“Mental Math”: Building Coping and Problem-solving Skills in Math Class

Authors

Keywords:

coping, problem-solving, math anxiety, mental health, social and emotional learning, online learning, high school mathematics

Abstract

Many youth face mental health obstacles to their learning and wellbeing. School, and especially math class, is an overlooked and underutilized arena for students to learn coping and problem-solving skills and apply them to both academic and broader life challenges. A brief online intervention, Mental Math, developed with cognitive-behavioral principles, had high engagement and significant positive effects on academic performance among high school math students. Implications for future implementation are discussed.

References

Asanjarani, F., & Zarebahramabadi, M. (2021). Evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on math self-concept and math anxiety of elementary school students. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 65(3): 223–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2021.1888685

Boaler J., Dieckmann, J.A., LaMar, T., Leshin, M., Selback-Allen, M., & Pérez-Núñez, G. (2021). The transformative impact of a mathematical mindset experience taught at scale. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.784393

Bodicherla, K.P., Shah, K., Singh, R., Arinze, N.C., & Chaudhari, G. (2021). School-based approaches to prevent depression in adolescents. Cureus, 13(2): e13443. https://doi.org/10.7759%2Fcureus.13443

DeArmond, M., Chu, L., & Gundapaneni, P. (2021). How are school districts addressing social-emotional needs during the pandemic. Center on Reinventing Public Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED610612.pdf

Dubner, S.J., & Levitt, S. (2019, October 2). America’s math curriculum doesn’t add up (Ep. 391). In Freakonomics Radio. https://freakonomics.com/podcast/americas-math-curriculum-doesnt-add-up-ep-391/

Duong, M.T., Bruns, E.J., Lee, K., & Lyon, A.R. (2020). Rates of mental health service utilization by children and adolescents in schools and other common service settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-020-01080-9

Durlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., & Boyle, A. E. (2022). What we know, and what we need to find out about universal, school-based social and emotional learning programs for children and adolescents: A review of meta-analyses and directions for future research. Psychological Bulletin, 148(11–12), 765—782. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000383

Flick, M., & Kuchey, D. (2022). Contest corner: Getting elementary and middle childhood students involved in math clubs. Ohio Journal of School Mathematics, 92(1): 62–64. https://ohiomathjournal.org/index.php/OJSM/article/view/9318

Inside Mathematics. (2023). Social and emotional learning in mathematics. Charles A. Dana Center, UT Austin. https://www.insidemathematics.org/common-core-resources/mathematical-practice-standards/social-and-emotional-mathematics-learning

Lower, A. (2018). Lesson plan: Mental Math. https://site.xavier.edu/lowera/index_htm_files/lessonplan1.pdf

Moustafa, A.H., Al-Emadi, A.A., & Megreya, A.M. (2021). The need to develop an individualized intervention for math anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.723289

Kamour, M., & Altakhayneh, B. (2021). Impact of a counseling program based on social emotional learning toward reducing math anxiety in middle school students. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 13(3): 2026–2038. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1312987.pdf

Kazdin, A.E. (2019). Annual Research Review: Expanding mental health services through novel models of intervention delivery. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(4): 455–472. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12937

Ohio Department of Education (Ohio DOE). (2017). Standards for mathematical practice. https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Mathematics/Model-Curricula-in-Mathematics/Standards-for-Mathematical-Practice/Standards-for-Mathematical-Practice.pdf.aspx

Ohio Department of Education (Ohio DOE). (2019). Ohio’s K-12 social and emotional learning standards. https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Social-and-Emotional-Learning/K-12-SEL-Standards-Full-Final.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

Schwartz, H.L., Bongard, M., Bogan, E.D., Boyle, A.E., Meyers, D.C., & Jagers, R.J. (2022). Social and emotional learning in schools and in the Collaborating Districts Initiative. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1822-1.html

United States Public Health Service: Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). (2021). Protecting youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf

Urban, W.J., & Wagoner, J.L. (2014). American education: A history. Routledge.

Vorensky, S. (2023, September 5). Encouraging achievement in math while supporting SEL. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-sel-elementary-math

Downloads

Published

2024-04-11

How to Cite

Lower, A., & Whitehead, M. (2024). “Mental Math”: Building Coping and Problem-solving Skills in Math Class. Ohio Journal of School Mathematics, 96(1), 10–23. Retrieved from https://ohiomathjournal.org/index.php/OJSM/article/view/9658

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.