| Math anxiety disadvantages adults in school, work, and home settings. The nature, causes, effects, and treatments of math anxiety are well-studied. However, we do not understand how adults overcome it. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of the transition that adults make as they move from being math anxious to being more comfortable with mathematics.;A qualitative approach was selected to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of those who had successfully "reversed" their math anxiety. Twelve formerly math-anxious adults were purposefully chosen as participants. The sample was diverse in terms of age, gender, race, and educational level. Data were collected through a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews and personal documents. Three areas of inquiry were examined: (a) the participant's mathematical history, (b) how the participant overcame math anxiety, and (c) the impact of overcoming math anxiety.;Analysis of the transcripts using the constant comparative method resulted in inductively derived categories descriptive of the experiences of overcoming math anxiety during adulthood and how those experiences affected the participants' lives. A six-stage process of overcoming math anxiety was uncovered. First, adults perceived a need to become more comfortable with math. Recognition of the need was followed by making a commitment to address the problem. Third, the math-anxious adults took specific actions to become more comfortable with math. Learning how to get the most out of math, they refined their study techniques, used learning tools, attended tutoring sessions, and applied relaxation techniques. These time-consuming actions required them to make sacrifices. Fourth, the adults recognized that they had reached a turning point and were no longer math anxious. The adults' mathematical perspectives changed. Finally, the adults became part of the support system for others seeking help with math, just as others had helped them overcome their math anxiety.;Three conclusions were drawn from this study: (1) overcoming math anxiety during adulthood involves making a transition of major magnitude; (2) there is an identifiable process of overcoming math anxiety during adulthood; and (3) a support network is a necessary factor for overcoming math anxiety during adulthood. |
