What Is Math Anxiety In Correlation With Common Core Mathematics

Math Anxiety in Correlation with Common Core Mathematics If you are a parent, have you ever tried to help your child with math homework and not been able to because you don’t understand it yourself? If you are the student, do you ever look at your parents and think, “if they can’t do this then how am I supposed to”? These are very normal questions that many parents and students face. The reaction to these particular questions is either to blame the teacher or to push on the idea that the Common Core Mathematics system is much too difficult and needs to be removed. However, math anxiety is never acknowledged alongside Common Core Mathematics, and it needs to be. The resistance of Common Core Mathematics by students and parents is caused by
math anxiety. While exploring this idea, we will look at: what math anxiety is and what causes it, what Common Core Mathematics is, how math anxiety and Common Core are related, and solutions to coping with the difficulty of Common Core
Math Anxiety Math anxiety is mostly defined as a “phobia” that comes about when a person is exposed to mathematical situations (Khan & Ashcraft). However, with multiple studies, it has been found that math anxiety is genetic (Suárez-Pellicioni & Wang). Math anxiety is said to be caused by “40 percent genetic factors and 60 percent environmental factors” (Wang). Therefore, everyone inherits math anxiety, so why are some more math anxious than others? This is because all humans have levels of math anxiety. Some have very low levels so it is as if they do not have math anxiety at all, some have very high levels which makes math anxiety a big problem in their lives, and some have mid- range levels which we commonly see as the C students in the classroom (Wang). If a person has negative math experiences, this will also add to their level of math anxiety (Wang). Math anxiety is caused by math, but the higher levels of math anxiety are caused by the complexity of the math problem.
For example, 1+1 is easily looked upon and solved within a few seconds, but when we look at 34x23, this becomes more difficult. If we would add more operations to this procedure, it would begin to look very overwhelming (i.e. 34x23-45+21). Why is this? It is because larger math equations are used less frequently and are “stored in memory at lower levels of strength”, therefore we can recall 1+1 because it is a simple equation. When a person is evaluating a larger math problem, the person’s memory is working to remember certain numerical strategies. When the person starts to experience the anxiety that comes with not being able to figure out the problem accurately and efficiently, the working memory starts to focus more on dealing with the anxiety than finding the solution to the math problem
(Ashcraft).
Common Core Mathematics
Common Core Mathematics is a “set of standards” defining a student’s knowledge and skills in mathematics (Bloodworth). Common Core standards are widespread in the United States, “forty-two states and the District of Columbia” have adopted these standards (“Standards”). It leads to the question, “if Common Core is so difficult, why have so many states approved of it?” The answer, Common Core is not difficult, it is the way it is perceived that makes it a difficult concept. For example, “Each shirt costs $4. How much do 3 shirts cost?” is a lot easier when looked upon to solve than “Each shirt has 6 buttons. How many buttons are needed to make 7 shirts?” Why is this? With the former standards a person can easily use a “count all strategy” to find the answer, 4 +4+4 = 12. When it comes to the Common Core standards, the multiplication table has to be recognized to solve the problem or it is going to become more difficult. The student has to know that 6x7 = 42, because he/she is going to have a very hard time using a “count all strategy” (“Old Standards”).
The Connection
Now the connection between math anxiety and Common Core can be drawn. The first way that Common Core connects to math anxiety is through problem complexity. Common Core math problems include larger numbers and more complex operations (ex. multiplication is considered more complex than addition) than the former standards. Since math anxiety levels will rise when a math problem becomes more complex, students will experience more stress and less success when evaluating Common Core math problems (Ashcraft). This is viewed, by the students trying to evaluate the math problem, as Common Core being too difficult. This is because the former set of standards had math problems that were considerably easy when compared to Common Core. When students are already comfortable with the former math problems, the Common Core math problems seem very difficult. Then, when the students can’t manage to solve the Common Core problem, they turn to their parents.
Now, the students have asked their parents for help and the parents can’t solve the problem at hand either. This leads the parents to believe that this Common Core system is too difficult for their children because they themselves cannot figure out what should be a simple math problem. This brings up the second reason why Common Core connects to math anxiety. From earlier, we recall that math anxiety is genetic. If the student had high levels of math anxiety when going about solving the problem, then the parents’ levels will be the same or could be even higher. The student inherited the math anxiety levels from their parents, therefore, if the student is having high levels of math anxiety and cannot solve the problem, there is a very good chance that the parent will not be able to solve the problem either (Wang).
The parents then must rely on the teacher to help the student with the understanding of Common Core Mathematics. Currently, with Common Core Mathematics, there has not been found a “right way” to teach it. Therefore, most teachers only have one way of teaching the Common Core concepts in terms in which they themselves understand. This brings up the third way Common Core connects to math anxiety. The reason behind teachers not having multitudes of techniques is because of math anxiety. If a person finds one way to do something, and it works, why find another way to do it? The teacher might want to find a way to make concepts easier for his/her class, but if finding these concepts causes the teacher to have math anxiety, they will give up. It is the same as when a student or a parent cannot solve a math problem, eventually, the outcome is that they just give up (Khan).
The Solutions With all this information, it doesn’t seem that getting rid of Common Core is going to be the answer to the problem. What if we get rid of the Common Core standards? Are people still going to have trouble solving math problems? We have to consider that Common Core is not the actual problem, Common Core is more of the cover up for a problem hiding right under our noses. People normally blame their lack of understanding in mathematics on the idea that Common Core is too difficult. People never look at math anxiety because most do believe that it is only a “phobia”, and it is something that is all made up in our minds (Ashcraft). This is why math anxiety is overlooked when dealing with this misconception about Common Core. Let’s work with what we know to develop a possible solutions to math anxiety. Let’s start with how to improve the environmental factors (ex. teaching quality and home life) of math anxiety and in turn, improve Common Core Mathematics (Wang & Chan). If teachers were better equipped to teach Common Core, there is a possibility that the students would have lower levels of math anxiety because they would have an easier time dealing with Common Core math problems. The teachers need to take the time to teach instead of trying to make the students memorize every little trick there is. The teachers need to teach “number sense” and “number flexibility.” “Number sense” is when given a problem such as 3x8, the student knows that 3x8 is going to be relatively close to 3x10 which is easier to work. “Number flexibility” is realizing that 3x10 is 30 and then by subtracting 6, knowing that that is the answer to 3x8. Moving the focus from memorization to actual application could make a significant change in the way that Common Core is perceived (Parker).
There is also the possible solution that could fall upon the responsibility of the parents. When a student is struggling with math or when math would happen to come up in a conversation, the parents need to avoid saying anything negative. When referring to negative math experiences that means anything from struggling with math problems to referring to math negatively in any way. If a student lives within a household that is always negative about math, this is going to not only affect the student’s math anxiety level, but also their motivation to do well in math (Dovey). If students are given a positive push towards math, they will strive to try to do better, this in turn, brings motivation levels up. When motivation levels become as high or exceed that of the math anxiety levels, math anxiety will affect the student in a positive way. The anxiety will kick into more of an adrenaline rush and therefore, pull more information that was stored in the memory and allow that person to suppress their math anxiety (Wang).
For example, it may be difficult for parents to keep a positive attitude when they themselves cannot solve a sixth grade math problem, but there is a certain way to go about this. Parents need to avoid saying, “I don’t know. I was never good at math.” They need to instead say, “It’s been a while since I’ve had this math class. I don’t remember how to do this. Try to ask your teacher for help and then when you understand it, make sure you tell me how it is done.” When parents keep an open-minded attitude, it will lead the student to want to ask the teacher for help. When it occurs to the student how the problem is done, the repetition of the answer from the student to the parents will reinforce the concept in the student’s mind (Dovey).
We now move away from environmental factors that can cause higher levels of math anxiety and toward a different solution that is dependent upon the students. The parents and teachers cannot be entirely at fault for the student’s negative math attitude. Parents and teachers do play a role in the development of resistance to math, but they do not give this “I can’t” attitude to the student (Khan, Núñez-Peña & Justicia-Galiano). Students need to remember to keep a positive attitude when dealing with math. When a student has a negative attitude towards math this adds to their level of math anxiety, and this only makes it worse for them. If students would replace their negative attitude towards math with an “I can do this” type of motivational attitude, their math anxiety would instead of hurt them, help them. When motivation and high levels of anxiety come together, it “produces efficiency of complex tasks” (Wang).
For example, if a student thinks that he/she cannot do a math problem, the outcome is that the student will not solve it. This is not entirely because the student does not want to do the math, but because the student does not have the motivation level to cope with the math anxiety level. Since these levels are not nearing the same height, the student will not be able to learn the math or apply it. Now, we look at the other side of this, if the student does not understand the math problem but has the motivation to go and learn it, their levels are going to be about the same. Since his/ her levels are the same, we see this student as understanding the concept after two to three examples from the teacher (Wang).
Along with a positive attitude, students need to remember that they have other resources than just their parents and teachers to help them. Students have the help of the Internet and of tutors. The Internet is normally the first place that is looked upon for help after parents and teachers. The Internet helps the student, but only if the student knows the way to ask the question that is best going to help him/her find the answer. Parents and teachers teach students the basics of mathematics so the students can know what questions to ask when there is a misunderstanding, but as math gets more complex, the basics become obscure. When this happens, the Internet is not a source to go with because instead of it helping the student solve the problem and relieving him/ her of his/ her math anxiety, it will only add to it (Ashcraft). This is when the students should look towards the tutor option. Math anxiety levels are seen to decrease in students who routinely see a tutor (Gordon, “Tutoring”, & “Tutoring relieves”).Tutors are there to help you understand and know the concepts they are teaching very well. A tutor is normally a former student of the math class, in which, the current student is struggling in. Therefore, the tutor can better relate their teaching style to the student. This will, in turn, help the student learn math effectively and efficiently because the math anxiety will be suppressed (Gordon).
Conclusion
Math anxiety does fully correlate with Common Core, and therefore, with student and parent resistance to Common Core.
Common Core is just the “cover-up” for a bigger problem that should be dealt with. Math anxiety is mostly overlooked because it is seen as something that is made up, but through this research, math anxiety has been proven a real and prevalent thing. In the future, my hope is that Common Core stay and math anxiety be seen as the real issue at hand. The given solutions to math anxiety will work, but they are going to take a lot of time, so they might not be the most efficient. There is not enough evidence at this time to give a grand solution that is going to be effective, efficient, and ultimately solve the problem of math anxiety. There is still more that needs to be
discovered.