Lead supervisor:
Dr Charlotte Brookfield 
Start date: October 2022 (Part time)
Award: General
Subject Pathway:
Education
Thematic Cluster:
Language, Learning and Behaviour Cluster
Mathematics Anxiety in Primary Teachers in Wales
My research focuses on Maths Anxiety (MA) and Maths Teaching Anxiety (MTA). I am developing a pair of bilingual, psychometrically robust, Wales-specific psychometric scales for measuring MA and MTA in primary school teachers, starting with conceptions of MA used by maths-anxious teachers themselves. I will be establishing normative data to aid in the interpretation of scores.
MA is defined as, “feelings of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in ordinary and academic situations” (Richardson and Suinn, 1972, p.551). It is much more than a dislike of maths. Individuals with high levels of MA are not necessarily poor at maths, rather are prevented from demonstrating their full maths abilities (Beilock, 2008, National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Maths-anxious people often avoid doing maths (Maloney et al., 2013). Maths Teaching Anxiety (MTA) is a related construct, relating to anxiety when teaching maths to someone else (Peker and Ertekin 2011).
Research Impact
Publications
- Peer-reviewed Article: The Iterative Survey Adaptation of The Imitation Game: A survey approach to defining group identity through analysis of distinctiveness (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20597991241285802)
- Conference Proceedings: Reducing Mathematics Anxiety in Primary School Teachers through Collaborative Reflection using The Knowledge Quartet (https://bsrlm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BSRLM-Day-Conference-Proceedings-2018-20251-1.xlsx)
- Policy Document: Teaching Maths with Confidence: Insights for Change, a Policy Document (https://mathsanxietytrust.com/Policy%20Doc.pdf)
- Blog post: The fear factor: Children’s Post-lockdown Maths Anxiety (https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/the-fear-factor-childrens-post-lockdown-maths-anxiety)
- Blog post: A Moment to Breathe: How Reflection Can Reduce Teacher Maths Anxiety (https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/a-moment-to-breathe-how-reflection-can-reduce-teacher-maths-anxiety)
- Blog post: If Maths Anxiety Could Talk: What do Maths Anxious Ex-pupils Want to Say to the Teaching Profession (https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/if-maths-anxiety-could-talk-what-do-maths-anxious-ex-pupils-want-to-say-to-the-teaching-profession)
- Blog post: A Game Changer for Education Research: An Iterative Survey for Analysing Groupishness (https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/a-game-changer-for-education-research-an-iterative-survey-for-analysing-groupishness)
Speaking Engagements & Conferences
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science: If Maths Anxiety Could Talk
- National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) Methods e-festival: ‘What is an Imitation Game?’
- Webinar for Maths Anxiety Trust: 'Using Knowledge Quartet Reflection to Reduce Maths Anxiety for Teachers’
- Bangor Education Lecture: Maths Anxiety and The Knowledge Quartet
- Doctoral Partnership Wales Conference: Panel on Quantitative Methods
- Maths Anxiety Trust Webinar panel and presentation: A moment to breathe: How reflection can reduce teacher maths anxiety
- Maths Anxiety Trust Webinar: Reduction of Teacher MA and The Knowledge Quartet
- Presentation at the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics (BSRLM) Conference: Reducing mathematics anxiety in primary school teachers through collaborative reflection using the knowledge quartet
- Cardiff Education Research Group (ERG): All-Wales Education PGR Mini-Conference
- Learnus Conference, FutureEd: Introduction to the policy document Teaching Maths with Confidence, Insights for Change
- Cardiff Community Education Course: Professional Roles Beyond Teaching Practice
- Cardiff SOCSCI Doctoral Conference: Poster Presentation
Bibliography
Beilock, S.L., 2008. Math performance in stressful situations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(5), pp.339-343.
Maloney, E.A., Schaeffer, M.W. & Beilock, S.L., 2013. Mathematics anxiety and stereotype threat: Shared mechanisms, negative consequences and promising interventions. Research in Mathematics Education, 15(2), pp.115-128.
National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008. (Online) Available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf
Richardson, F., & Suinn, R., 1972. 'Mathematics anxiety rating scale: psychometric data', Journal Of Counselling Psychology, 19, pp. 551-554.
Biography
Fay Cosgrove is an accomplished primary school teacher with 18 years of experience, working regionally and nationally to improve maths outcomes through continuing professional development (CPD), assessment consultation and teacher mentoring. She is a psychology graduate and has a master's degree in Education and another in Social Science Research methods. She has worked with the National Network for Excellence in Maths (NNEM). She is a member of the council of the educational think tank, Learnus, and conducts and coordinates research into teacher attitudes towards maths for The Maths Anxiety Trust. Her research interests include teacher and pupil attitudes to maths, maths CPD and mentoring, and teacher self-improvement through reflection.
Fay has a PGCE and is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She teaches research methods at Level 6 and supervises undergraduate dissertation students, marking formatively and summatively. She tutors in Maths and English. Fay is part of the reviewer college for the International Journal of Social Science Research Methods. She supported the Cardiff Education Research Group and organised the All-Wales Education PGR Mini-Conference.