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Reframing Anxiety and Uncertainty in the Mathematics Classroom
- Source :
-
Mathematics Education Research Journal . Jul 2023 35(1):157-170. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- In this article, educational and psychological perspectives are used to examine how anxiety and uncertainty in the mathematics classroom can be reframed to benefit mathematical teaching and learning. Links between anxiety and uncertainty are discussed and from this discussion, two methods are proposed for reducing the negative impact of mathematics anxiety on learning. Firstly, it is argued that initiatives designed to teach students to use emotion regulation skills can help to reframe anxiety and improve students' ability to regulate negative emotion. In particular, the skill of reappraisal is discussed. Secondly, it is proposed that pedagogical approaches that encourage students to embrace challenge will help to normalise uncertainty in classrooms and promote more positive affect and engagement with mathematics. These approaches include choosing suitable tasks, differentiating those tasks, orchestrating classroom discussions that include all students and consolidating the learning with further tasks suitably varied. Rather than teachers seeking to remove anxiety, students can be encouraged to manage their anxiety in order to promote more positive mathematical learning and to develop mathematical resilience.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1033-2170 and 2211-050X
- Volume :
- 35
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Mathematics Education Research Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1388037
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-021-00393-8