Maths Anxiety is Real and Often Ignored

We rarely talk about it, but maths anxiety is more common than you think. Lingering in classrooms, shaping the way students, and teachers, experience mathematics, and quietly closing doors to future opportunities in STEM.

This anxiety doesn’t just appear in high school. Research shows that children as young as six can experience anxiety about numbers. Before they’ve even grasped the basics, they’re already telling themselves they’re “not a maths person.” And often it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As a maths educator and consultant working closely with Victorian schools, I see it far too often. Students who believe they’re no good at maths, teachers who doubt their ability to teach it, and classrooms where fear outweighs curiosity. We can’t continue to ignore this. Maths anxiety is very real. And it’s holding our students back.

Where Does the Anxiety Come From?
It’s often said that maths anxiety stems from fixed mindsets. And while that’s partly true, it’s not the whole story. We also need to look at what’s shaping those mindsets, and how early, subtle experiences can steer a student’s relationship with maths.

A large part of the problem is cultural. In Australia, it’s socially acceptable, almost expected, to joke about being bad at maths. Adults casually say things like, “I hated maths at school,” or “I’m just not a numbers person.” These messages trickle down. They reinforce the idea that maths is inherently difficult or reserved for a certain ‘type’ of brain.

But in my experience, the more immediate cause of maths anxiety is something much more fundamental. A lack of understanding. Fear takes hold when children don’t have the tools, knowledge, or support to make sense of the subject. It’s not that they can’t do maths, it’s that they haven’t yet been shown how to approach it in a meaningful way.

Before Confidence Comes Coaching
I like to use analogies that help people feel what learning is actually like. Think about a child learning to play football. Their first experience might be daunting. They don’t know the rules, they don’t have the stamina or technique, or how to read the game.

But they have a coach. Someone who demonstrates, explains, encourages, and provides feedback. They learn by doing. They learn by practising. They learn by thinking through past games and questioning what worked. Over time, confidence and knowledge grows.

Now think about how we teach maths. If we throw students into abstract problems without building skills or making connections, we shouldn’t be surprised when fear shows up. It’s unfamiliar territory. And it’s even scarier without a guide.

Motivation Isn’t Enough, We Need Strong Foundations
In schools, we often respond to maths anxiety with surface-level solutions. Mindset posters, breathing exercises, and positive affirmations. While these things have their place, they don’t address the root of the issue.

Think about when you learned to drive. Before you even got on the road, you needed an instructor to first show you the basics. How to adjust your seat and mirrors, where the pedals are and how they feel, how to grip the steering wheel, and how the gearbox works.  You needed to understand how these parts connect and function together before you could even start the engine.

It’s the same for maths. It’s only after gaining a foundational understanding that you can take on guided practice, receive feedback, and reflect on your progress. This is the model we need to bring into the classroom.

This approach not only alleviates anxiety for students, but for teachers too. When teachers are supported with clear, practical guidance and equipped with the right tools, the result is transformational.

Many teachers have told me they only started to “really teach mathematics” after working with a mathematics consultant like me or using the Linear Abacus, a mathematical manipulative developed by myself and Dr Andrew Waywood. Why? Because, for the first time, they truly understood what they were teaching, and that confidence changed everything.

What It Looks Like in Practice
Students and teachers must understand the how and why, not just the what. We need to establish the foundational 'mechanics' of maths, demonstrating not just what to do, but how mathematical concepts actually work and connect, and how to use practical tools and techniques effectively. Only then should teachers provide guided practice, working through problems with support, allowing students to make mistakes safely while receiving immediate feedback.

From there, students need opportunities to reflect on their problem-solving strategies. We need to create space for mathematical conversations, where students explain their thinking, compare strategies, and build understanding through dialogue.

This may sound like directed teaching, but this isn’t “monkey see, monkey do.” This is thoughtful, purposeful, connected teaching. Teachers still lead, but they lead in a way that encourages independence. Teachers need to ensure students don't just memorise procedures, but truly understand mathematical relationships so they can internalise thinking, connect the dots, and apply their understanding flexibly in new contexts.

We want them to question:
●    Why does this method work?
●    How does it connect to what I already know?
●    What patterns am I noticing
●    Could I solve this another way?

This transforms passive observation into active understanding, dependence to independence. Just as a driving student eventually stops consciously thinking about each gear change and begins to feel when the car needs to shift, mathematics students move from following demonstrated steps to developing mathematical intuition and reasoning.

A Future Where Maths Isn’t Feared
Maths anxiety doesn’t need to be a life sentence. It’s simply a response to the kind of learning experience a child has, and that means we can change it. By equipping students the right tools, the right support, and the right kinds of learning experiences, we help them shift from anxious to empowered.

Maths education should be a beautiful journey. And when we treat it that way, with care, purpose, and connection, the fear starts to fade. We may not see the impact overnight. But over time, we’ll see students who don’t just tolerate maths, but truly enjoy it.

That’s when we know we’ve done something right.