Von Amrhik Sahota
Combating Maths Anxiety with Mangahigh
Situations like these and many more mean anxiety in students is on the rise, and increasingly in topics such as mathematics.
Not knowing an answer when called upon by a teacher or opening a test paper and being dumbfounded can be a stressful experience for students. Situations like these and many more mean anxiety in students is on the rise, and increasingly in topics such as mathematics.
Unfortunately the impact of maths anxiety is quite apparent, with studies showing that poor maths performance can lead to higher maths anxiety. This then becomes a vicious cycle as higher anxiety usually contributes to poor performance and oppositely, poor performance can contribute to higher maths anxiety.
So how can teachers combat maths anxiety?
Positive reinforcements can help teachers reduce the maths anxiety experienced by their students. Never underestimate how a few words of encouragement from a teacher can affect the outlook of a student. Studies have shown that reinforcements from teachers may lead to higher grades and reduced anxiety.
Teachers can also help reduce student maths anxiety by emphasising a growth mindset when teaching. When rewarding a student based on their efforts, rather than the number of correct answers, maths anxiety can be reduced. When students adopt a growth mindset, they will be able to achieve higher through practice and effort. Mangahigh helps students adopt a growth mindset as errors in questions are explained alongside positive reinforcements, encouraging the student to go for gold and try again.. Even when answering all questions correctly, a student won’t earn a gold medal on their first attempt of the game. This mechanic drives students to reattempt the activity multiple times, with increasing difficulty to improve their result as well as their overall understanding.
Making maths fun is a great way to minimise feelings of anxiety when learning the subject. Teachers should focus their efforts on engaging their class with fun activities when they’re teaching maths, like using relatable scenarios, digital resources, mathematical drama and flash card activities. Using digital resources such as Mangahigh allows for students to have fun whilst learning maths. Through years of research, Mangahigh’s library of maths games has been carefully engineered to engrain mathematics into the game mechanics. This allows for students to experience the fun gameplay and graphics whilst learning maths, reducing any anxiety.
Tracking progress can be a helpful way to lessen feelings of maths anxiety. When students are able to see their progress so far, they are likely to feel motivated to continue their learning efforts. Premium digital resources allow for students and teachers to track their progress across topics with the inclusion of avatars, medals and other unlockable items to boost student morale and encourage healthy competition.
Another effective way to reduce maths anxiety is for teachers to encourage group work in the classroom. Simple tasks such as team games or peer marking can help students feel involved and less fearful, with the emphasis on inclusivity and reducing pressure. Mangahigh’s platform allows for students to feel comfortable working towards team goals, earning points for their school and being rewarded for their efforts alongside their correct answers.
You can try out 1,000s of activities and games on Mangahigh.com which show just how fun maths can really be!
Click below to start a free trial or speak to our team directly if you’d like to know more!