Annotated

Bibliography

References

Nez-Pea, M., Surez-Pellicioni, M., & Bono, R. (2013). Effects of math anxiety on
student success in higher education. International Journal of Educational
Research, 58, 36-43. Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
www.elsevier.com/locate.ijedures
This study examines whether the effect of math anxiety and negative
attitudes toward mathematics are related to poor performance in mathematics and
worsen as problems become more complex. Do these factors also affect academic
performance? Having a mix of young men and women, the study was designed to
assess performance based on five groups projects, an individual exam and the type
of program used in high school. Test components used personal data; Abbreviated
Math Anxiety Rating Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; and the students grades
on the Research Design Course. The performance of students on the Research
Design Course was affected by mathematical anxiety and negative attitudes towards
mathematics. Students who did not succeed in the course likely had a high level of
mathematical anxiety and a low level of enjoyment, motivation and self-confidence
in mathematics. Clearly in this study there were no intervention programs that
would impact students academic success. It is recommended that teachers insert
mini courses in math that would guarantee a level of success. This would give the
students success that would lower their anxiety level.

This article reflects the need to review frequently and test often to raise the
student level of understanding in all, or any subject, that students have experienced
a low of level of success. I plan to consider incorporating this concept into my
teaching as I evaluate my teaching techniques.
Jansen, B., Louwerse, J., Straatemeier, M., Ven, S., Klinkenberg, S., & Maas, H. (2012).
The influence of experiencing success in math on math anxiety, perceived
math competence, and math performance. Learning and Individual Differences,
(24), 190-197. Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
www.elsevier.com/locate.ijedures
In our everyday life, math skills remain so important in elementary
schools that much attention is given to teaching those skills. Low math
performance may be caused by math anxiety and worrisome thoughts that
affect ones working memory. High math anxiety may cause low performance
just as low performance will cause high math anxiety. Because results of
studies support both outcomes there is a reciprocal model of math anxiety.
This study aims to simplify to the influences of success in math on math
anxiety and perceived math competence. Students were given a computer-
adaptive program that ensured a high level of success in math for all children.
The difficulty was adjusted to the individual ability level. If the reciprocal
relationship between math anxiety and math competence exist, math
performance is expected to improve. Math anxiety scores improved equally in
all conditions for all children. Math performance improves when students
practice math frequently at their own ability level.

 The value realized from this article is that students benefit from working at
their own success level. Thus, I will provide students with opportunity to
practice at their ability level, therefore reducing math anxiety.

Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E., Levine, S., & Beilock, S. (2013). Math Anxiety, Working
Memory, and Math Achievement in Early Elementary School. Journal of
Cognition and Development, 14(2), 187-202. Retrieved February 5, 2015, from
http://tandfonline.com/loi/hjcd20
In this study 154 first and second grade children were tested to
measure the effect of math anxiety and math achievement. This is likely the
first study of math anxiety at this age level. Findings from measurements of
upper level students indicate the more working memory capacity people have,
the better performance on academic tests. Several tasks were given to all
students in the study plus a Math Anxiety Questionnaire. All sessions were
conducted one-on-one with an experimenter and took place during the first
three months of the school year. A standardized measure of math performance
(Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems) was used. The association between
math anxiety and math achievement is not a factor for all first and second
grade students. It seemed that children who depended heavily on working
memory were most impacted by math anxiety because worry affected their
memory. Several possible explanations were given. The study recommends a
critical first step is to develop interventions designed to lessen anxiety.

From this article, I can conclude that providing intervention during math
lessons would help students retain the information for longer as opposed to
short-term memory. Thus, math anxiety would decrease and students math
skills would improve.
Stuart, V. (2000). Math Curse or Math Anxiety? Teaching Children Mathematics, 6(5),
330-335. Retrieved February 7, 2015, from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41197431

This article discusses the realization that some students feel relaxed

and competent in mathematics, whereas, others feel nervous and stressed

when faced with a mathematic problem. Often math anxiety occurs from a lack
of confidence when in a mathematical setting. It is often assumed that students
with math anxiety are less likely to succeed in mathematics because their
parents were unsuccessful with mathematics. However, there are many factors
that contribute to and increase math anxiety. Teaching methods may have an
effect on whether a student is successful in mathematics and develops self-
confidence in regards to mathematics. Family and peer attitudes towards
mathematics may have a positive or negative impact on students outlook on
mathematics. Stuart (2000) hypothesized that mathematics is similar to
sports: 90 percent mental (mathematic confidence) and 10 percent physical
(mathematic competence). Stuart references that the NTCM (1995) has
suggested practices to decrease math anxiety. The article concludes that as
teachers, we need to build self-confidence while refining skills that will allow
students to be successful in mathematics.

This article suggests teaching strategies to help reduce math anxiety

that I believe would be effective in my future lessons. Some practices that I

hope to implement with my students are to accommodate different learning
styles, create a variety of testing environments, make math relevant to my
students and to design math experiences that enables students to feel positive
about themselves.
Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., & Willmes, K. (2009). Math Anxiety And Math Ability In
Early Primary School Years. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27(3),
206-225. Retrieved February 7, 2015, from http://jpa.sagepub.com

Math learning disabilities (MLDs) and math anxiety tend to hold hands. This

study has a multi purpose: to find the correlation between calculation ability self-
reported evaluation of mathematics and math anxiety. Information was garnered
from 140 students from the beginning of primary school children and the middle of
third grade. The emotional aspects associated with learning disabilities often cause
cognitive problems to be neglected. Research of greater depth between math ability
and math anxiety began in the 1990s. Most researchers felt that the impact of math
anxiety affected calculation and often resulted in avoidance; thus, causing less
calculation practice.

Math clinicians have observed problems; such as, depression and/or

psychosomatic disorders to be associated with math anxiety. It was learned that

past calculation performance affected math anxiety level. The association between
math anxiety and calculation performance was weak at the primary level. This could
be related to general personality. Findings of this study showed a close relationship

between math anxiety and math ability when evaluating mathematics of primary
school children. The results stress the need for a standardized and developmentally
appropriate instrument to assess math anxiety when it is most likely to emerge.

From this article, an aspect that I see of value is early acknowledgement and

diagnosis of math anxiety at the primary level. Students at such a young age often
are unaware that they are being unsuccessful in mathematics. Finding the age, at
which math ability and math anxiety are related, is key to helping students succeed
in mathematics.