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To quote 1990’s Teen Talk Barbie, “Math class is tough!” Students have struggled with math anxiety for years, which, in many cases, has impeded their learning. Fortunately, over the past decade, there has been a huge growth in the tools available to help with that anxiety.

In the edLeader Panel “Leadership Strategies for Reducing Math Anxiety: Active Solutions That Work,” education leaders and experts discussed the challenges and shared strategies for creating an environment where students feel safe, encouraged, and comfortable with math.

Math anxiety is the specific anxiety students and even teachers feel regarding math. It’s caused by early negative experiences that shape lifelong attitudes. Parents hovering over students and becoming angry over math challenges, seeing teachers visibly uncomfortable with math, and pressure from time limits and scores affect how students approach math. And, the fear center of the brain, once triggered, can override the logic center, making math even more difficult.

Math anxiety’s symptoms include stress and low confidence, as well as avoidance efforts like spontaneous reasons to leave one’s desk or learned helplessness. To combat it, teachers need to have patience. Leading questions, praising independent work, and having students think aloud all help combat math anxiety. Maintaining a growth mindset is also crucial because it helps students feel that they can succeed.

Leadership plays a big role in handling math anxiety. Leaders can shape school cultures to foster beliefs and confidence with districtwide math initiatives and professional development opportunities for teachers to learn and practice new ways of teaching math that can reduce anxiety, such as movement-based learning—classroom activities that incorporate motion.

Since most available student learning measurement tools don’t address anxiety (focusing instead on knowledge or skill), it can be hard to know what’s working and make data-driven decisions. This is also part of why it’s so important for leaders to give teachers ongoing professional development and support—not just in the beginning.

The issue doesn’t only impact students—teachers can also suffer from math anxiety which affects how they teach and impacts student learning. Professional development that lets teachers engage in hands-on experiences helps them build confidence and overcome their own anxiety.

Research shows that too much screen time correlates with higher anxiety and poorer cognitive functions, meaning that using screens too much in math can actually impede student learning. In addition, students tend not to learn math as well from apps or websites. They can rush and skip through teaching videos and practice materials, ignoring the feedback.

Furthermore, they feel a sense of anxiety when they get questions wrong. They become so worried about losing points that they don’t retain the skills. However, screen-free instruction time, while the most effective method, isn’t always ideal. Fortunately, there are ways to use tech in math class that don’t cause anxious feelings. One example is to have students make videos explaining what they’ve learned.

Movement-based learning is an excellent tool for combating math anxiety. Studies show that increased physical movement helps cognitive functions, reduces stress, and improves focus. Since movement helps with mood and mental health, movement-based learning makes students feel more comfortable and confident.

In addition, multi-sensory engagement, activities incorporating sight, touch, movement, and discussion, caters to multiple learning styles. Collaborative math activities let students work together and support each other, and practical and real-world applications show students why their work matters.

Inclusive classroom environments are also important for students to have a sense of community where they feel safe asking questions and supporting each other. Self-regulating strategies and accommodations for students who may need them can contribute greatly to making them comfortable and confident in the classroom.

While math anxiety is a real problem in schools, there are ways to handle it. With the support of leadership and a willingness to try new techniques, teachers can make math class a place where students feel comfortable and can grow into their best selves.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Leadership Strategies for Reducing Math Anxiety: Active Solutions That Work, sponsored by Unruly Math.

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Building Math Proficiency is a free professional learning community that helps educators understand how to use adaptive learning and real-time data, to inform instruction and create a student-centered environment to improve learning outcomes.

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Article by Jon Scanlon, based on this edLeader Panel