Mathematics Anxiety: A Case Study of Students’ Learning Experiences through Cognitive, Environment and Behaviour

Abstract

Prior research indicated that mathematics anxiety (MA) is considered as significant educational problems since it affected students’ emotion, thought and action. Thus, this article aims to explore the issue of MA among secondary school students as viewed through students’ learning experiences focusing on three main aspects – cognitive, environment and behaviour. The study also reports on students’ mathematics learning anxiety and mathematics assessment anxiety particularly within educational context. A qualitative research approach using case study design was structured in this study. Participants involved 7 highly math-anxious students (aged 16) from a secondary school in Malaysia. The data was collected through semi-structured interview, transcribed and analyzed to establish themes and subthemes. Findings revealed that for anxiety in mathematics learning, stress or pressure and mentality were students main concern for MA whereas for anxiety in mathematics assessment, self-confidence and anxiousness were indicated. As for students’ learning experience five subthemes were developed from the findings – (1) self-conflict for cognitive aspect, (2) external influence and (3) content or nature of mathematical knowledge for environmental aspect, (4) the importance of mathematics and (5) strategies in mathematics learning for behavioural aspect. This study also found that MA was experienced by both math highand low-achieving students. However, for high-achieving students, motivational factor was their main influence towards MA whereas for low-achieving students, poor math competency and self-skills were the major contributors. The article offers in-depth understanding for educators particularly in terms of diagnostic study for MA through student’s perspective and they can use this information to identify ways of reducing MA.