This book provides teacher educators with an understanding of the issues around mathematics anxiety and a framework of teaching strategies to support undergraduates, trainee teachers and established professionals in primary settings in developing confidence in learning and teaching mathematics.

The existence of mathematics anxiety in adults is both prevalent and well documented, and there is a real concern that adults who are anxious or lacking in confidence in their own mathematical ability may affect the quality of teaching and learning for those in their care. Research has identified that there are lower levels of mathematical confidence in adults working with children in primary rather than secondary schools, and that where adults are anxious this can be passed on to the pupils with whom they work. This book addresses issues related to the effect that mathematics anxiety has on those teaching and working with primary aged children and supports teacher educators to develop confidence in both trainee teachers and established professionals.

About the Author

Karen Wicks is a senior lecturer in mathematics education at the University of Bedfordshire. She has a range of experience in mathematics education, including working in both primary and middle school settings, as a head of mathematics and as a consultant within local authority provision. Her research interests lie in developing confidence in adults learning mathematics and the role of technology in learning and teaching.

Ian Menter is Emeritus Professor of Teacher Education and was formerly the Director of Professional Programmes in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. He previously worked at the Universities of Glasgow, the West of Scotland, London Metropolitan, the West of England and Gloucestershire. Before that he was a primary school teacher in Bristol, England. His most recent publications include A Companion to Research in Teacher Education (edited with Michael Peters and Bronwen Cowie) and Learning to Teach in England and the United States (Tatto, Burn, Menter, Mutton and Thompson). His work has also been published in many academic journals.

Reviews

Adults often have a love-hate relationship with mathematics like marmite- but those feelings come from previous success or failure with the subject. Karen tackles those with less than positive concerns about the subject head-on.

Karen Wicks has produced a thorough review of the issues around mathematics anxiety for adult learners' intent on teaching. This carefully structured text will be helpful for anyone teaching mathematics to initial teacher training students....

-- Mary Briggs, Oxford Brookes University

This is an excellent, well-theorised and practical book that is written with precision and clarity by a highly experienced teacher-educator who is well-versed in supporting pre-service, and more experienced, teachers to overcome any feelings of anxiety they may have about mathematics.

She draws on her own research, as well as that of significant others in the field, to discuss reasons why many people experience anxiety in this area, and potential effects on pupils' learning when teachers are anxious. The author sets out a range of practical strategies that can support teacher-educators to enable pre-service, and other, teachers to overcome mathematics-related anxiety and know how to teach their pupils from an assured, well-informed position so that they can inspire self-belief in their own pupils as confident learners of mathematics.

-- Janice Wearmouth, Professor of Education, University of Bedfordshire



Book Information
ISBN 9781913453015
Author Karen Wicks
Format Paperback
Page Count 72
Imprint Critical Publishing Ltd
Publisher Critical Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 136g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 5mm