Maths Anxiety: Cause and Cure
While there does not appear to be a specific age or class when Maths Anxiety occurs, in India it does seem to come to the fore sometime between the 4th and 6th grades. This is when Maths steps out of the purview of arithmetic and elements like integers, geometry and algebra are introduced into the lexicon.
There is sometimes a single event; often a test, where a student who has been used to getting marks in the 90s, encounters an event where suddenly marks drop by 20% or more. In the typical Indian context with a high level of performance expectation, this is traumatic for the child and often for the parents as well. The single event hence is magnified, analysed and discussed to a very high level which ends up lowering the confidence level of a child.
The Negative Cycle
The negative cycle has three elements – Anxiety, Avoidance and Failure. Each of these three feed off the other. An anxious child avoids the subject to the extent possible which gives rise to Failure. A single failure can cause anxiety which can lead to avoidance. A child who missed a few classes, may end up with bad marks and hence lowered confidence. Each of these three elements feed off each other. This is amplified if the child is good at other subjects; Maths can then be avoided with the belief that the child is differently oriented.
The Positive Cycle
The positive cycle is the opposite – its three elements are Confidence, Pursuance and Success. A child who is diligent will end up doing well and hence will build up confidence. A confident child will score better and will be encouraged to pursue the subject as well. The social system will further propagate the belief – a child who is seen to be good at the subject will have proud parents supporting them and encouraging them.
As mentioned before, a child often moves from the positive to the negative cycle. This can happen at any time. A child who finds number systems easy may have a hard time with algebra because the concept of a variable is something that was confusing. This single element can start the entire negative cycle – with the corresponding lack of confidence.
From the Negative to the Positive
It is possible to also move from the Negative to the Positive cycle. The first is to build up confidence through positive reinforcement. Encouragement and self belief is vital along with working on baby steps – focusing on things that the child finds easy to do. It is an important place to start but it can only be effective for a short time; till another difficult math concept lowers confidence again.
Rakesh is a case in point. Till the 5th grade he found Maths easy and was able to score well with no difficulty. His doting parents were convinced he was a genius (as are most parents). In the 6th, he just could not grasp integers – specially applications involving negative numbers. His parents had long conversations with the class teacher and put Rakesh into Maths tuitions. One day Rakesh heard his mother discussing with her brother that she just did not understand what had happened to her brilliant son. Rakesh decided that he had to change this impression and put his heart into his studies. He solved hundreds of problems with his tutor and his grades improved. Not quite to where they were earlier, but certainly much better than his first class test.
He worked even harder for his next test and once again had marks in the 70s. While this seems reasonable, some of his friends continued to score in the high 90s. He began to believe that Maths was not his subject and reconciled himself to having to get though another few years before he could move onto non-Maths subjects.
Rakesh’s problems are not atypical and were a result of rote learning. With sufficient practice it is possible to get decent marks and even do well for a while – but it is always a struggle. Research on Maths Anxiety indicates that there is only one sustainable way to stay in the positive cycle – viz by building a strong understanding of the subject. The opposite – role learning, will certainly result in moving to the negative cycle – usually sooner rather than later.
Building Deep Understanding
There are four elements that contribute to building deep understanding
1. Understanding the ‘why’ of a topic. Maths can seem irrelevant to regular life though it is there and is used by us many times during a day. A discussion around the history of a particular topic along with examples that make sense to the child provide the context for interest
2. Understanding the ‘core’ elements of the topic through activities. The building blocks to Maths are not that many – specially in the early classes. For example understanding the purpose and the concept of a ‘variable’ is at the heart of algebra. Taking time to really ‘get’ the notion of a variable changes algebra from a monster to a friend
3. Regular Practice. Practice in Maths is like making a road in a forest. Driving a car through a forest will not set the foundation for a road – but a few hundred cars following the same path, will. Once a concept is clear, it is retained through discipline and extensive practice
4. Leveraging individual learning styles. We have known for a while that people learn differently, a kinaesthetic learner will understand differently from a visual or aural learner. Knowing and using learning styles helps a child understand a concept more deeply.
In summary then, Maths anxiety is a real issue that exists in society today. Unfortunately for those who have it, Maths is necessary for almost all forms of higher education – specially entrance tests in engineering, science even design.
And the only real solution is Deep Understanding – the sooner, the better.
em>* This article has been written by Second School (www.secondschool.in) as a part of its endeavour to spread awareness in the areas of Maths, Curriculum and Standards. Second School is committed to providing school going children with whole brain learning through neighborhood tuition centers.
