Math Anxiety: What can teachers do to help their students over come the feeling?

In this action research study of my classroom of 7th and 8th grade mathematics, I investigated how math anxiety relates to the student work and behavior in the classroom, and how this can affect the student’s overall relationship to mathematics. I discovered that the harder the work, the more math anxiety was displayed. The harder I pushed students to think more deeply, the fewer responses to my questions I received. I noticed difference in the students’ body language and overall behavior. As a result of this research, I plan to help my students try to overcome the feeling of math anxiety and try to teach them different methods to use when they are feeling anxious. The methods that I plan to use hopefully will help the students when they are feeling anxiety and help the students to understand the math being taught and how to apply the math they learn to everyday life.

Increasing Teacher Involvement with Other Teachers Through Reflective Interaction

In this action research study of a district’s mathematics teachers, the researcher investigated how teachers interact with other teachers in their building and throughout the district. The researcher wanted to know how deeply teachers thought about teaching mathematics, and if they use other teachers in the district as a resource to help with unknown math problems. The researcher discovered that some teachers are willing to interact with others, but would like to have time supplied to them during the school year’s staff development meetings. The teachers involved were able to observe each other teaching and take valuable strategies back to their own classrooms. As a result of this research, the researcher would like to see this study continued next year during staff development time. The support of the district and staff development are key to the success of this study.