SME 3023

TREND AND ISSUES IN EDUCATION FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE

Semester I 2011/2012

TITTLE

MATHEMATICS ANXIETY

NAME : NORHADISAH BINTI MOHD ZAINI

MATRIX NO. : D20081032367

GROUP : A

LECTURER : PROF DR. MARZITA PUTEH

WH of Phenomenon in Mathematics Anxiety

1. What it is?

Mathematics anxiety is defined as phenomenon is often considered when feeling such tension,

fear, helpless, panic, shame, nervousness and loss of the ability to concentrate in something

that involve mathematics.

2. Why does it happen?

One of the main factors of mathematics anxiety occurs is depend on teacher personality and

skill of teaching in mathematics class. The teachers who are very strict and always blaming

student for not understanding with poor skill of teaching make mathematics very hard to

understand for many students. Consequently, student will not be able to learn mathematics,

unhappy, fear, worries toward mathematic and disability use it in daily life.

3. Who has it?

Generally, the person who has the mathematics anxiety experience can develop the negative

personality and behavior toward mathematics. The teachers who have mathematics phobia

will transmit their anxiety to their student. What will happen if the student who has

mathematics anxiety will become a teacher? Then, the attitude cycle toward mathematics

come mainly from the teacher’s experience of learning mathematics.

4. When does it happen?

Phenomenon mathematics anxiety occurs for a long time ago in Malaysia’s education and it

happen until now. The cycle of attitude occur starting from teachers’ attitude that has

mathematics anxiety will transmit their anxiety to their student.

5. What create it?

The teacher-student relationship and teaching style can create mathematics anxiety. As an

example, the students feel so shy, afraid and fear to request help from their teacher when they

have difficulties in mathematics. Why does it happen? It is just because of the teacher’s

attitude who blaming student for not understanding. This situation can create negative feeling

of student toward mathematics.

6. How do you reduce it?

The behavior of teacher such as caring, helpful, guiding, giving a lot of attention to the

student will contribute student liking the mathematics subject and reduce their mathematics

anxiety problem. Furthermore, teachers must be creating creativity in teaching to develop

high thinking skill among the student. The teachers is always using old fashioned way of

teaching such as memorizing, drill and practice, chalk and talk, figure number by hand,

rigidity in the way the lesson no longer suitable in this century. The others way to reduce this

problem is minimize test and teachers should be not give a stress to student by giving timed

test.

7. How do you eliminate it?

The root of mathematics anxiety problem is a teacher. Nowadays, the teachers prefer to use

traditional style of teaching that not consistent in this century. So, how to ensure that the

qualities of teacher consistent with the Ministry of Education’s objective? A system of

monitoring of teachers qualities must be introduced in our country. The student also must be

induced into a different mode and style in teaching so that they do not reproduce the mistakes

that made by their teachers.