The effects of teaching mathematics strategies and keeping mathematics journals to reduce mathematics anxiety

This mixed method study examined how different strategies of learning mathematics and keeping a mathematics journal in a remedial mathematics class in a community college affected mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Students were administrated validated algebra pre- and posttests and mathematics anxiety pre- and posttests. During a 3-month period students were taught several strategies for learning mathematics. Participants kept journals to write about their attitudes toward mathematics, ask questions about problems they were confused about or were unable to solve, and describe their reactions to the method in which the instruction was presented. The participants had diverse backgrounds, and included recent high school graduates; college dropouts returning to college; and adults attending community college for the first time, several years after secondary school graduation. Although the mean values of mathematics anxiety were lower after the study, there was insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that there would be a positive change in reducing mathematics anxiety by exposing students to multiple strategies of learning or by journaling. When data were compared to norm values, participants' posttest scores did indicate significantly less math anxiety than the general population. Journal entries suggested students were experiencing a reduction of math anxiety and improving their math competency. The findings led to the following recommendations: (a) To break the cycle of mathematics anxiety, elementary schools teachers who are mathematically anxious should take measures to lessen their own anxiety; (b) Educators should teach several strategies for learning mathematics; (c) Additional studies of journaling in mathematics to alleviate mathematics anxiety should be conducted; (d) Educators should solicit a mathematics autobiography from students.