Abstract/Summary

The purpose of this study is to seek to understand the effects of mathematics anxiety (MA) among pre-service teachers in England, exploring how past mathematical experiences and the educational environment contribute to negative perceptions of mathematics. This is important as MA can impact negatively on how mathematics is taught and portrayed in school, which can affect children’s learning and performance (Maloney & Beilock, 2012). The study also investigates the extent to which a mathematics subject knowledge intervention could reduce MA while positively enhancing key emotional and cognitive constructs such as motivation, self-concept, self-efficacy, and mindset, as well as improving participants’ conceptual understanding of mathematics. MA is a pervasive issue that significantly impacts individuals' engagement with mathematics, particularly in educational settings (e.g., Hembree, 1990; Boaler, 2016). Framed around Appraisal theory, the thesis examines the interplay between emotions, self-beliefs, and mathematical conceptual understanding in shaping pre-service teachers' attitudes and self-appraisals towards mathematics. The research utilized a pragmatic paradigm, taking a mixed methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the extent of MA and its relation to the key cognitive and emotional constructs mentioned above. 31 pre-service teachers from a university in the south-east of England completed the survey, of which 14 took part in the interviews and 12 partook in the intervention. Quantitative data (surveys) were analysed using statistical analysis while the qualitative data (interviews and expressive writing) were analysed using Thematic analysis to identify key themes. The main conclusions of the study are that prior experiences with procedural learning approaches often contribute to the development of MA, as these methods prioritise rote memorization over deep conceptual understanding. This, in turn, fosters negative emotional responses and low confidence, leading to negative appraisals of ability in pre-service teachers. Results also suggest that a mathematics subject knowledge intervention can reduce MA while positively enhancing emotions, self-appraisals and self-beliefs, while also highlighting the importance of collaborative learning in positively enhancing a negative mathematical outlook. Features of the intervention, such as the use of concrete manipulatives, mathematical tasks grounded in real-life contexts, peer collaboration, and expressive writing, appeared to support cognitive restructuring and emotional engagement. However, the findings also indicate that for some individuals whose attitudes and beliefs about mathematics remained largely unchanged, a preparatory phase focused on fostering emotional safety and addressing deeper affective barriers may be necessary before such cognitive shifts can take place. The research recommends the provision of regular mathematics workshops to enhance pre-service teachers’ mathematical conceptual understanding within a safe learning environment that promotes collaboration. It also recommends that training opportunities explicitly address the role of emotion in learning mathematics and explore ways to support emotional readiness and reappraisal. The findings have broader implications for educational practice and ITT programme development, particularly in designing interventions that target both cognitive and emotional dimensions. This thesis contributes to current theories on MA by aligning with and adding to existing theories by incorporating a broader context in which MA develops and can be addressed.