Math Anxiety Workshop
Script
This workshop script was created by Math
Professor Niel Katz and College Counselor Apolinar Peralta, NYC College of
Technology Brooklyn, NY
I .Objectives
At the end of this presentation, students will be able to…
1. Identify
and understand the causes of math anxiety
2. Explore
how cognitive memory processes are related to anxiety /memory blocking
3. Reduce
math anxiety by applying stress-reducing techniques
4. Change
opinion about math and anxiety formation based on knowledge, not myth
II. Definition
Math anxiety is a learned response, and, as such, it can be
unlearned by exploring and understanding the causes that trigger it. Anxiety is
also a physical reaction to stressing situations, and its signs can be
identified and controlled by proper cognitive and/or relaxation exercises, like
accepting your fears and acknowledging your feelings or practicing a relaxation
exercise involving breathing techniques; and also, by having determination, by
turning negative-self-talk into positive self-talk, and by creating good study
habits. Contrary to myths related to
math learning, we all have an innate capacity to learn, the difference being
that past experiences sway us towards rejecting or accepting this or that
subject.
Math is a creative discipline and, as such, it should be
approached like any other subject. If we realize that our brain does not
discriminate what it can learn, we’ll be better able to understand that
learning math and reducing the anxiety associated with it, is a matter of
validating our feelings/physical reactions and analyzing how certain negative
constructs were formed in us.
III. Physical
Reactions or Signs to Math-related Anxiety:
(Presenter starts by encouraging
group to participate. Here are some questions.)
When did you first realized that you disliked mathematics?
What do you fear about math?
Do you experience any physical reactions when studying for a
math test?
Could you tell us how you cope with it?
Procedure:
1.
(Presenter goes to chalkboard and invites comments from
students about physical reactions to math-related anxiety. He/she writes each
response on the board and makes comments to clarify issues or validate
feelings, if needed. At the end of this exchange, presenter asks students to
take out flyer on symptoms (Appendix A) and goes through the list, explaining
them. Comments from students are acknowledged and feelings validated.
Causes of anxiety.
1. a) Past experience: Failing a test, facing demanding
teachers/ parents; embarrassing
situations. (Invite group participation; take a few examples --Use
discretion. Students might be intimidated/shy about reviling personal issues.)
b) Fears associated with math and group’s reactions to it. (Probe fears. Define
Constructs/worldviews, false beliefs, myths
about math (See appendix B.)
c) Cognitive coping strategies
(defense mechanisms). (Have students talk about how they cope with/avoid math.
Some strategies are:
Coping: Studying longer hours,
seeking help, conferring with Prof.
Avoidance: Changing majors, don’t minding poor grades, becoming passive. (Have
students explain themselves. Probe
emotional reactions/feelings.
Rationalization: Finding reasons why it is okay, and perhaps even inevitable,
to feel anxious. Rationalization is nonconstructive because it will do nothing
to lessen or help the student get rid of her/his anxiety.
Suppression: Having awareness of
the anxiety but trying very hard not to feel it; it is usually accompanied by
some pretty severe self-criticism (negative self-talk).
Denial: People who avoid math carefully construct their lives so as to
avoid
mathematics as much as possible, they therefore choose careers that are
not associated
this subject.
(At the end
of this activity, presenter introduces the Cognitive Restructuring Exercise,
but
not before going over Appendix E, How Memory
Works.
Procedure:
a) Ask group to pull it out, along with the scratch paper
provided
b) Acknowledge source and read the following instructions:
For the next 10 minutes or so, we are going to do an exercise. The purpose of
this exercise is to have you become aware of any mind blocks that might trigger
math anxiety. Read the text carefully, and jot down at least two negative
experiences related to math that cause you to have physical reactions or feel
anxious when studying math or preparing to take a test.
IV. Solutions:
Procedure: Presenter will invite comments from the group and
validate their experiences/feelings (jot them on the chalkboard, if necessary)
How to handle Math
Anxiety:
--Being well prepared by studying the subject well in
advance. (Give study tips here -refer them to the Counseling Center's workshops
and mention flyer listing them (provided).) Add something like: This kind of
confidence helps you place normal amounts of anxiety in perspective.
--Changing the way you talk to yourself about tests (Probe
the student's constructs about and encourage them to consider changing their
views if success is expected, etc.)
--Directly changing the ways your body responds to tests.
Acknowledge your physical reactions; practice a cognitive or a breathing
exercise to relax you.
--Encouraging students to start coping with their test
anxiety right at the beginning of the course by creating/planning regular study
habits and sticking to them.
--Thinking of math as a tool that will help them get a good
job.
--Challenging math myths (Invite students to contribute with
math myths they have heard (Appendix B)
--Getting to know your school resources: Get to know your
math instructor, study additional material, attend study skills workshops or
join a math study group or math club.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix A
Physical signs of Math Anxiety:
On the physical level, anxiety involves overt activity of
the parts of the nervous system that control heart rate, respiration rate
(breathing), and some other functions. (See list below.)
--Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
--Rapid heart rate
--Dry mouth
--Chills/Shaking
--Sleepiness
--Fatigue/Exhaustion
--Fear or worry
--Numbing
--Feeling overwhelmed
--Anger/Irritability
--Sadness
--Feeling
lost/Abandoned
--Feeling guilty or shame
--Resentment
--Avoidance
--Rapid
breathing
--Sweaty palms
--Butterflies
in the stomach
--Muscle tension
--Dryness
in the mouth
--Trembling or shaking
--Sensations
or shortness of breath or smothering
--Feeling
of chocking
--Chest pain or discomfort
--Nausea
or abdominal
--Distress
--Feeling
dizzy, unsteady,
--Lightheaded, or faint
--Fear
of loosing control or
--Going crazy
--Chills
or hot flushes.
--Racing thoughts
--Difficulty
concentrating
--Numbing, going blank
--Racing
thoughts
--Intrusive thoughts/flashbacks`
--Memory/concentration
Problematic thinking:
--Overgeneralization,
“Must”, problems:
All-or-nothing
thinking
“Should” statements
Catastrophizing
Denial
Rumination
--Hyper-vigilance --Restlessness,
easily agitated
--Alcohol intake --Isolation/withdrawal
--Change in activity level --Excessive
sleep or
--Sleeplessness --Eating
disturbances
--Procrastination --Stomach
problems
--Muscle tension/Muscle aches --Headache
--Increased smoking.
Appendix B
Myths:
Myths, from Greek, a telling of tells or legends. Justifying
or rationalizing the fear or frustration one experiences.
Myth #1: Aptitude for math is inborn. Some people are just
more talented in some areas, and to some degree it seems that these talents are
inborn.
Myth # 2: To be good at math, you have to be good at
calculating. Mathematics is a science of ideas, not calculations.
Myth # 3: Math requires logic, not creativity. We want
things to make sense. Math anxiety is an emotional response. Sever math anxiety
is a learned emotional response, not just a one more logic premise or problem.
Myth # 4: In math what’s important is getting the right
answer. Understanding the concepts is key here. Although getting the right
answer is as important, understand the subject and working sequentially is very
important.
Myth # 5: Men are naturally better than women at mathematical
thinking.
Appendix C/Cognitive
Restructuring Exercise
This exercise
involves making as conscious as possible the sources of math anxiety in one’s
own life, accepting those feelings without self-criticism, and then learning
strategies for disarming math anxiety's influence on one’s future study of
mathematics.
Begin by understanding that your feelings of math anxiety
are not uncommon, and that they definitely do not indicate that there is
anything wrong with you or inferior about your ability to learn math. For some
this can be hard to accept, but it is worth trying to accept - since after all
it happens to be true. This can be made easier by exploring your own
“math-history.” Think back across your career as a math student, and identify
those experiences which have contributed most to your feelings of frustration
about math. For some this will be a memory of a humiliating experience in
school, such as being made to stand at the blackboard and embarrassed in front
of one’s peers. For others it may involve interaction with a parent. Whatever
the principle episodes are, recall them as vividly as you are able to. Then,
write them down. This is important. After you have written the episode on a
sheet(s) of paper, write down your reaction to the episode, both at the time
and how it makes you feel to recall it now.(Do this for each episode if there
is more than one.)
After you have completed this
exercise, take a fresh sheet of paper and try to sum up in a few words what
your feelings about math are at this point in your life, together with the
reason or reasons you wish to succeed at math. This too is important. Not until
after we lay out for ourselves in a conscious and deliberate way what our
feelings and desires are towards mathematics, will it become possible to take
possession of our feelings of math anxiety and become free to implement
strategies for coping with those feelings.
At this point it can be enormously helpful to share your
memories, feelings, and goals with others. In a math class I teach for arts majors,
I hand out a questionnaire early in the semester asking students to do exactly
what is described above. After they have spent about twenty minutes writing
down their recollections and goals, I lead them in a classroom discussion on
math anxiety. This process of dialogue and sharing - though it may seem just a
bit on the goopy side - invariably brings out of each student his or her own
barriers to math, often helping these students become completely conscious of
these barriers for the first time. Just as important, it helps all my students
understand that the negative experiences they have had, and their reactions to
them, are shared one way or another by almost everyone else in the room.
If you do not have the opportunity to engage in a group discussion in a
classroom setting, find friends or relatives whom you trust to respect your
feelings, and induce them to talk about their own experiences of math anxiety
and to listen to yours.
Once you have taken possession of your math anxiety in this way, you will
be ready to implement the strategies outlined below.
Appendix D
Focus on the Classroom:
Case 1
A student in my class was able to do simple arithmetic, but
was having difficulties with algebra. He
met me and we discussed his situation.
He did very well in all his classes except for mathematics. He told me that he always had trouble with
math. I encouraged him to try the
homework problems assigned after each class and then to ask questions about the
ones he had trouble with. If he still
had questions he could come to my office hours to settle them. This way he would build up his knowledge and
confidence. Most importantly, he would
learn where he was going wrong and how to fix it. However, he continued as before to study only
just before a test, and did not ask questions in class or come to my office
hours. His lack of preparation limited
the amount he could learn in class so that he had even more to cover when he
studied for tests. His performance on
tests did not change. He did not pass
the course and had to repeat it.
Case 2
Another student was having just as much trouble at
first. He started to do the homework
assignments after each class and to ask questions about the problems he could
not solve, both in class and in my office hours. He not only learned material he did not know,
he learned which material he did know.
If he tried to solve a problem, but got stuck, he asked about it. Instead of asking, "how do you solve
this problem" he would say, "I tried this, but got stuck" and
asked what to do next. If I gave a
different solution in class to the one he found, he would ask about whether his
method was correct. He got more out of
the classes because he was prepared to build on what he had been learning. When he prepared for a test, he knew which
topics to work on, and which he had already mastered. He could concentrate on the areas where he
was unsure. Writing the test, he first
solved the questions that he was confident with. He was confident because he
had tried similar problems already and had found the solution. When he tried the others, his studying paid
off because it was exactly these kinds of problems that he had worked on most
when preparing. He checked his answers
to make sure they were correct, which brought him more confidence with each
problem solved. His tests scores
steadily improved and he passed the course.
Appendix E
