Understanding and Addressing Maths Anxiety

We will explore how emotional responses to mathematics shape learners’ confidence, performance, and long‑term engagement. Maths anxiety—commonly experienced as fear, tension, or apprehension—can block reasoning and impair working memory, making even familiar tasks feel overwhelming. Many people feel stupid when they experience such anxiety. It affects roughly one in three adults in the UK, often stemming from earlier adverse experiences that lead to avoidance and self‑protective beliefs such as “I can’t do maths.”

We will then explore mathematical resilience, a positive stance that enables learners to stay in the “growth zone,” and keep safe when learning mathematics. Key components include believing everyone can progress, recognising the personal relevance of mathematics, seeking help when needed and recognising when anxiety is getting in the way.

Together, these ideas frame mathematics not as a fixed ability but one that can be grown when confidence, support, and psychological safety transform learners’ experiences.

Understanding maths anxiety

• What maths anxiety is and how it manifests (fear, tension, avoidance).
• How anxiety affects working memory, reasoning, and performance.
• Common causes, including negative early experiences and fixed‑ability beliefs.
• Prevalence and impact on learners’ long‑term engagement with mathematics.

Exploring mathematical resilience

• Introducing the Growth zone model: comfort – growth-panic.
• The concept of resilience as staying in the “growth zone” during challenge.
• How to get out of the panic zone by triggering the relaxation response.
• Viewing mistakes as productive and essential to learning.
• Building beliefs that mathematical capability can grow over time.
• Developing strategies for perseverance, help‑seeking, and recruiting support.
• Creating supportive environments that foster confidence and psychological safety.

Bringing the two ideas together

• How resilience can help manage anxiety.
• Practical approaches for educators to nurture resilient mathematical learners.