Breaking the cycle of math anxiety: empowering pre-service teachers with evidence-based strategies

Math anxiety affects students' performance. It has a long-term negative impact on their relationship with math. Research indicates that math anxiety, which often stems from early negative experiences and social stereotyping, affects not only performance but emotional well-being, causing students to avoid math-related activities and domains. Another highlighted aspect shows that teachers with high math anxiety are more likely to transmit this fear to students, thus limiting their learning potential. Pre-service teachers, attending specialized workshops, will learn to manage their emotions and implement educational methods that reduce mathematics-related stress. Recognizing the critical role that teachers play in alleviating or, conversely, intensifying this anxiety, our study investigates the effectiveness of a structured training program designed to provide future educators with evidence-based skills and strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety in primary school students. The proposed and implemented program employs cognitive-behavioral techniques in the workshops, focusing on self-awareness, adapting robot-based teaching methods and developing resilience, combating mathematical myths, and promoting self-efficacy identified as a key factor in tackling mathematics anxiety, to create a classroom environment conducive to positive engagement in mathematics learning. Evaluations show that 80 pre-service teachers experience a reduction in their level of math anxiety and show increased confidence in managing student anxiety. These results suggest that targeted educator training can be a powerful tool in breaking the negative loop between math anxiety and performance, promoting a culture of resilience and enthusiasm towards mathematics in the early stages of education. Frequently, this anxiety stems from early educational experiences and negative influences from teachers, parents and society.