Enriching HEI Training to Help Future Primary School Teachers Tackle Math Anxiety in Themselves and Their Pupils
▶Summary
Mathematics is essential to society, yet student proficiency is declining in Europe. Math anxiety affects 30% of students and 10% of teachers—especially females—negatively impacting math performan...
▶Objectives
Mathematics is essential to society, yet student proficiency is declining in Europe. Math anxiety affects 30% of students and 10% of teachers—especially females—negatively impacting math performance and career choices. Our project supports Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by integrating targeted resources into teacher-training programs. This will enhance math education and help prevent math anxiety—an often overlooked but critical issue in teacher training.
▶Activities
Internationally recognized European experts on math anxiety and education will provide HEIs with multilingual, free-to-use, and user-friendly resources, including (1) instruments to measure math anxiety, (2) cognitive-behavioural interventions to help future teachers address their own math anxiety, (3) a psychoeducation program to address math anxiety in classrooms, and (4) a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) as a structured learning resource for HEIs to integrate into curricula.
▶Impact
The project will fill a critical gap in teacher training curricula by raising awareness of math anxiety and providing practical interventions. Strengthening HEI teacher-training programs will ensure that new educators can recognize and address math anxiety early. Embedding these resources into HEI programs will boost educators’ confidence, foster a positive learning environment, and, in turn, improve math competence across Europe.