Math Anxiety: Trends, Issues and Challenges

Whether identified as “bystander theory,” “diffusion of responsibility theory,” or by other high-minded names, the problem is real and evolving. Millions of students sitting in math classes wonder why they have to study numbers and equations, and they do not perform well in mathematics. They cannot multiply or divide; perhaps they do not understand the connections between mathematics and their own lives. Perhaps, they do not appreciate that their precious cell phones could not work without graphing calculations or a myriad of other mathematical formulae. Furthermore, modern transportation systems (except for walking, of course) would collapse without math. Without transportation, the food these students eat, the clothes they wear, and even their purchases from Amazon would be unobtainable. However, far too many of these young learners apparently assume that someone else would come along to do the math for them. In reality, the facts are frightening.