Children as young as eight can feel fear, rage and despair as a result of “maths anxiety”, a condition which can severely disrupt their performance.

Researchers at Cambridge University surveyed 2,700 primary and secondary students and found that a feeling that maths was more difficult than other subjects often contributed to maths anxiety and loss of confidence. Researchers say maths anxiety should be treated as a “real concern” because children suffering from it do not fulfil their true maths ability and can find themselves locked in a vicious circle; suffering from anxiety which harms their maths performance, which in turn leads to increased anxiety. Even children who have normal competency levels in maths may avoid it because they feel anxious.

Key triggers for anxiety include poor marks, test pressures, teasing by fellow pupils and a confusing mix of teaching methods, the study found.

More into at: www.cam.ac.uk/research/news