Mathematics — it’s the subject some kids love to hate. Yet despite its lack of popularity, mathematics is critical for a STEM-capable workforce and vital for current and future productivity. New research finds that boosting student confidence in mathematics is pivotal to greater engagement with the subject.

In a new study by the University of South Australia in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research, researchers have been exploring the impact of anxiety on learning maths, finding that boosting student confidence, is pivotal to greater engagement with the subject.

Maths anxiety is the sense of fear, worry and nervousness that students may experience when participating in mathematical tasks.

In Australia a quarter to a third of Australian secondary students report feeling tense, nervous or helpless when doing maths, and it’s this reaction that’s influencing their decisions to study maths.

Lead researcher, Dr Florence Gabriel says maths anxiety is one of the biggest barriers to students choosing to study it, especially at senior school and tertiary levels.

«Many of us would have felt some sort of maths anxiety in the past — a sense of panic or worry, feelings of failure, or even a faster heart rate — all of which are associated with stress,» Dr Gabriel says.

Story Source: Materials provided by University of South Australia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.