Tackling Anxiety in Primary Mathematics Teachers

This book provides teacher educators with an understanding of the issues around mathematics anxiety and a framework of teaching strategies to support undergraduates, trainee teachers and established professionals in primary settings in developing confidence in learning and teaching mathematics.

The existence of mathematics anxiety in adults is both prevalent and well documented, and there is a real concern that adults who are anxious or lacking in confidence in their own mathematical ability may affect the quality of teaching and learning for those in their care. Research has identified that there are lower levels of mathematical confidence in adults working with children in primary rather than secondary schools, and that where adults are anxious this can be passed on to the pupils with whom they work. This book addresses issues related to the effect that mathematics anxiety has on those teaching and working with primary aged children and supports teacher educators to develop confidence in both trainee teachers and established professionals.

Introduction

1. Mathematics anxiety: what is it and why it exists

2. Theoretical considerations for addressing mathematics anxiety

3. Introducing a teaching and learning framework

4 The role of the teacher: teacher characteristics

5. The role of the teacher: teaching strategies

6. The role of the learner

7. Conclusion and considerations

Index

Karen Wicks is a senior lecturer in mathematics education at the University of Bedfordshire. She has a range of experience in mathematics education, including working in both primary and middle school settings, as a head of mathematics and as a consultant within local authority provision. Her research interests lie in developing confidence in adults learning mathematics and the role of technology in learning and teaching.

Ian Menter is Emeritus Professor of Teacher Education and was formerly the Director of Professional Programmes in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford.  He previously worked at the Universities of Glasgow, the West of Scotland, London Metropolitan, the West of England and Gloucestershire.  Before that he was a primary school teacher in Bristol, England.  His most recent publications include A Companion to Research in Teacher Education (edited with Michael Peters and Bronwen Cowie) and Learning to Teach in England and the United States (Tatto, Burn, Menter, Mutton and Thompson).  His work has also been published in many academic journals.