Addressing mathematics anxiety – resources pack

Mathematics anxiety and declining attitudes towards maths negatively impact student learning and limits their potential.

The Academy has collaborated with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to co-design a series of printable and audio resources to support the teaching of mathematics. Aimed at creating an inclusive and positive mathematics environment, these resources can be used by teachers (and parents) to support students feeling overwhelmed with mathematics.

3 podcast episodes feature ACER’s Senior Research Fellow Dr Sarah Buckley. Episodes are hosted by Leading Teacher for Numeracy and Head of Mathematics at Albert Park College and Teaching Excellence Program Alumni Rachel Gore and Master Teachers Emma Moore and Ben Allen.

The podcasts discuss:

• how teachers can support secondary students facing maths anxiety
• how to help them regain control when they feel anxious
• the role parents can play in improving student outcomes through the power of talking positively about mathematics at home.

Mathematics resources

Maths check-in (PDF - 954KB)
A check-in resource to evaluate and understand emotions and how they can impact our ability to learn mathematics.  

Maths headspace poster (PDF - 280KB)
A little stress can help us to perform at our best but too little or too much is unhelpful. This resource helps students identify how they are feeling about maths – in turn supporting them to make choices about reframing their thinking. 

Finding the value in mathematics handout (PDF - 368KB)
This research summary can be used by educators at all levels to consider how to create opportunities for students to connect with mathematics.  

Parents handout – why maths? (PDF - 1.66MB)
This is a resource designed to share with parents and prompt them to think about the way they talk about mathematics at home.

Audio resources - maths anxiety podcast episodes

Podcast 1: 
Maths anxiety - how to support secondary students with Dr Sarah Buckley (ACER)

Podcast 2: 
Improving student perceptions of maths: the importance of personal connection with ACER’s Dr Sarah Buckley

Podcast 3: 
Partnering with parents - how to talk about mathematics with Dr Sarah Buckley

ACER and the Academy - partners in mathematics

The Australian Council for Educational Research is a non-for-profit organisation dedicated to the creation and promotion of research-based knowledge, products and services to improve learning.  
 
Since 2018, the organisation has engaged the Mathematics Anxiety and Engagement Strategy (MAES), which was originally focussed on helping primary school teachers to address mathematics anxiety in themselves and their students.  

In June 2023, the MAES team received internal funding from ACER’s Strategic Research Board to expand its evidence-based framework so that it can be used to develop new resources relevant for secondary mathematics teachers.   
 
Fast forward to 2023, and ACER and the Academy partnered to co-design a set of resources for secondary mathematics teachers. These resources (linked above) are publicly available with participants of the Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) and teachers more broadly, being invited to rollout and trial these assets in the classroom. 
 
With results to be fed back to the Academy and ACER, we look forward to being part of helping students to better control and navigate their emotions towards mathematics – in turn improving outcomes.