Mathematical Resilience: A Positive Protective Factor to Address Mathematical Anxiety

Abstract

Mathematics resilience is a recent theoretical construct that has gained strength over the past ten years for intervening in mathematical anxiety. This review article provides a general overview of the development of mathematical resilience, a term derived from resilience in education, which focuses on the prevention of emotional health through positive approaches in school environments for a better learning process. The studies involving mathematical resilience are described, including the protective and risk factors, such as mathematical anxiety. Finally, some programs in mathematical resilience aimed at addressing mathematical anxiety are highlighted. The conclusion is that any learning requires a certain amount of effort, and the emotional stain of anxiety can interfere not only with academic performance and problem-solving in mathematics but also with students' quality of life and their choice of math-focused studies. If not addressed in time, the experience with numbers can become a perpetual source of suffering. In mathematics education, success and failure are mediated not only by mathematical competence (reflective/creative/critical thinking, receptivity to new ideas/experiences, problem-solving ability) but also by emotional competence, which serves as a protective factor in facing the challenges of learning. Resilience is a positive resource that can help balance the primacy of the cognitive over emotional factors.