Can we Reduce Math Anxiety to Improve Student Performance
Many critics of explicit instruction during the math block argue that focusing on making math fun and creative—rather than drilling formulas and facts—will lead to lower math anxiety and, in turn, higher math achievement. Bias on the table: I have always doubted this hypothesis, as I’ve assumed that students likely experience math anxiety because they struggle with math, not the other way around. As such, I’ve been skeptical of the idea that we can meaningfully improve math performance simply by targeting anxiety reduction.
I recently came across a fascinating (2022) meta-analysis by Sammallahti, Finell, Jonsson, and Korhonen, which set out to answer that question by examining a wide range of intervention studies aimed at reducing math anxiety and improving math performance. Their findings offer both clarity and complexity—and they challenge some common assumptions about how we should help students struggling in math.
Research Limitations
Before diving into the results, it’s worth noting the study's limitations. The inclusion criteria were unusually broad. The authors allowed studies that lacked control groups and did not differentiate effect sizes based on research design, or based on proximal vs distal assessments. The authors recognized this limitation themselves and likely made this decision, based on the belief that there was too little research to use a more rigorous inclusion criteria. This weakens the strength of the conclusions we can draw, but the dataset is still illuminating, especially when we look at subgroup trends. That said, I would caution the reader to assume that these effect sizes are likely inflated.
Interventions Work—But Not Equally
The overall results were encouraging: interventions designed to reduce math anxiety had a moderate effect, with an average standardized mean difference (SMD) of -0.467. That’s good news. But the type of intervention made a big difference.
Here’s how the interventions broke down:
Motivational approaches—think growth mindset talks, attempts to make Math more fun, increased choice—were the least effective at reducing anxiety and improving performance. Emotional support (e.g., therapy, positive framing, relaxation exercises, etc) fared better.
But cognitive support interventions stood out. These included tools and strategies that helped students improve their actual math learning—such as instruction in learning strategies, scaffolding, use of calculators, or problem-solving supports. These approaches not only reduced anxiety to a similar degree as emotional supports, they more than doubled the gains in math performance compared to the other approaches.
In Other Words: Getting Better at Math Reduces Math Anxiety
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway here is this: you don’t need to directly target math anxiety to reduce it. Helping students get better at math—by improving their cognitive skills and giving them effective tools—can reduce anxiety just as effectively as emotional interventions, while also providing an even greater boost to performance.
That flips the usual narrative on its head. Instead of treating math anxiety as a purely emotional issue, this analysis suggests that anxiety may often be a symptom of poor math instruction. When students feel competent, they feel confident.
Age and Duration Matter
The data also suggest that older students (above age 12) benefited more from interventions, and that longer interventions (lasting over three weeks) were more effective than short-term fixes. This supports the idea that addressing math anxiety—or the skills underlying it—requires sustained effort.
What This Means for Teachers
If you're a teacher trying to help students with math anxiety, the implications are clear:
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Don’t over-rely on motivational strategies. Engagement alone isn’t enough.
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Consider Providing emotional support, especially for younger students who may need help regulating anxiety.
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But most importantly, focus on teaching math well. Build strong foundational skills. Scaffold problem-solving. Offer tools that support working memory. These cognitive supports don’t just help students do better—they make them feel better too.
In short, while there is likely a reciprocal relationship between reducing anxiety and improving Math performance, effective math instruction is THE best interventions for math anxiety.
Written by Nathaniel Hansford
Last Edited 2025-05-26
References:
Sammallahti, E., Finell, J., Jonsson, B., & Korhonen, J. (2023). A meta-analysis of math anxiety interventions. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 9(2), 346–362. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.8401