time. My daughter just turned around and incredibly calmly said: 'Mama, where is that circle chart again?' I held my breath, took a sheet out from a pile of papers: 'Do you mean this one, with the blue and green and red colours , The Growth Zone Model?' 'Yes that one! See, Mama, this problem is here, in the red zone. I need something a bit easier first.'.

That was it. No tears, no sinking heart, no walking away. And on my side, no 'Oh dear, what have I done again? '.

Since then 'our' diagram is still on the fridge. My daughter coloured the challenge zone in blue, her favourite colour , on the grounds that 'that's where we want to be when we learn'. She also renamed the 'threat zone' to the 'red zone' because after all, it is just uncharted territory that will some day be conquered. I really liked how she changed her outlook that way. Maybe one day a mighty obstacle will remind us that the model dealt with a threat feeling, but for now we prefer not to.

And of course, the red zone is infinite, we will enjoy a whole life of learning, hopefully!

We found the Toast Model to be a simple but beautiful concept:
Read more about the Toast Model.

It's a great addition to illustrate how we all need to go through challenges. My daughter loves to show with large hand gestures how much her comfort zone has expanded since she was born, absorbing this and that, from swimming to maths problems!

It's proved a powerful tool to help recognise and say when things are too hard, safe in the knowledge that it's a natural part of life. So that we can re-adjust, take a few extra steps on the way, and preserve the eagerness to learn and confidence of everyone involved.

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How talking about maths suddenly became easier - The Toast Model from a parent's perspective

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How talking about maths suddenly became easier - The Toast Model from a parent's perspective 6 March 2019 A parent who regularly attends our events has been trying out the Toast Model at home. Read on to hear first-hand the impact it is having on their learning...

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MTU Launch of MRN Ireland and Maths Anxiety Workshop

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MTU Launch of MRN Ireland and Maths Anxiety Workshop

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CIT Teaching & Learning Unit - Mathematics Learning Community

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Uni. of Derby Maths Anxiety Research Group (MARG) Website

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Uni. of Derby Maths Anxiety Research Group (MARG) Website

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An online symposium on the importance of confidence with numbers amongst teachers organised by Maths Anxiety Trust and National Numeracy.

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Research Paper: Case Study from a High School in Brazil

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Research Paper: Case Study from a High School in Brazil

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Research Paper: Addressing Maths Anxiety through Developing Resilience

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Research Paper: Addressing Maths Anxiety through Developing Resilience

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Mathematics Anxiety - Impact on Adult Learners (M. Ryan)

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Mathematics Anxiety - Impact on Adult Learners (M. Ryan)

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Maria Ryan - Mathematics Anxiety - Impact on the Adult Learner

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Developing Mathematical Resilience 3rd International Conference (2022) Conference Proceedings

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Developing Mathematical Resilience 3rd International Conference (2022) Conference Proceedings

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Tips for Parents to help their Child with Maths

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Tips for Parents to help their Child with Maths

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Remember your child is on a learning journey and they do not have to reach the end of this journey today or tomorrow. Encourage an inquisitive mind by asking questions about how they solved something or if it could be done in a different way (which it always can be). Ensure puzzles and stimulating activities are on hand for when boredom sets in.

2. Making a mistake is great

Research has recently shown that the brain actually grows when a mistake is made. Celebrate this and do not put the emphasis on getting the correct answer all of the time. It is important but how they got there is far more intriguing! Read more>>

3. They key to memorisation is understanding

Rote learning can be a foreign language to your child if your child does not understand what they are learning. If your child is learning the addition/multiplication tables they should understand exactly what each fact looks like, for example, 8 × 5 = 40. That might be eight groups of five, five groups of eight, eight added five times or five added eight times (or many other options). The key is that they understand and can show you what it is. They also know that they do not need to learn 5 × 8 = 40 because multiplication is commutative. This means that you do not have to learn each table up to 12 × 12 - if you know that 3 × 9 = 27 then you also know a fact from your nine times table: 9 × 3 = 27. Ensure your child sees these connections with multiplication and addition.

4. Do not emphasise speed

Some (most) of the great mathematicians in this world are great because they think about maths problems slowly and deeply. Completing activities with a time pressure can cause anxiety and create a negative impression of what it is to succeed in maths.

5. Maths is not a gene and your child can achieve at it

Do not share your own mathematical failures with your child. They will start to believe that it is their failure also and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Develop a Growth Mindset about maths - a positive can do attitude that you can succeed in maths.

6. It's okay not to know the answer

A critical learning opportunity for children is to see that even adults do not have all the answers. Children should realise that learning never stops. It is what you do next then that is really important - do you walk away because you don't know the answer or do you try to problem solve and figure out it out?

7. Play with them

Board games are a great way to spend time with your children and choosing the right board game can provide hours of fun, challenge and learning. Strategy and logic are key elements of maths. Beating your child at a board game every night for a week will develop resilience and problem solving skills that will encourage them to think strategically about how they can beat you the next time.

8. Speak 'maths' with them

Using the correct mathematical vocabulary with your child will expose them to the language that you are expecting them to have. If a 4/5 year old child can learn the names of all the dinosaurs and say them correctly then no mathematical word is too 'long' or 'complicated'. Very often children will say 'I did it in my head' but not know how to explain it. This is because they more than likely do not have the language to do so and/or have never been asked to explain it before. Have high, realistic language expectations for them when doing maths.

9. Speak to the teacher

The biggest insight a parent can have about their child's attainment in maths can come from the class teacher. Speak to him/her and find out what areas would be beneficial to focus on at home. Be conscious also that less can often be more and doing maths with your child every day after school can become exhausting for everyone involved. Keep it fun and remember it is a journey -not a race.

10. Look for the maths around you

Children very often leave school with the impression that maths is what happens during maths class and with a maths book. Maths is so much more than that - make them aware of the maths that is taking place around them on a daily basis on so many different levels, for example, a carpenter fitting a stairs in a house - what measurements might be needed? A sales assistant balancing the tills in the evening - how will they know if it balances? Parking a car involved spatial awareness - is there enough space for my car there? Why/why not?

Useful websites and resources for parents:

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10 tips for helping your child with maths One of the most frequent questions asked by parents we interact with during Maths Week is: 'How can I help my child with maths at home?' This blog aims to give you practical tools that you can use to help your child with maths.

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Reflection to Reduce Teacher Maths Anxiety (F. Cosgrove)

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Reflection to Reduce Teacher Maths Anxiety (F. Cosgrove)

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Fay Cosgrove, Mrs

PhD candidate at Cardiff University

Fay Cosgrove has been a primary school teacher since 2005 and is a regional lead practitioner for numeracy. She is a senior leader at her school, a facilitator for the Outstanding Teacher Programme and consults on the Welsh government's expert panel. She has trained and mentored pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and maths co-ordinators. She has a master's degree in education and social science research methods. She has conducted research for the National Network for Excellence in Maths. She is an ESRC-funded PhD candidate at Cardiff University. Her research interests include working qualitatively and quantitatively with teacher professional learning, the STEM gender gap, psychometric scale development, and maths anxiety in children and teachers.

'Learning for All'

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A moment to breathe: How reflection can reduce teacher maths anxiety

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This post explores the need for professional learning development to reduce teacher maths anxiety, and follows up on a recent blog post about reducing pupil maths anxiety. Worldwide demand for...

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Reading on the Growth Zone (C. Lee & S. Johnston-Wilder)

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Reading on the Growth Zone (C. Lee & S. Johnston-Wilder)

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Article by Clare Lee and Sue Johnston-Wilder

Introduction

Along with many colleagues, we are very appreciative of the resource that is NRICH and we encourage any mathematics teachers everywhere we meet them to access the website and to make use of the tasks and activities therein. The NRICH team is similarly appreciative of the work we have been undertaking regarding mathematical resilience (Lee and Johnston-Wilder 2014). One of the ways that learners build mathematical resilience is in accepting that engaging in mathematics requires perseverance and struggle, and that otherwise they are not learning. However, resilient learners know that they do not have to struggle alone but should collaborate, or otherwise seek support, so that the struggle is manageable; enough to know that you are being challenged, but not too much.

Later in this article we will discuss the growth zone model which helps learners understand their feelings as they move from comfortable tried and tested ways of working in mathematics into learning, reasoning, connecting and developing more efficient ways of enjoying mathematical activity, such as are offered by NRICH activities. Sometimes learners when they are challenged can get 'out of their depth' and start to panic, and it may be concerns about this happening that stop learners wanting to jump in and enjoy the feelings of success when challenges are overcome. The symptoms of this panic may not always be easy to read by teachers and other adults working to support learning, as learners develop ways to hide them. Hence one of the characteristics of the mathematically resilient learner is that they have the language both to express any feelings of being out of control and to request the support they need so that they can stay in their growth zone longer.

Panic or feelings of anxiety seem to happen very quickly in some learners when they encounter challenge in mathematics. This may be because many learners have had a previous diet of mathematics that they have found easy, or possibly they are used to mathematics learning requiring them to "learn this algorithm" or "remember this way". When they are offered something that is challenging and requires connecting ideas, thinking and reasoning, as NRICH activities do, they cannot use their standard approaches in mathematics, which leads to the obvious conclusion that "I can't do it!" This article is about how learners can be helped to move from expecting "doing maths" to mean the teacher smoothing the path, explaining every step and the learner remembering to apply all the steps, towards expecting to engage in mathematics for themselves, and more importantly feel involved, safe and that they enjoy doing mathematics.

The Affective Dimension

The term "affective dimension" includes concepts such as beliefs, attitudes and emotions. Engaging in NRICH or other similar activities means that learners will be offered the chance to feel the enjoyment there is to be had from successfully overcoming barriers, the "I did it!" feeling. However many learners experience strong negative emotions when they get stuck and may feel that they have been offered the chance to fail. Unless learners understand that all mathematicians struggle, get stuck and make mistakes, perhaps especially those mathematicians that work with really complex and difficult mathematics, and that many mathematicians like to collaborate with others so that they get ideas and encouragement in the difficult task of learning more mathematics, they may feel justified in concluding that they cannot do mathematics and they will not continue with the struggle. The more work we do within schools the more it seems to us that the reaction "I can't do maths", that we hear over and over again, is the result of feelings of anxiety generated by being asked to work in ways that feel unsafe or seem likely to expose the learners to public humiliation, which causes learners to believe that mathematical challenges are best avoided. So the first belief to contradict is the idea that learning mathematics is easy, if you have the right aptitude, and if you do not have that aptitude, as proved by making mistakes and getting stuck, you cannot learn mathematics.

Mathematics is often worked on in isolation and often involves rote learning of "number facts" that they are required to manipulate and articulate with speed. These and many other common ways of working in mathematics seem to start to lead some learners, and we think many learners, to begin to become mathematically anxious and to panic. However because they are working on mathematics rather than for example swimming, the panic may not be obvious to mathematics teachers. The learner may feel ashamed and feel they "ought to be able to do it" or may feel that they have no hope of being able to come up with any ideas as they are sure they are not part of the elite few that can do mathematics. If they frequently feel they may be humiliated when they simply "can't do it", as confirmed by feeling stuck and making mistakes, they may go on to develop mathematics anxiety and/or avoidance. So the next belief that needs challenging is the idea that mathematics is something that you have to work on by yourself and that you keep quiet if you cannot keep up. Rather collaboration should be the expected way to work and the idea that everyone needs support from the community, peers, adults or texts or internet, as they struggle with the complexities of learning and using mathematics, should be part of classroom culture.

The last negative belief that we want to highlight here, is the belief that many learners hold that they are not part of the elite few who can "do" mathematics. This belief is evident in many of the ways that society reacts, for example, it is OK to give a little shudder when faced with some simple multiplicative reasoning and to say "I can't do maths", in way that saying "I can't read" is not and in the way that qualitative data is presented as fact and only questioned by few in society. NRICH tasks are generally accessible to all and extendable as far as the learners want to go. Therefore they are inclusive and suitable for teachers to use to include everyone, no matter what their current experience, in doing mathematics. Using such tasks can help to convince students that they can in fact "do maths" and are part of the community who can learn and do mathematics. However, in order to work in resilient ways and to be part of those who "can do mathematics", who enjoy using their ideas and what they do know to overcome barriers and feel successful in mathematics, learners first have to be able to get into their growth zone and then, to stay there for a while. In other words, they have to develop 'mathematical resilience'.

Developing Mathematical Resilience

There is now much evidence that leads us to believe that learners develop mathematical resilience in a supportive environment, where learning mathematics is, at least sometimes, a collective and collaborative endeavour. The fact that mathematics can be a difficult subject is not hidden but everyone is expected to persevere, to be able to learn, use and control mathematical ideas and experience the good feelings of barriers overcome, and everyone is expected to both need and get appropriate and sufficient support from the whole community of learners.

So there are some important principles of such an environment that first need discussing:

The overt belief that everyone can grow their understanding. This is based in Dweck's (2000) growth mindset theories, that with desire and effort from the learner, and support and encouragement from others, everyone can learn more mathematics. Learners will take some convincing about this as our society operates as though there is an elite who can do mathematics and there are others who cannot, which is the fixed mindset. Also as the fixed mindset permeates society with regard to mathematics, the students will need convincing over and over again that:

their mind is like a muscle, in that it grows stronger with exercise,

it is never that you cannot do it, it's just that you "can't do it YET!",

getting stuck is 'an honourable state' as it shows that you are on the verge of learning something new

and so on. There are many mantras that teachers use to remind their students that they can and will learn to use and control more and more mathematical ideas if they are well supported and if they persevere.

That learning and doing mathematics can feel risky and therefore learners need both to know this and to know how to deal with those feelings of risk and uncertainty. It seems that when these feelings are unexpressed and the learners do not know that such feelings are to be expected, nor how to deal with those feelings, avoidance and anxiety often result. The growth zone model shown below can be useful in giving learners both the language to express their feelings and to alert them to the kinds of feelings that they may experience. This can enable learners to become equipped with approaches that they can use to recognise and to deal with the emotional side of learning mathematics.

The growth zone model consists of three concentric zones. The growth zone can be thought of as sitting between a comfort zone and an anxiety or danger zone, as in Figure 1.

In the comfort zone, learners feel comfortable. They will be working on ideas that they understand, consolidating ideas or building fluency. It is important to stress that, despite the usefulness of the work done whilst in this zone, here learners are not learning new things. There is also the potential to become bored, never doing anything new, or in a new way, is tedious. To experience the exciting but somewhat risky feeling of learning something new, learners must move into their growth zone.

In the growth zone, students will be learning and as a consequence they will have to struggle to understand. They may feel that they could fail to grasp an idea or overcome one of the many barriers that learning mathematics puts in their way. The fact that they are learning will be demonstrated by the mistakes they will be making and the wrong turns that they will take. Understanding the way learning may feel will demonstrate that they must develop strategies to deal with the feelings that arise and their underlying beliefs and attitudes. In the growth zone learners will need support to manage feelings of risk, potential failure and of making mistakes; how they access that support is best thought out beforehand (a strategy known as "advanced coping" in mental health), as in the growth zone their attention will be on the ideas they are learning. NRICH tasks are ideal for setting up the experiences of challenge and curiosity which enable effective, thought-provoking learning experiences but learners must know that they are not expected to struggle alone, they have a right to be supported. If the appropriate support is not there when needed then the learner may move into the red or anxiety zone.

In the red zone learners may feel overwhelmed by the risk and uncertainty and feel very out of control and therefore unsafe. Learners will then experience feelings of panic, and it is likely that the freeze, flight or fight reflex will be triggered, where the amygdala takes over and higher level thinking becomes difficult or impossible, as the brain moves into survival mode. Dan Siegel, neurologist, describes this situation accessibly in his Youtube video. In the video he uses the hand to demonstrate the pre-frontal cortex going offline. A learner is likely to feel mathematically stupid in such a situation. If this happens repeatedly, without the learner being aware of the role of the amygdala, it is likely that the learner will express the view that they 'can't do maths'. The learner needs to know in advance that being in the growth zone may trigger productive levels of adrenalin, not too much, but just right. The physical reaction to challenge when supported is constructive influence on potential cognitive development, provided the learner feels any risks are under their control.

The growth zone model helps learners remember that when they are learning, problem solving or engaging in a new mathematical way of working they will feel challenged, uncertain and that their self-concept as someone who is able to cope in mathematics is at risk. If they do not experience something of these feelings, they will not be learning as much as they might, and they will not experience the good feelings associated with a challenge overcome. Teachers can use the language of the growth zone model to help learners to become aware of when the challenge is too much and they are moving into the red zone and can help each learner to plan their own ways for moving back into the growth or comfort zones. Currently, learners are often left to cope alone, and it can seem to them that feelings of uncertainty or risk are unusual, rather than a normal result of pushing yourself to learn more. If students become aware that they are panicking, anxiety management approaches such as breathing exercises, especially slightly longer out breaths or breathing with the diaphragm, talking to someone and learning to step away until calm, or taking physical exercise such as a walk, can be suggested, allowing the learner to take back control of their thinking.

That persevering is more than persisting. Having the confidence to "have a go" shows that a learner has begun to develop resilience. Resilient learners understand that working at mathematics sometimes means making mistakes and getting stuck, both of which are good indicators of being in the growth zone. However often learners use persistence, which is about keeping on trying, when perseverance may be of more use. Perseverance demands that you keep going but you also recruit support and try alternative approaches, you search for connections and apply what you do know in the hope of finding out more (Williams, 2014).

Getting Into and Staying in the Growth Zone

So it is evident from the discussion above that learners make best progress when they are in their growth zone. When they are introduced to the model, some learners have told us that they feel that their growth zone is very narrow and that they slip into their red zone almost immediately. Consequently, when it feels to be just the time to enrich mathematical learning with an interesting problem to solve or activity, it may be safer for some learners if the growth zone model is discussed first.

Getting into your growth zone requires first that you know that you have one, which is why a discussion of Dweck's (2000) mindset theories was suggested as a good place to start. It may be that you have to talk to other adults in the school and to parents and guardians in order to make a significant change in learners' beliefs that they really can grow their mathematical capability, and that the only ceiling on what they can do and understand is one that they put on themselves, if they are willing to put in the time and effort and recruit appropriate support. There may be structures within school which confirm the fixed mindset idea that each learner has a fixed and measurable potential beyond which they cannot go, such as setting and other classifications of learners, so these may need thinking about first. Think about it the other way, if it were true that people can only learn or attain so much why do we teach at all? The one thing that makes a huge difference to attainment is the teacher (Hattie 2012)), not background or previous experience; teaching makes a difference because everyone can grow with appropriate experience.

Getting into your growth zone needs you to feel confident that it is safe to do so. This requires each learner to know that if they get stuck or feel uncertain of what to do next, help will be at hand. That help has to be the right help, we found that even where "Buddies" were well established in a school and that every learner had someone to go to and talk to about any difficulties, the help that was given in mathematics tended to be to simply provide the answer. In mathematics they felt the right answer to be what was needed. Following some in depth exploration and discussions, inclusive of the learners, this school developed "helpful questions to ask when discussing mathematics" so that the learners could help one another experience the good feelings of successfully overcoming barriers and engaging in and learning mathematics.

Sometimes learners have not developed any approaches that may help them to get "unstuck" once they are stuck, other than to ask a teacher. Although getting "stuck" may be a sign that you are in your growth zone, not being able to get "unstuck" will mean that you move straight to the red zone, try to disguise your feelings and start to make trouble or just say "I can't do it!". One teacher used a "stuck poster" that was specific to each class. Each class suggested ways that they might get "unstuck", at first it was just "ask the teacher" but once it was pointed out that there was one teacher and 30 students, other ideas were suggested, "look over your notes", "ask a friend", "team up with someone else who is at the same point" and so on, appeared on the poster over time as the ideas occurred to the learners. The poster was always displayed and the teacher pointed to it whenever anyone said "I'm stuck".

A learning environment where it is expected that everyone will make mistakes, because you do when you are making progress with your learning, will help people feel safer getting into and staying in their growth zone. One teacher went as far as to celebrate mistakes, asking in the plenary at the end of the lesson for "today's big mistake" and always asking "so what did you learn from that mistake?" Sometimes learners are very frightened of making mistakes, as they can result in feelings of humiliation, so this teacher turned it on its head and celebrated the mistakes and emphasised what was learned from them.

In Conclusion

Although the traditional role for the activities and tasks on the NRICH website was to provide challenge for learners who find school mathematics rather easy, we and many others have said elsewhere that it is important for all learners to experience challenge. Challenging tasks help learners see that mathematical learning requires struggle and asks them to develop habits of confidence, persistence and perseverance (Williams, 2014). Tasks such as those on the NRICH website enable learners to build mathematical resilience, and prepare them to understand how to work at mathematics, to figure out what is needed, to try what they know and make connections between mathematical ideas, all of which result in an inclusive, enjoyable and active mathematical learning environment as learners support one another in a common endeavour. As a by-product, such an environment also helps prepare learners to use all those hard-won skills to successfully answer examination questions. If learners do not have the opportunity to experience that mathematics requires struggle, they are less likely to develop resilience, and more likely to give up when mathematics gets harder for example at university even if they found school mathematics relatively easy (Ward-Penny et al 2011).

Further Information

Baker, J.; Cousins, S. & Johnston-Wilder, S. (2019) Mathematics: A Place of Loving Kindness and Resilience-Building. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies

Dweck, C. (2000) Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Hattie, J. (2012) Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning, London: Routledge

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Here is a PDF version of this article.

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Getting into and Staying in the Growth Zone

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In this article for teachers, Clare Lee and Sue Johnston-Wilder explain how the Growth Zone model can help develop resilience in our learners.

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Dyscalculia is a math learning disability that makes it hard to make sense of and work with numbers. Read about what dyscalculia means, symptoms, and how to help.

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Dyscalculia Network | Leading Support Network for Dyscalculia

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The Dyscalculia Network is a leading community interest company supporting individuals with Dyscalculia. Find a online tutor today.