My Presentation Blog Post
Beilock, Sian L., and Erin A. Maloney. “Math Anxiety: A Factor in Math Achievement Not to Be Ignored.” Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2, no. 1 (October 2015): 4–12.
One of the reasons I found Beilock and Maloney’s (2015) research so compelling is how seamlessly it connects with the British Columbia curriculum, particularly its emphasis on well-being, identity, and competency-based learning. Their article reminds us that learning math is not just about understanding numbers—it is about managing emotions, building confidence, and feeling a sense of belonging in the learning environment. I have put links to different math educators who have wonderful math resources to help with number sense throughout this blog post.
The BC curriculum is guided by the idea that education should support the whole child, including their social-emotional development. Math anxiety is considered a performance-based anxiety and is defined as “a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance” (Ashcraft, 2002, p. 18). However, math anxiety, as Beilock and Maloney explain, is more than discomfort—it is a serious barrier to learning. When students are anxious, they struggle to access even basic math skills.
“Improving the math content that we teach only addresses part of the issue at hand; we also need to address affective factors, such as math anxiety” (Beilock and Maloney, 2015).
This aligns directly with BC’s focus on inclusive education, the First Peoples Principles of Learning, and the goal of creating learning environments that promote well-being, resilience, and positive identity.
Throughout my career, I have been struck by how often capable students seem to shut down when faced with a math task. I have seen firsthand that it is not just about knowledge gaps—it’s about emotional blocks. Many students begin to disengage when they do not experience early success in math, internalizing the belief that they are “just not math people.” This mindset can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Math-anxious students often struggle with self-regulation, especially under pressure. Beilock and Maloney’s findings highlight the importance of teaching students how to recognize, reframe, and respond to anxiety. These are skills that directly support the Personal Awareness and Responsibility core competency.
“When math-anxious individuals are faced with a math task, they experience worries… and these worries tie up valuable thinking and reasoning resources needed for the task at hand.” (Beilock & Maloney, 2015).
In a BC classroom, this could mean integrating breathing techniques, growth mindset language, and reflective journaling as part of regular math instruction—not just as wellness add-ons, but as essential tools for learning.
The BC curriculum offers teachers space and flexibility to weave these approaches into practice. For instance, regular use of “math chats” or “number talks” not only builds number sense, but allows students to hear diverse strategies, affirm different ways of thinking, and normalize mistakes. This helps reduce the emotional stakes often tied to performance in math.
One of the most striking findings in the article is how teachers’ math anxiety can shape students’ beliefs about who math is “for.” In BC, where equity and identity development are priorities, this matters deeply.
“When female elementary school teachers are higher in math anxiety, their female students not only learn less math… but they also come to endorse negative stereotypes about girls and math.” (Beilock & Maloney, 2015).
By helping students develop positive math identities, we also support their development of a stronger sense of self, which is central to the Positive Personal and Cultural Identity competency.
This is where teacher reflection becomes essential. How often do we, even unconsciously, signal to students our own discomfort with math? For example, casually saying, “I was never a math person either” may be meant to reassure, but it can send the message that math ability is fixed. We need to shift to language that empowers such as, “I found math challenging, but I kept working at it.”
Beilock and Maloney also emphasize strategies that build critical and reflective thinking, such as teaching students to reframe math as a challenge rather than a threat. This connects directly to BC’s goal of fostering independent, resilient thinkers who can take ownership of their learning.
The authors also point out that neuroscience supports what educators observe: anxious students show different patterns of brain activation. When emotional centers in the brain are overactivated, students’ working memory is compromised. This underscores the importance of safe, supportive classrooms.
Their research supports incorporating metacognitive strategies like expressive writing, self-talk, and goal setting as tools that help students develop executive functioning and strengthen their confidence in problem solving.
In my own classroom, I have experimented with pre-assessment “math journaling” where students reflect on how they feel before a task. Often, just naming the emotion (“nervous,” “stressed,” “worried”) helps students reduce the intensity of it. Afterward, we revisit the journal to reflect on how their performance and feelings matched or shifted. This simple practice has opened powerful conversations about effort, fear, and growth.
If anxiety is blocking students from fully engaging in their own learning, it becomes a barrier to curricular access. By naming and addressing math anxiety, we open the door to deeper engagement and understanding.
Beilock and Maloney stress that math anxiety does not just affect academic outcomes, it impacts life beyond school. Students with high math anxiety may avoid courses or careers involving math, contributing to long-term inequities in STEM participation. They may also struggle with everyday tasks like budgeting, interpreting data, or making informed decisions.
Worse, math anxiety can be passed from one generation to the next. The authors explain that parents or teachers with math anxiety may unintentionally transmit it to children through their tone, expectations, or help strategies. This intergenerational cycle can begin in elementary school, which is why early intervention is crucial.
The good news? There are evidence-based interventions that can be built into elementary classrooms. Beilock and Maloney highlight several classroom strategies that can help reduce math anxiety, many of which fit naturally into the routines of an elementary classroom. One approach is to incorporate expressive writing and reflection before math tasks, giving students the chance to name and process their emotions before engaging with content. Mindfulness and breathing routines can also be woven into lessons to help students self-regulate and approach challenges with a calmer mindset. Engagement can be further supported using puzzles, games, and real-world math applications that make learning feel playful, relevant, and less intimidating. Teachers can model mistakes as opportunities for growth, helping to normalize struggle and reduce the pressure to be perfect. Finally, providing parents with accessible resources—such as math apps or simple language to use at home—can foster positive attitudes toward math and reduce the risk of anxiety being unintentionally passed on.
Even classroom layout and assessment strategies can help. Providing whiteboards for low-stakes practice, allowing multiple modes of expression (oral, visual, numeric), and giving students time to revise work all contribute to a more inclusive and less anxiety-inducing environment.
Beilock and Maloney’s research also ties into broader social issues. They highlight that math anxiety is not just a personal challenge,it is a public concern. Canada, like many countries, is facing a STEM workforce gap. If large numbers of students are opting out of math-related pathways due to fear and anxiety, this has implications for national innovation, economic development, and social equity.
“If left unaddressed, we risk under-preparing future generations for a technology-driven world.” (Beilock & Maloney, 2015)
The BC curriculum is well-positioned to take this on. The Core Competencies, Communication, Personal Awareness and Responsibility, and Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, are not peripheral. They are the foundation upon which learning, especially math learning, is built. These competencies allow us to address not just what students learn, but how they feel about learning.
This article leaves me with several guiding questions for my practice:
- What classroom practices are most effective at severing the link between math anxiety and poor performance?
- Which strategies (e.g., expressive writing, growth mindset work, peer sharing) are most sustainable in a busy elementary classroom?
- How do parent-child and teacher-student dynamics differ in the transmission of math anxiety, and what can we do about each?
- How can technology be designed to reduce, rather than increase, anxiety? For example, can feedback pacing or visual scaffolding in apps help students feel more in control?
- What role do SEL programs play in reducing math anxiety, and how can we ensure they are integrated with math instruction?
Ultimately, addressing math anxiety is not optional—it is essential. If we want to build classrooms where all students thrive, we must prioritize emotional safety alongside academic rigor. When we do, we not only support math achievement—we support lifelong learning, equity, and well-being.
Beilock and Maloney urge us to reframe math anxiety as a core educational issue. Their message is clear: we must teach math with both the head and the heart in mind.
Here are some links to different math educators who have wonderful math resources to help with number sense:
Math Learning Center Virtual Manipulatives
The Recovering Traditionalist (Christina Tondevold)
Questioning My Metacognition (Graham Fletcher)
Bibliography
Beilock, Sian L., and Erin A. Maloney. “Math Anxiety: A Factor in Math Achievement Not to Be Ignored.” Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences 2, no. 1 (October 2015): 4–12. (Beilock & Maloney, 2015)
Maloney, Erin A., and Sian L. Beilock. “Math Anxiety: Who Has It, Why It Develops, and How to Guard against It.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 16, no. 8 (August 2012): 404–6.
Ramirez, Gerardo, Elizabeth A. Gunderson, Susan C. Levine, and Sian L. Beilock. “Math Anxiety, Working Memory, and Math Achievement in Early Elementary School.” Journal of Cognition and Development 14, no. 2 (April 2013): 187–202.
Swars, Susan Lee, C.j. Daane, and Judy Giesen. “Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Teacher Efficacy: What Is the Relationship in Elementary Preservice Teachers?” School Science and Mathematics 106, no. 7 (2006): 306–15.
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