Philippine E-Journals

Mathematics Anxiety, Ability and Performance among Second Year High School Students

Herminia A. Bantiding

Discipline: Mathematics, Psychology, Child Development, Cognitive Learning

 

Abstract:

Math anxiety is real and can happen to anyone at any age regardless of his mathematical ability. Since mathematics is perhaps the most abstract among academic subjects, many students dislike and avoid it. Shores (2005) observes that this math avoidance can turn into a severe case of math anxiety that, in many cases, has been associated with temporary memory impairment and loss of self-confidence especially during tests or other mathematical tasks. In a 2006 study, Rossnan reports that even the best mathematicians are not exempt from bouts of math anxiety. Because math anxiety demonstrates a stubborn impediment in the development of mastery and performance in tasks that impact upon students’ academic achievement, it has become an important research topic for mathematics educators and educational psychologists in the past 25 years.