The Effect of Classical Music on Grade 11 Students’ Math Text Anxiety

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Since anxiety and depression are two of the most common obstacles teens and young adults face, more
cases of it are reported every year, especially in children and teens. According to the Anxiety and
Depression Association of America (ADAA), 1 in every 8children has anxiety. Students who have these
disorders are at risk of suffering from poor academic performance and resistance to anything school-
related. Their learning is also affected because these disorders can influence the working memory, which
makes it hard for the student to keep new information and remember previously learned
information(“Impact of Anxiety,” 2019). One type of anxiety is called ‘math anxiety’. Major causes of
math anxiety include the pressure caused by time limits on tests, fear of public embarrassment, and
influence of teachers. Symptoms of math anxiety can get unusually nervous, clammy hands, an increased
heart rate, upset stomach, and lightheadedness. Tobias (1990) have interviewed hundreds of college
students with math anxiety. Some of them believe that one would either be good with numbers or with
words but they could not be good with both. Students also complain that math offers little opportunity
for debate or discussion. Others are in favor of English and social studies better than math because they
can participate more in class and do not feel any pressure in finding an answer. Tobias also stated. “We
think of math anxiety as causing an emotional “static” in the brain”. As a possible way to cope up with
this problem, music is known to raise the spirit of people throughout the centuries. The effect of music
in mental and physical well-being was already recognized by the Ancient Greeks. Pythagoras believed
that music’s mathematical nature influenced the mind and the body and termed it ‘musical medicine’
(Pauwels,Volterrani, Mariana, & Kostkiewics, 2014). The purpose of this literature review is to summarize
the existing literature concerning the effect of classical music on grade 11 Students’ math text anxiety

body of Review

Our emotional states play a significant role in our education and study habits. According to Seagram
(2019), listening to music can make you happier because it increases the level of dopamine, a
neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of happiness and excitement. It is known that increased levels
of dopamine in healthy subjects improve