Experts hope to provide solutions to 'maths anxiety' at MTU workshop 

An upcoming workshop in Cork is seeking to examine maths anxiety and how it affects the learner.

'Maths anxiety' — the psychological phenomenon in which a person experiences fear, tension, or discomfort when facing maths in everyday life or in exams — will be probed in an upcoming workshop in Cork. 

The condition can have a range of negative effects on a student’s academic performance and well-being, while also impacting their career prospects.

While there is no official statistic for Ireland, in the UK it is believed that as many as three in ten students present with some form of maths anxiety.

An upcoming workshop at the Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus is seeking to examine maths anxiety and how it affects the learner, as well as wider attitudes towards numeracy.

MTU Department of Mathematics head Dr David Goulding said maths anxiety is a common problem in Irish society.

“Maths can be a very emotive word for people. They get stressed with it. It’s a very common problem for students, but we don’t think it’s an issue that can’t be solved.” 

Experts believe maths anxiety could possibly stem from attitudes seen either in the home or in the wider community, he added. 

“With college students, we would see some having issues around maths. They would have a fear of the subject, they would feel uncomfortable doing the subject, they would tend to not engage as much with tutorials.

“These students could be in any subject, from engineering to science to accounting.”

The workshop on June 12 at MTU will be aimed at primary and secondary school teachers, further education teachers, as well as university lecturers. 

It will also mark the launch of the Irish branch of the Mathematics Resilience Network. 

The conference will hear from keynote speakers including a leading expert in the field Sue Johnston-Wilder, Associate Professor at the University of Warwick. 

Professor Johnston-Wilder will introduce the 'Mathematical Resilience Toolkit' which combines four tools addressing maths anxiety, psychological safeguarding, and effective responses to any perceived challenges or threats. 

Other keynote speakers include Dr Maria Ryan, Mary Immaculate College; Dr Telma Pará, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil; and Dr Flavia Santos, University College Dublin. 

To reserve a spot, visit eventbrite.ie