Is maths anxiety a robust concept that should be taken seriously by practitioners in Scotland?

Abstract

This dissertation explores the concept of maths anxiety to establish if there is a robust definition with enough evidence to accept that it truly exists. With reports that maths anxiety is an issue both in schools in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2016) and around the world (OECD, 2015) all evidence will be considered, however, for the context of this dissertation the main aim will be how practitioners in Scotland can address this issue. A rapid evidence assessment will be conducted examining relevant literature within an interpretivist paradigm. By looking at the origins of maths anxiety, it will be established what maths anxiety is said to be and what implications this has on individuals. It is commonly considered that maths anxiety is a two-dimensional concept with affective and cognitive factors. Despite this, many measures of maths anxiety establish a single maths anxiety score for an individual therefore implying unidimensionality and ignoring the two proposed dimensions of the concept. This causes difficultly in establishing a robust definition. Regardless of the existence of a robust definition it is widely reported that feelings of maths anxiety are related to poor performance in the subject. For this reason there have been many studies regarding how maths anxiety can be addressed and these suggestions will be discussed. The dissertation will conclude with discussion of the robustness of the concept of maths anxiety and suggestions of practical strategies for practitioners in relation to how to address this issue.