Senior-Level Math Teachers' Perceptions on Student and Teacher Math Anxiety in the Classroom

This research paper investigated two secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions of mathematics anxiety in the classroom. The research findings added to the current body of research on the topic of mathematics anxiety by outlining what the teachers believed mathematics anxiety to be and by determining how they address mathematics anxiety in their classrooms. An extensive literature review and two face-to-face interviews were done to collect the data. The findings of the paper were highlighted through three main themes: 1) how mathematics anxiety and inquiry-based learning is defined by two secondary math teachers; 2) how secondary math teachers perceive math anxiety in their students and colleagues; 3) what strategies two secondary math teachers implemented to address math anxiety and promote student success in mathematics courses. This research paper will not only demonstrate the current perceptions of mathematics anxiety in the secondary school classroom, but also provide educators and researchers a foundation to start building knowledge on pedagogy that effectively promotes student success in mathematics classrooms from kindergarten to grade 12.