Annotated Bibliography

(Fariha Fatima)

Introduction:

Mathematics anxiety is not a new term in educational research. It has been around for a long time

and is a topic of much interest in the community (Wood, 1988). Mathematics anxiety is not just

dislike for the subject, but it relates to feelings of fear and evasion when studying the subject

(Picha, 2018). It is the anxiety that is experienced when studying the subject and working on

mathematical problems, as opposed to the anxiety experienced when conducting simple daily

calculations (Wood, 1988). Mathematics anxiety is generally associated with school children and

their fear of studying mathematics. During the course of my readings, however, I discovered that

mathematics anxiety is also very common among elementary teachers, and specifically

preservice teachers. Hence, the purpose of the research is to determine measures that can be

taken to deal with mathematics anxiety and teaching efficacy in elementary preservice teachers

to improve their teaching performance and notions around teaching mathematics.

1. What approaches can be used to reduce mathematics anxiety in preservice elementary

teachers?

2. What approaches can be used to improve math teachers’ efficacy in preservice

elementary teachers?

3. Does a teacher’s and parent’s anxiety towards mathematics contribute towards children’s

anxiety in the subject?

My research draws from the discipline of Practitioner Research Literature. As a preservice

teacher myself, it aims to help me recognize ways to reduce anxiety in mathematics. To identify

and develop strategies through which I can improve my understanding of math teaching. This

eventually will help towards positively influencing my students and improve their understanding

and confidence in the subject.

Annotations:

Gresham, G., & Burleigh, C. (2019). Exploring early childhood preservice teachers’ mathematics

anxiety and mathematics efficacy beliefs. Teaching Education (Columbia, S.C.), 30(2), 217–

241. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2018.1466875

This paper utilizes a qualitative multiple case study of 12 early childhood preservice teachers

over a 15-week semester. These teachers, who were enrolled in a math method course,

showed the greatest difference in pre-and-post-test math anxiety levels on the Revised Math

Anxiety Rating Scale. The paper examines how early childhood preservice teachers perceive

the effectiveness of reform-based constructivist methods to change their mathematics anxiety,

mathematics self-efficacy beliefs and math teachers’ efficacy beliefs. The study employs

questionnaire-guided narrative interviews and journal prompts to determine the views of the

teachers as learners and future educators of mathematics.

The paper focuses on early childhood preservice teachers training to teach 4–9-year-old

students in the US. However, the methods used are very relevant for elementary preservice

teachers in Ontario who also teach the same age group. In the context of my research, the
 article addresses that mathematics anxiety and mathematics teachers’ efficacy beliefs can be

addressed using reform-based constructivist methods in teacher education courses. It

highlights the importance of hearing the voices of preservice teachers. The participants found

the instructor’s approach, classroom environment, strategies used in the course and the

emphasis on vocabulary were effective in reducing mathematics anxiety, mathematics teacher

efficacy and teachers’ mathematics self-efficacy beliefs.

How can peer teaching opportunities in mathematics method courses contribute towards

improving mathematics teachers’ efficacy and self-efficacy beliefs?

Olson, A. M., & Stoehr, K. J. (2019). From numbers to narratives: Preservice teachers

experiences’ with mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. School Science and

Mathematics, 119(2), 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12320

This paper conducts qualitative and quantitative research in the US to determine mathematics

anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety as part of an on-going research project (TEACH).

The paper attempts develop understanding and distinguish between mathematics anxiety and

mathematics teaching anxiety in evaluative and non-evaluative contexts, their relationship and

determine how mathematics anxiety affects preservice elementary teachers’ notions as future

teachers of mathematics. The quantitative study involves 3 white women sharing personal

narratives over an 18-month period. Individual and group interviews and semi-structured

prompts are used to determine their mathematics experiences as learners and future teachers.

Based on the qualitative and quantitative data, the study found tests play an important role in
 provoking high levels of anxiety among the participants. Furthermore, the study found that

participants who experienced mathematics anxiety as students are more likely to bring this

anxiety to their teaching.

The paper highlights how mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning anxiety is prevalent

in preservice elementary teachers. There is little evidence found to distinguish one from the

other. The coping strategies used by the 3 participants to defend anxiety indicate a need to

address these in future mathematics method courses.

The paper also highlights that there is inconclusive evidence from the survey to determine that

the anxiety felt by the participants is entirely related to mathematics anxiety. What other

teaching and learning instances might elicit anxiety in teachers besides mathematics?

Stoehr, K. J. (2017). Mathematics Anxiety: One Size Does Not Fit All. Journal of Teacher

Education, 68(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487116676316

This study highlights personal narratives of women preservice elementary teachers of their

experiences with mathematics anxiety and relate it to their histories as students and teachers

of mathematics. The study is qualitative in nature and is part of an on-going research process

called TEACH, covered in the previous annotation. However, this paper aims to speculate on

the mathematical experiences of the participants from students to teachers. The study uses

individual and focus group interviews, mathematics autobiographies and mathematics

timelines to highlight questions and concerns that occurred in those moments of time. The
 research questions focused on how the participants interpreted their experiences of anxiety?

Also, how they would relate their experiences of learning mathematics to those of learning to

teach mathematics? Key findings included creating safe spaces to allow preservice teachers to

share personal experiences with mathematics anxiety.

The research was carried out over an 18-month period allowing the researcher time to develop

an environment of trust and rapport with the participants. In the context of my research, I feel

it is extremely important to build relationships with participants without judgement to allow

them to open up about their past experiences with the learning and teaching of mathematics.

Drawing from the narrative eliciting strategies used in this research can help to recount

multiple experiences and describe the complex situations in which they occur.

One question I learned from the article: Does ability grouping lead to mathematics anxiety

and mathematics teacher-efficacy?

Swars, S. L. (2005). Examining Perceptions of Mathematics Teaching Effectiveness among

Elementary Preservice Teachers with Differing Levels of Mathematics Teacher

Efficacy. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(2), 139–147.

This paper uses qualitative research to investigate mathematics teaching effectiveness among

elementary preservice teachers with high and low levels of mathematics teacher efficacy. The

study conducts interviews with 4 white elementary preservice teachers in the US who were

chosen after they had completed the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Beliefs Instrument
 (MTEBI). The chosen teachers were two who had scored the highest and lowest on the

MTEBI. The study aims to investigate perceptions of effectiveness in teaching mathematics

among preservice teachers with differing levels of mathematics teacher efficacy. The key

findings obtained from the interviews revealed mathematics instructional strategies learnt

during the math methods course, past experiences with mathematics and their influence on

perceptions of teaching effectiveness were linked to math teacher efficacy.

This article examines approaches and strategies used by preservice elementary teachers to

improve their mathematics teacher efficacy. These are questions that I would like to address

in my research as well. It also touches upon the negative link between mathematics anxiety

and math teacher efficacy. Hence, elementary preservice teachers with high mathematics

teaching efficacy had lower mathematics anxiety. High mathematics efficacy teachers were

more prone to use inquiry and student-centered strategies, as opposed to low efficacy teacher

who preferred teacher-directed strategies like direct instruction.

How can teacher educators incorporate more positive experiences within the mathematics

method courses in order to improve mathematics teacher efficacy?

Szczygiel, M. (2020). When does math anxiety in parents and teachers predict math anxiety and

math achievement in elementary school children? The role of gender and grade year. Social

Psychology of Education, 23(4), 1023–1054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09570-2

This study uses quantitative research to investigate the relationship between mathematics

anxiety in teacher and parents and how it affects mathematics achievement and anxiety in

elementary school children (1st-3rd grade). The study is conducted across nine elementary

schools in Poland among early school children, their parents, and teachers. Research questions

focused around determining the extent of parents’ and teachers’ mathematics anxiety and the

role of gender that contributed towards children’s mathematics anxiety and achievement?

Data is collected from parents and teachers in the form of interviews over two sessions.

Children were tested over two sessions in April-May and May-June.

The results determined there was a low level of mathematics anxiety among the children.

However, mothers had a higher level of mathematics anxiety than fathers. Furthermore,

teachers felt low mathematics anxiety but experienced negative emotions towards the subject.

In the context of my research, I feel interviews conducted with teachers to determine the

causes of their negative emotions would help understand student perceptions of the subject.

For the current study, mothers and teachers do not transfer their mathematics anxiety to

children. However, mathematics anxiety of fathers was seen to be linked with the

mathematics anxiety of first and third grade girls.

The study raised the following question: Can teachers’ feelings in the classroom, their direct

and indirect messages conveyed in their teaching contribute towards shaping student

mathematics learning?
Conclusion:

In the course of my readings, I realized how prevalent and deep-rooted mathematics anxiety is

among preservice and in-service elementary teachers. My research of the literature focused on

the factors and experiences of preservice elementary teachers during their schooling experience

and how it contributed towards negatively impacting their experiences of mathematics. Anxiety

is a major contributor in teacher efficacy beliefs and mathematics efficacy beliefs of mathematics

preservice elementary teachers which can also lead to negative experiences in students towards

the subject. Mathematics method courses in universities which employ reform-based

constructivist methods, use of manipulatives, appropriate use of vocabulary can help towards

ensuring success for preservice mathematics teachers. This, in turn, helps to develop success in

students (Stoehr, 2019). All the articles I reviewed talked about the impact of teacher

mathematics perceptions on students’ perceptions of the subject.

The articles I researched were mostly studies conducted in the United States on white women

preservice elementary teachers. Very little research exists of mathematics anxiety among

teachers in Ontario, Canada. Moreover, there is lack of research to show how teachers and

students of colour, multilingual teachers and students, various socio-economic backgrounds of

students and teachers experience mathematics anxiety. Such research would help to better

understand patterns which emerge towards math anxiety and determine coping strategies of

various socio-economic backgrounds (Stoehr, 2017).

References:

Gresham, G., & Burleigh, C. (2019). Exploring early childhood preservice teachers’ mathematics

anxiety and mathematics efficacy beliefs. Teaching Education (Columbia, S.C.), 30(2), 217–

241. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2018.1466875

Olson, A. M., & Stoehr, K. J. (2019). From numbers to narratives: Preservice teachers

experiences’ with mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. School Science and

Mathematics, 119(2), 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12320

Picha, G. (2018, May 17) Recognizing and alleviating math anxiety. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/recognizing-and-alleviating-math-anxiety/#:~:text=When

%20students%20have%20math%20anxiety,the%20way%2C%20not%20the%20math.

Stoehr, K. J. (2017). Mathematics Anxiety: One Size Does Not Fit All. Journal of Teacher

Education, 68(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487116676316

Stoehr, K. J. (2019). Moments of mathematics anxiety in the elementary classroom. Teaching

Children Mathematics, 25(4), 197-200.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5951/teacchilmath.25.4.0197
Swars, S. L. (2005). Examining Perceptions of Mathematics Teaching Effectiveness among

Elementary Preservice Teachers with Differing Levels of Mathematics Teacher

Efficacy. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(2), 139–147.

Szczygiel, M. (2020). When does math anxiety in parents and teachers predict math anxiety and

math achievement in elementary school children? The role of gender and grade year. Social

Psychology of Education, 23(4), 1023–1054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09570-2

Wood, E. F. (1988). Math anxiety and elementary teachers: What does research tell us?. For the

learning of mathematics, 8(1), 8-13.