To say that Mathematics is not everyone’s cup of tea is a fair thing. Being faced with anxiety and tension at the mere mention of mathematics’ name is a real thing for many people. And what’s more, this feeling can be all-consuming. Being stuck for hours on a problem one cannot solve can open the floodgate of negative emotions in their mind. This is known as mathematics anxiety and it is a serious problem. For starters, it can alter a person’s perception of their own self for years to come.
For people who become anxious by doing mathematics, shifting from a mindset of failure to an outlook of a more positive constitution can be an immensely challenging task. This task becomes even more challenging when numbers are involved. This is the main reason why mathematics anxiety becomes a lifelong issue for many people.
However, all hope is not lost. Research shows that if mathematics anxiety is tackled in the classroom itself and if teachers encourage their students, the children, to try to solve a problem in a different way, i.e., making their mindset shift from stagnancy, can be an empowering experience. And for pupils coming from a disadvantaged background, this is even truer.
Like every other problem, tackling the problem of mathematics anxiety is a step-by-stop process and, the first step of that process is learning more about mathematics anxiety or Math phobia.
Math phobia
Shakuntala Devi, the renowned Indian Mathematician who was famously known as the “Human Calculator”, once said, “Without Mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers. Shakuntala Devi was absolutely right here. Knowledge of this subject is necessary for the development of our academic, professional and personal lives.
However, many children fall victim to “math phobia” i.e., fear of mathematics. It is not exactly a fear per se, but an acute anxiety that the child feels when solving a mathematics problem. This is not a difficult problem to “diagnose”, however, if left unattended, mathematics anxiety or math phobia has lifelong repercussions. However, apart from the actual psychological problems, another major cause of math phobia are the myths surrounding the subject of mathematics, these myths will be addressed below.
Traditional Teaching Methods
Traditional teaching methods focus heavily on the theoretical aspect of the subject. The focus is more on memorizing rather than understanding. While this approach may work on most of the subjects, for mathematics, it is not effective. While it is true that Mathematics is a concept where there are fixed right and wrong answers, it does not mean that tackling mathematical concepts is an easy task. When children can’t get the correct answer to a seemingly simple mathematics problem, it haunts them for a long time. They think that they can’t solve a question with only one single correct answer and leads to them doubting their abilities.
If this goes on for a long time, they start recognising mathematics as a subject that discourages them. This is the reason of why mathematics is the most feared subject amongst students. If left unchecked, this fear of Mathematics is carried by students all the way into adulthood. This judgmental method of teaching maths, i.e. the mentality that an answer is either right or wrong, that every question is a matter of black and white is a very toxic way of teaching.
Many famous researchers, it is an undeniable fact that children do not like being told that they are wrong. Moreover, if students get answers wrong in front of their whole class, it is an added blow to their self-image and lowers their confidence further. Moreover, reprimanding students for every little mistake they make is also not a good idea.
Research also shows that the human brains are wired in such a way that it grows the most when it makes mistakes. Reassuring students and not reprimanding them, when they make mistakes, is a fine way to modify the traditional teaching methods to make them more positive and wholesome.
The Parent’s Perspective
Often the parents, the first teacher of child also somewhere lack behind to create the healthy learning environment for their children. Sometime the parent behaviour insists the child to simply let go off mathematics problems.
If you are yourself telling the child your own perception regarding math and keep saying them phrases like “I didn’t even get this much marks ever in math” or “I also failed in mathematics often when I was of you age”, then you are stuffing their brain with all the negative influences of mathematics. This will only intensify the fear of mathematics even more.
So, how can you overcome the fear of mathematics?
Overcoming the fear of mathematics isn’t that hard as you might be thinking. All you need is to first indentify the real problems where you and the education system is lacking behind.
Once are you able to find that problem than implement them one by one. For instance-
The Modern teaching Approach
To overcome the fear of mathematics, we must overcome the traditional teaching methods, especially with the subject of Math. Analyse what developed countries are doing with their teaching methods of mathematics. How the CRA (Concrete- Representation-Abstract) approach is getting effective result in those countries. And then implement them here as well.
Invalidate Myth Regarding Math
The math brain can only be developed once you eliminate all the myths you’ve heard about mathematics. Doing this will effectively boost your morale and mindset for considering mathematics as a subject that you can do easily by yourself.
All those stereotypes about math only exist because of the mindset and the environment in which we all are studied or studying. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate them as soon as possible. It is good for you only.
Make Math Simple & Fun
Interestingly, there are so many fun ways of learning mathematics by doing it. You might be unaware that a child can create a love for math as he has with the other games. There are so many math manipulative and tools that a child can use to learn the math concept much easily and in a fun way. Of course, student love playing games, so if we bring those game in math as well, it will not only get their attention but also make them actively participate in math activities.
Parent’s Participation
Parent’s role in influencing child mind is essential. If your child don’t like math, it might be possible you are somewhere responsible for it also.
As a parent it is your responsibility to create the learning environment where the child mind can grow effectively and in a positive way. Play games with them; build up strategies on how you can build their interest in math.
To overcome the fear of mathematics, parent’s participation is must. Firstly upgrade your perception and mindset for math and then for your children.
Use Math in Daily Life
This is one of the most effective ways to overcome math phobia. If you don’t like math, then start practising it in daily life.
Let your children pay and calculate the change while purchasing something. Reinforce the concept of fractions through slicing and sharing pizza. Math is all around you, you just have to figure it out. Doing this will create math more real & meaningful.
Try these simple solutions and see how it goes. We are sure you’ll notice positive mindset changes for math subject and you’ll start enjoying it. Just remember Math isn’t hard unless you intend to make it hard.
PS: We at Wisetime Learning have something more to overcome the fear of Mathematics in efficient & effective way. We have a beautifully designed Math Kit that can easily be used by both parents & teachers for their child and students. It is completely based on modern CRA approach and has some impressive advantages.
For more info visit our website :: wisetimelearning.com
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