The Student-Centred Class
Students are incredibly diverse, and according to Maureen Finlayson (2014), they may experience anxiety with mathematics at all levels of their educational career (p. 99). If not managed well, it develops over time and affects student achievement in this subject area (Finlayson, 2014, p. 99). As well, since math is interrelated with many other courses, it can make matters worse for these students as they progress through the grade levels.
Based on Finlayson’s (2014) research, the 70 pre-service teachers that were interviewed established that math anxiety was a result of lack of “self-confidence, fear of failure; teaching styles; ineffective learning practices, and non-engagement of students” (p. 99). These teachers established that they were also familiar with this form of anxiety in their own lives and the symptoms they experienced ranged from physical to emotional difficulties, and caused them to continuously feel a sense of frustration and confusion. As a result of this, they would experience stress “before and during exams,” and “shut down, and stopped listening” during class (Finlayson, 2014, p. 105). Math anxiety tends to worsen over time. Since these issues can be an impediment to a child’s success and self-esteem, it is paramount for teachers to empower their students by providing them with strategies that will enable to them overcome this anxiety (Finlayson, 2014, p. 99).
As a preliminary step, it is essential for teachers to emphasize to their students that the learning process is much more important than producing the correct answer as this is where students are able to actively engage in constructing meaning for themselves. Finlayson (2014) stresses that creating a student-centered classroom is interactive for students as it encourages them to take risks, and to be responsible and critical thinkers (p. 102). Students’ funds of knowledge are embraced as they are incorporated in the lessons to allow students to express their ideas and to build on other people’s contributions (Finlayson, 2014, p. 110). This approach enables students to “recognize that there are multiple ways to solve problems, and that each student can choose his/her own method; and making sure that mistakes are not covered up but provide an opportunity to learn” (Finlayson, 2014, p. 110). This method also invites students to work individually and collaboratively to examine their surroundings and to raise critical questions that they wish to inquire into (Finlayson, 2014, p. 110). In this type of classroom, teachers examine students’ works and provide them with formative feedback through a variety of modes such as conferencing with students or creating a portfolio of their students’ works (Finlayson, 2014, p. 102 & 112).
Furthermore, as an extension to the student-centered classroom, students should also be provided with strategies that they can rely on to help themselves. For instance, students must be taught relaxation techniques, the importance of practicing the material that was covered in class, studying and completing homework, and that there is no shame in asking for help when it is needed (Finlayson, 2014, p. 106). They should also learn how to focus on and develop ways to help boost their self confidence by celebrating their accomplishments.
Students and educators need to become aware of the impacts of math anxiety on an individual’s potential for success and the strategies to overcome this dilemma. Teachers have a responsibility to their students to help them to overcome math anxiety as this subject is an essential part of their lives. Through the creation of “a nurturing environment” in a student-centered classroom, where students are encouraged to learn at their own pace, to make mistakes and to learn from them, and where students are taught personal coping strategies, students’ enjoyment of mathematics and their self confidence will gradually start to rise.
References
Finlayson, M. (2014). Addressing math anxiety in the classroom. The Author(s), 17(1), 99-115. doi:10.1177/1365480214521457
clairerushton
January 17, 2016 — 1:39 pm
An interesting article – I think the aspect of students being taught “personal coping strategies” is important. You wrote about teaching “strategies that they can rely on to help themselves.”
One thing that math requires – and in fact, gaining competence in anything, is perseverance – the ability to keep trying even when it is hard. Students sometimes give up too easily when they don’t get it right away – so teaching persistence, perseverance and how to handle frustration are essential. Think of your own journey in math and how important those skills were for you. What do you see in the students in your class?