IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICAL THEORY (IJASMT )

E- ISSN 2489-009X
P- ISSN 2695-1908
VOL. 11 NO. 1 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijasmt.vol.11.no1.2025.pg10.18

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Mathematics Anxiety Among Secondary School Students and Ways Forward in Nigeria

Salihu Saleh & Ibrahim M. Jaduwa

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Abstract

Math anxiety is a real problem facing students and teachers today. The mathematics teacher especially needs to understand the causes and effects of math anxiety as well as ways to help students overcome it. There are many symptoms of math anxiety including an unwillingness to attempt mathematics problems, a fear of taking advanced mathematics classes, and being unusually nervous when in mathematics class. Math anxiety hinders students' working memory that occurs at different ages in different people for different reasons. Students with high level mathematics anxiety suffer: lack of preparation for a test, cramming before the night of examination, poor time management, failure to organize text information, poor study habit and worry about past performances in examinations (Ashcraft, & Moore, 2009)). The main cause of math anxiety is the teacher himself. some teachers has bad attitudes about mathematics which makes his students dislike the subject. However, the teacher can take many steps to reduce math anxiety including reviewing basic mathematics skills, by making sure students understand the mathematical language, and by providing a support system for their students. The more a teacher understands math anxiety the more he will be able to prevent it and help students overcome it. The parent can also contributes to minimizes mathematics anxiety among students by providing necessary support and encouragements to their children at home.

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