How math anxiety quietly wipes out a year of progress for learners

Math anxiety takes a toll on learners’ confidence and performance.

Studies estimate that roughly one quarter to one third of students experience math anxiety, a psychological condition that often goes undetected until it has already undermined their performance.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 study of 15-year-olds across OECD countries, mathematics anxiety is associated with a 34 score point decline in math performance, close to the equivalent of one year's worth of learning.