Mathematics Anxiety and Math Instructional Time in Preservice Elementary School Teachers

Math anxiety is a common problem that has numerous adverse impacts, including the avoidance of math-related tasks, classes, and careers. Past studies have shown that teachers with math anxiety may spend less time engaged in math instruction in their classrooms. Reduced instructional time can result in students lagging behind their peers in math skills acquisition. The present study examines the impact of a brief expressive writing intervention on three preservice elementary school teachers with math anxiety. Expressive writing interventions have been successfully used to reduce a wide variety of negative symptoms and also to improve math performance. Through the use of a multiple-baseline, multiple-probe, single-case research design study, the current researchers examined the impacts of three 10-min expressive writing interventions on two variables: levels of math anxiety (as measured by the FS-ANX subscale of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety Scale) and the number of minutes engaged in math instruction. Though results for math anxiety were somewhat encouraging, results for teacher instructional time were mixed. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.