Math anxiety drives young people to avoid the subject

Math anxiety is leading some young people to avoid the subject, ERR reported, as Estonia’s third nationwide online maths challenge begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Participants can take part throughout the day, and this year’s challenge focuses on anxiety around mathematics.

Math anxiety involves tension, fear and discomfort when learning maths, solving problems or facing situations in everyday life that require mathematical skills. Estonian research shows that young people with high levels of math anxiety are likely to achieve lower results in the subject. School psychologist Triinu Kilp-Kabel said the problem most often emerges in the second and third stages of school.

Negative experiences with maths are a main cause, Kilp-Kabel said. These may include hearing that the subject is difficult or experiencing failure. She recalled missing several weeks of primary school when a challenging topic was taught, then getting a poor result for the first time. Such an experience can be frightening for a child, she said, but encouragement from teachers can help them overcome it.

Getriin Aaviste, a maths teacher at Jaan Poska Gymnasium, said parents and teachers can overlook the possibility that students who earn good grades may still have negative feelings about the subject. Math anxiety can lead to avoidance, she said, and students may rule out university courses because they fear having to study maths. Aaviste added that this could affect their future career choices and socioeconomic circumstances.

Cathy-Liis Põlluveer, president of the Estonian Engineers’ Association, said maths teaching can become disconnected from problems people encounter in real life. Young people may struggle to see how mathematical formulas could help them analyse, for example, answers generated by artificial intelligence, she said.

Põlluveer said some young people believe they do not need maths if they do not plan to pursue studies in science or technology. But mathematical skills are useful in every field, she said, helping people develop logical thinking and problem-solving abilities.