A Toolkit for Teachers and Learners, Parents, Carers and Support Staff: Improving Mathematical Safeguarding and Building Resilience to Increase Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning Mathematics

Abstract

Mathematics anxiety is a longstanding, prevalent, global problem, and the scholarly literature demonstrates that it has significant consequences for both individuals and wider society. However, to date, there has been no simple, comprehensive, practical approach available to teachers, support staff, parents/carers and learners to address the issue. In this paper, previous work and existing approaches to addressing mathematics anxiety are reviewed; underlying concepts are examined, such as psychological safeguarding in the context of mathematics education and the distinction between the learner's psychological states of challenge and threat. Agency is important for the well-being of learners and those who support them; an argument is made for an original approach to improving mathematical safeguarding and building mathematical resilience that involves increasing agency. This new approach brings three recognisable tools into a toolkit designed to be accessible to teachers, learners, parents/carers and support staff. The three tools are all individually well-established in specialised practice; they are: the hand model of the brain; the relaxation response and the growth zone model. It is argued that these tools are particularly well suited to addressing mathematics anxiety, that they are complementary and that together they form an effective and accessible toolkit. Details from small-scale studies are shared and it is concluded that this approach warrants further research to properly establish efficacy.

Appraisals of previous math experiences play an important role in math anxiety

“…In addition to math attitudes, there is a growing body of research investigating mathematical resilience, which relates to the belief that one can overcome adversity and threats to math self‐efficacy, persevering in one's math learning 53,54 . This further relates to one's confidence, satisfaction, and sense of value associated with math and math learning, including the endorsement of the belief that mathematical intelligence is malleable, that is, there is the potential for growth 54 . It is argued that mathematical resilience is a unique construct, 53 with evidence that a positive relation exists between mathematical resilience and math achievement 55 .…”

“…53 , 54 This further relates to one's confidence, satisfaction, and sense of value associated with math and math learning, including the endorsement of the belief that mathematical intelligence is malleable, that is, there is the potential for growth. 54 It is argued that mathematical resilience is a unique construct, 53 with evidence that a positive relation exists between mathematical resilience and math achievement. 55 However, research considering both mathematical resilience and math anxiety is scarce.…”

Addressing Mathematics Anxiety: A Case Study in a High School in Brazil

“…The literature offers tools that can help teachers and students to become more aware of Mathematics Anxiety and to understand how to reduce its impact and build resilience (Johnston-Wilder et al, 2020). One of these tools is the Growth Zone Model (GZM) (Lugalia et al, 2013), which is a framework for learners to name and communicate their current, otherwise hidden, feelings when learning mathematics.…”

“…The GZM is a tool for enabling awareness of emotions to develop in the mathematics classroom with a shared language, thus enabling learners to develop Mathematical Resilience (Johnston-Wilder et al, 2020). The GZM gives a framework for learners to name and communicate their feelings.…”

“…From the teacher-researcher point of view, the GZM was found to be empowering, permitting the students to visualize their anxiety in terms of zones (challenge or threat) and offering a language for communicating feelings of threat. Johnston-Wilder et al (2020) found that "the GZM empowered students by giving them both a vocabulary for, and an understanding of, the emotions they were experiencing while learning, without judgment" (p. 1340). Students felt encouraged to ask questions, to take the risk of showing that they didn't know the answer, able to ask questions, an essential part of learning.…”