Math Anxiety

Term Paper Title	Math Anxiety
# of Words	495
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	1.98

Math Anxiety

        Out of all the subjects that are taught at school, mathematics can be one of the most frustrating.  Many students at some point in their education become overwhelmed by mathematics.  This  may leave them feeling that their understanding of the concept would be impossible.  This feeling, known as �math anxiety� may be caused by biological factors or because of social values, however, no one know for sure what causes it.
        Math anxiety is a feeling that can be experienced by anyone.  It is experienced by the young and the old of all cultures and ethnicities.  It is possible that some people may be more prone to math anxiety than others.  According to Sheila Tobias, a member of  the National Organization for Women, females are at higher risk for math anxiety than males are.  She believes because statistically,  females are drop out of mathematics earlier in their education than males and very few continue to earn a PhD in mathematics.  Surprisingly, only 7% of PhD�s is mathematics are earned by females.
        The fact that women are not as successful in math as men are is easy to recognize.  The difficulty is in trying to determine the cause of this.  Tobias feels that this math anxiety is a result of the pressures and roles that are forced on women by society.  She feels that society has labeled mathematics an unfeminine subject and that because of this, girls are not comfortable applying themselves to...

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