Addressing Students' Anxiety Levels in a High School Mathematics Classroom

In our ever-changing world, the use of technology is at all-time high. With the advent of our new technologies come new jobs and opportunities based on an education in mathematics and science. Now, more than ever we should be seeing an increase of students who enter college with a degree focused in these areas. Instead we are seeing little growth in these fields and anxiety is to blame. This self-study was conducted to understand the ways in which: assessment, goal setting, teaching style, and technology affect student’s anxiety levels in mathematics. The study was conducted in an urban high school. Questionnaires, teacher journals, and lesson plans were analyzed. Students were asked to rate their anxiety levels during different classroom activities. Students were also asked what type of teaching styles, goals, technology use and assessments raised or lowered their anxiety levels. Several of these items were found to affect students anxiety levels in varying ways.