Abstract

Mathematics anxiety has negatively affected students’ learning for years. It is common among those who struggle with math. As mathematics becomes more challenging at higher levels, anxiety increases. This study examined both the positive and negative impacts of mathematics anxiety and how students perceive it. This research paper aimed to explore the students’ perception of mathematics anxiety and its impact on learning. Moreover, a purposive sampling technique was used to select nine participants from grade nine junior high school students in a private school in a highly urbanized city. A semi-structured interview was utilized. The nine participants participated in interviews conducted by the researchers to gather additional information. Afterwards, each interview was then transcribed to enable the researchers to do the process of coding using Marilyn Litchman’s 3 C’s of data analysis: coding, categorizing, and conceptualizing under a broader framework of thematic analysis. The findings of the study helped the researchers to identify the participants’ perspective of mathematics anxiety, the positive, and the negative impacts it caused. The findings revealed: (1) Students perceived mathematics’ nature and purpose positively and negatively, (2) Mathematics anxiety had both academic and personal impacts on students’ learning and performance, (3) Various internal and external factors contributed to the development of mathematics anxiety among students, (4) Students employed various coping mechanisms to overcome mathematics anxiety, and (5) Students’ personal study habits and choices influenced the development of mathematics anxiety.

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