Several educational studies show that knowledge of mathematics has declined in recent years, often associated with math disorders such as dyscalculia and mathematical anxiety. Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability in math which can cause different types of math difficulties. Students with dyscalculia may have difficulty to understanding number-related concepts or using symbols or functions needed for achievement in math. They may have trouble learning to count and recalling math facts. They may also have poor number sense and not understand math concepts like “greater than” and “less than.” And they may struggle with remembering phone numbers, or keeping track of scores when they’re playing sports. Sometimes, these challenges can make students with dyscalculia feel anxious about having to do math-related tasks. But dyscalculia isn’t the same as math anxiety.

Math anxiety can make students question their abilities in mathematics, even if they have strong skills and although it’s not a learning issue, it can certainly get in the way of learning math. Students with math anxiety are so worried about the prospect of doing math that their fear and nervousness can lead to poor performance on math tests.

Some students may have both math anxiety and dyscalculia. Both dyscalculia and math anxiety can impact students’ capacity to do mathematics and they performance in math. However, it doesn’t affect them only at school. The challenges can also create difficulties in daily life. It also affects the achievements of math in the country as a whole.

Erasmus+ School education strategic partnership project “Teaching Mathematics to Students with Dyscalculia and Mathematics Anxiety” offers concrete suggestions on how to work with students with dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety, focusing on supporting mathematics teachers to help them overcome students’ learning difficulties in mathematics. To promote math achievements in math in the project partner countries, general objectives of the project: to increase the level of achievements in math for students with dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety and strengthen the profile of the math teachers, by sharing knowledge, exchange experience and developing new educational products to contribute to the issue.

In the framework of project are planned the following activities:

  1. Research on math learning difficulties with aim to expand teachers’ knowledge on the skills required for the math learning as well as on dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety and to identify ways of overcoming math learning difficulties as well as identify also support needed for both teachers and parents;
  2. Collect good practices already used by the partners to increase the achievements and interest in math;
  3. Based on the research results and needs identified, to develop teaching strategies / methods / tools to overcome math learning difficulties and/ or to develop the skills required for the math learning;
  4. Prepare a Manual for Math Teachers to enhance math learning outcomes for students with dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety so supporting math teachers;
  5. To carry out an experimental work with students with dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety with aim to pilot the teaching strategies/ methods/ tools collected in Manual;
  6. Organize Multiplier Events in all project partner countries, thus raising the issue of increasing mathematics achievement by contributing to the reduction of math learning difficulties, looking for teaching strategies/ methods/ tools used in all partner countries that activate, motivate, inspire and excite students and help them to overcome math learning difficulties as well as providing space and opportunity to share knowledge, exchange experience and create new practices which help to overcome math learning difficulties for students with dyscalculia and mathematics anxiety as well as support math teachers.

The project is implemented by different organizations (schools, NGO, municipal institution) from six countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Spain, Turkey.

The duration of the Project is 30 months: 01/09/2020 – 28/02/2023.

The total grant of the project is estimated at 170 281,00 EUR.

If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact us izglitias-ab@inbox.lv