The Validation of a Therapy Dog Intervention for Math Anxiety in Early Elementary School Children
In Press
Abstract
Math anxiety (MA) refers to negative feelings when thinking about and performing math. We tested a novel intervention to explore whether animal-assisted education (AAE) can reduce MA and improve math performance using a math-targeted therapy dog approach. Our initial pilot study showed significant reductions in math trait anxiety, leading to a larger investigation using a mixed-measures design. The sample included 201 students (57 intervention group) aged 6-9 years from two international schools in Mauritius. Dependent variables included self-reported math trait anxiety, general state anxiety, math state anxiety (MSA), and performance. Baseline and endpoint measurements were taken and state anxiety measures were also taken immediately before and after each therapy dog session. An immediate reduction in state anxiety was evident following therapy dog sessions. Post-intervention, trait math anxiety was significantly lower and math performance significantly improved, with no changes in the control group. This research offers a novel approach to addressing math anxiety in the classroom, with findings demonstrating that short, adaptable interventions can be effectively implemented to support emotion regulation and greater math engagement.
Resources
Animal-Assisted Education
Animal-assisted education improves behavior, social skills, reduces anxiety, and boosts academic performance. Therapy dogs improve math and reading skills by alleviating negative feelings towards the subject and increasing engagement, thereby enhancing academic attainment. For more information on how to ethically, safely integrate therapy dogs into education settings, visit Therapy Dogs Mauritius.
Maths is Achievable (MIA) program uses personalized plans to identify weak areas and create a strong foundation in mathematics. We work with therapy dogs to help children self-identify anxiety and respond to it in a positive way. We also host youth math evenings to create positive associations with math and help children engage with the subject in an accessible, fun way. Currently, we are collaborating with the University of Derby (UK) to empirically investigate the impact of therapy dog interventions on math anxiety.
Maths Anxiety
Maths anxiety refers to negative thoughts or feelings surrounding maths, and has been found to affect children as young as four years old. Often, it can interfere with maths performance, as children become so occupied with their negative thoughts and feelings that they have reduced capacity left to focus on the maths itself.
Storybook Approach to Tackling Maths Anxiety
Researchers studying maths anxiety have argued that helping children to regulate their emotions before egnaging in maths may be more beneficial than engaging in more maths which oftentimes makes them more anxious. Dominic Petronzi has launched a research-informed storybook, which has been show to reduce levels of maths anxiety in a classroom setting.
University of Derby Maths Anxiety Group
Led by Dr Thomas Hunt, the research team has raised greater awareness of how maths anxiety is the strongest predictor of an individual’s maths attainment. Its work has included developing and validating new scales to measure maths anxiety, including the UK’s first such scales for children aged four to seven and for adults.
These tools are now used regularly in schools to identify the pupils most in need of confidence-building and to address the drop in attainment where maths anxiety negatively impacts a child’s maths performance.
At the same time, the University has influenced new approaches to improving adult numeracy by turning the spotlight on the emotional barriers that can affect people’s self-belief at any age when they are confronted with numbers and data.