Hanna, Donncha

Mulhern, Gerard

Thompson, Ross

Wylie, Judith

A key challenge to educators in disciplines that, while not maths based, neverthelesscontain some maths component, is mathematics anxiety. Over the years, a number ofintervention strategies have been tested, seeking reduce maths anxiety in undergraduates.Many of these studies, however, contain methodological issues that challenge their validity. Itis also unclear how many of these studies decide which type of interventions to use. Thisresearch sought to correct both of these issues. In Study 1, focus groups were carried out toexplore which interventions students believed would most likely reduce their maths anxiety.Study 2 implemented those interventions that Study 1 showed to be practical and potentiallyeffective, utilising a large sample of Year 1 and Year 2 psychology undergraduates,controlling for potential methodological confounds. Results showed that only oneintervention (teaching quantitative research methods using real-life examples) had anysignificant effect on maths anxiety, and this was slight. These results, while not impressive bythemselves, do suggest ways in which larger-scale interventions could seek to proceed interms of reducing maths anxiety

Maths anxiety in psychology undergraduates: A mixed-methods approach to formulating and implementing interventions

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