Math anxiety in primary school teachers: Impact on teaching practice and classroom environment

Abstract

Introduction. In recent years, math anxiety and its impact on mathematical development has been high on the research agenda due to its significant effect on students’ math learning productivity. However, not only students are prone to math anxiety. Studies have shown that math anxiety can be found in teachers. Moreover, it prevails among pre-service and in-service primary (elementary) school teachers. It is a matter of serious concern since math anxiety in children appears as early as in primary school. The formation of children’s math skills and attitudes towards math in the first years of formal education strongly depends on the primary school teacher. If the teacher experiences anxiety towards math, this can negatively affect students’ math performance.

Materials and Methods. This article presents a brief review of foreign publications focusing on math anxiety among primary school teachers.

Results. The article discusses possible mechanisms of math anxiety development and its cause-and-effect relationship with math performance. The main focus is given to a teacher’s role in students’ propensity for math anxiety and lower learning outcomes. The article discusses how math anxiety among primary school teachers might contribute to their students’ negative experiences of mathematics. The review provides examples of empirical research that discusses the prevalence and causes of math anxiety among in-service and pre-service teachers.

Conclusions. Overall, studies show that math anxiety among teachers is often the result of their own experience of negative interactions with teachers, the use of ineffective teaching approaches and low level of mathematical competence. Summarizing the results of the studies, one can pay attention to the so-called cycle of unintentional transmission of math anxiety from teachers to students, which needs to be addressed at various levels.