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Teaching Study Skills/Test Anxiety Reduction for Math Success for Students
with Disabilities: Practical Strategies
Classroom Intervention Presenters: Dr. Paul Nolting, State College of Florida
Kimberly Nolting, Hillsborough C. C. Dr. Craig Hardesty, Hillsborough C. C.
Copyright 2009
Academic Success Press, Inc.www.academicsuccess.com
Variables Contributing to Student Academic Achievement (Bloom, 1976)
Cognitive Entry Level Skill
+
IQ
Affective Char.Self-conceptLocus of ControlAttitudesAnxietyStudy SkillsSelf-Efficacy
Quality ofInstruction
Research
Placement
Grades
Math history
LD/TBI/ADHD
Aptitude
Learning speed
Abstract Reason
Verbal Reason
Learning styles
24/7 Web accesses
Faculty/tutor training
Lab assistants/DRC
Math study skills
Orientations for DE
Self-regulated Learning
Counselors, Faculty
Additional Considerations and Math Study Skills for Students with Disabilities
Using the Stages of Memory to determine break downs in learning and math study skills - Handout
Using processing deficits to determine appropriate math study skills - Handout
Math Study Skills for student with learning disabilities
Traumatic Brain Injury and math – Vets
ADHD and math learning
PTSD and math study skills
Stages ofMemory
Maximize Students’ Affective Characteristics
Co-requisite 1 hour math study skills course + Basic Algebra course
– (Students who had repeated Basic Algebra 1-4 times enrolled in the math study skills course.)
Significant success at .05 p level (Nolting, 1986, 1990)
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETERSMAT 0002/0012 FALL BRADENTON
58%
78%
56%58%
68% 68% 67%70%
72%
68%
59%
53%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Fall 88/89AverageBaseline
Fall 90 AllStudents -Math Study
SkillsCourse
Fall 91 NoMath Study
Skills(NMSS)
Fall 92-97AverageSuccess
Rate NMSS
Fall 98 AllStudentsTook MathStudy Skills
in Lab
Fall 98Math Study
Skills inLab
Fall 99Math Study
Skills inLab
Fall 00 Math Study
Skills inLab
Fall 01Math Study
Skills inLab
Fall 02Math Study
SkillsOptional
Fall 03NMSS
Fall04NMSS
Success RatesPre-algebra and Co-requisite Math Study
Skills Course/Lab
Enhanced Pre Algebra, Basic Algebra and Intermediate Algebra for RepeatingStudents and Students with Disabilities
Math Course Average Pass Rate for Pilots
Pass Rate for Non-pilot
Pre Algebra (also with low tests scores < 30 on Arithmetic Accuplacer)
48%Manipultitives
33%
Instruction Lecture, quiz, group work, math study skills
Lecture
Basic Algebra 67% 33%
Instruction Lecture quiz groupmath study skills12 hr
Lecture
Intermediate Algebra Lecture, group, faculty follow up, quiz
70% 40%
Success of Students Taking Pre-algebra and Life Skills Course Separately
Semester Pilot Non-pilot
Fall 03 80% 59%
Spring 04 76% 52%
Fall 04 82% 53%
Spring 05 67% 51%
Math Study Skills Evaluation
Joe College, the overall result of your evaluation is a score of 51.A score of 79 and below means you need to improve your math study skills and this could be the main reason you may have had having difficulty.Question #1My habit is that I: A. seldom study math every school day. Your response indicates that you may not understand that math has a sequential learning pattern. A sequential learning pattern means material learned one day is used the next day and the next day and so forth. That means putting off studying math will lead to poor math grades. You need to study and do your homework before each class.You need to read pp. 11-21 in Winning at Math.
Question #4My habit is that I: C. almost always become anxious and forget important concepts during a math test. Your response indicates that you have symptoms of math anxiety and/or test anxiety. Math and test anxiety are learned responses, which can be unlearned. You need to learn how to control your anxiety by using relaxation techniques and positive self-statements during homework and tests.You need to read pp. 65-69 & pp. 72-79 in Winning at Math.
Math Study Skills Content
How Learning Math is Different – Chapter 1Assessing Math & Using Learning Strengths – Chapter 2How to Reduce Math and Test Anxiety – Chapter 3Creating a Positive Study Environment – Chapter 4Understanding/Improving Memory Process – Chapter 5Improving Listening and Math Note-Taking – Chapter 6Improving Math Reading & Homework Skills – Chapter 7How to Improve Math Test-Taking Skills – Chapter 8How to Take Control & Motivate Yourself – Chapter 9How to Help Students with Disabilities – Chapter 10General Study Skills with the C3S Web program
How Learning Math is Different – Chapter 1
Curriculum progresses twice as fast.
Most deep learning is outside of class.Math requires sequential skill learning.
Students must learn how to structure learning math to match their own learning styles.
In addition to understanding the math, students must master it, able to complete in a set time period.
Students must demonstrate they understand the concepts, not just mimic the problemsMath is a foreign language.Math is like a sport, puzzle and music.
Each instructor teaches differently, and students must adapt learning strategies. Learning math will pay off.Let students discuss their math learning problems.Discuss the concept of the more math you learn the more money you will make.
Learning math requires special study strategies
and habits – Let the students discuss
attitudes towards math
Ingredients for math success – Bloom chart
Developing a math learning profile- TAI, LOC, MSSE
Web assessment sites
Plot the results and look for strengths and weakness
Learning Modality for Math Appendix C - p. 246
What is your best math learning modality
Students make a plan to improve their skills or better use their skills
Continually tell students that study strategies help them save
time in the long run and learn more productively.
Assessing Math and Using Learning Strengths –Chapter 2
How to Reduce Math Anxiety –Chapter 3
Definition of math anxiety?
Causes of math anxiety?
Negative math experiences? – Third grade
Types of math test anxiety – Worry and Emotionality
Causes of test anxiety
Effects of anxiety on learningMyths about test anxietyHow to reduce test anxietyRelaxation techniquesManaging self talkWriting your math autobiographyHow to Reduce Test Anxiety – CD/DVD
Understanding Math/Test Anxiety
Defining Math Anxiety
Types of Math Anxiety
Numerical anxiety
Abstraction anxiety
Math Test anxiety
Definition of Test AnxietyMeasurement of Test Anxiety Types of Test Anxiety
Worry/Cognitive test anxietyEmotionality/Somatic test anxiety
Managing Test Anxiety: Causes
Association of grades with self-worth.
Develops from different types of fears.
Can stem from feeling of lack of control and change of a situation.
Previous embarrassment from teacher, students, family.
Placed in the wrong class.
Past and continued negative experiences.
Consequence of perfectionism.
Fear of timed tests.
Poor study and personal habits.
Anxiety strikes all types of students
Test Anxiety: Myths
Students are born with it.Test anxiety is a mental illness.Test anxiety cannot be reduced.Any level of test anxiety is bad.All students who are not prepared have test anxietyStudents with test anxiety can’t learn math
Students who are well prepared don’t have it.Intelligent students don’t have it.Attending class and doing homework should reduce it.Being told to relax will make you relaxed.Doing nothing about it will make it go away.Reducing test anxiety guarantees better grades.
Other Anxiety Related Issues
It takes time to acquire the skills to manage anxiety.
Sometimes it takes the help of others.
Test/learning anxiety affects other times in the learning experience:
Attending class
Opening a textbook
Going to the library
Completing homework
Seeking help
“I get anxious when the instructor goes off on tangents, and I need help learning the material for the test.”
“Sometimes I don’t think they care or want to know if I am anxious.”
Some instructors just scare you. I don’t feel like I can come and talk to them.
What Students Say About Anxiety
“Today I really got anxious when my math instructor kept on going fast. I got lost. I raised my hand and he said, ‘Hold on a second. 15 minutes later I still had my hand up.”“I get nervous when the teacher has chalk in one hand and the eraser in the other. I know we are in trouble then.”“Sometimes it just takes a look at the syllabus and I get anxious because I don’t know what is going on.”
What Students Say About Anxiety
“This is easy. We won’t have to spend much time on this.”“I will give you a test due date in about a week.”“You’re smart. You can handle it. Don’t worry. Calm down.”“If you would study more…” “You should have learned this in the last math class”
What Students Do Not Like to Hear
Managing Anxiety: Types of Management
Professional Assistance: campus counseling, mentor
Behavioral Changes
Environmental Changes
Emotional Self-talk Improvement
Emotional SupportMost of the time, you can’t learn to manage test or learning anxiety on your own.
When test day comes…
Control your self talk.
Avoid other students who are anxious.
Get good night’s rest.
Eat healthy breakfast.
Find a few minutes for quiet time.
Review mental cheat sheets.
Listen to some calming music. Set yourself up for a calm period of time before the test. If you have a class before your test period, focus on that class.
Get the day started off right.
Tensing and Relaxing Technique
Relax all your
muscles.
Tense your muscles.Pull up with your arms
tight.Press down with you feet
and legs.Hold for a few seconds.
Relax.Repeat one more time if necessary.
Calm Yourself Right before the Test
When you get to the classroom and you want to avoid all the panicky talk going all around you, try the “Palming” technique.
Place your palms on your forehead. Think of a place that is very relaxing to you. Pretend you are there. Or, you can think about your memory “mental” cheat
sheets. The other benefit is that the other students will think you have a headache and will leave you alone.
Classroom StrategiesGive practice testsGive frequent quizzesGive a chance for students to retake the testEncourage questionsDo group workDiscuss test anxiety as being realTeaching study skills/test taking skillsGive students Math Study Skills Evaluation
Faculty Helping Students Reduce Math/Test Anxiety
Office StrategiesListen to student concerns on anxietyHave them take the Math Study Skills EvaluationTeach study skills/test anxiety reduction techniques (Managing Math and Test Anxiety For Success DVD)Praise students for coming to you for helpDon’t “lecture” the studentRefer them to a counselor
Faculty Helping Students Reduce Math/Test Anxiety
Create a Positive Study Environment and Manage Your Time – Chapter 4
Choosing the best place to study – stay at college
Setting up study area – tool of your trade
Taking breaks – 45 min to one hour
The best time to study math
Best way to use your math lab or LRC - modality
Collaborative learning and study groups
Planning Use of Daily Time
How many free hours?
Hours of math study?
What math grade?
Over all GPA
Weekly Study-Goal Sheet
Managing Work and Study
Understanding and Improving the Memory and Process - Chapter 5
Stage of Memory
Sensory Input
Sensory Register
Short-term Memory
Working Memory
Long-term Memory
Abstract Reasoning
Memory Output
Where does your memory break down?
Using Learning Styles to improve memory
Visual Numerical
Auditory Numerical
Tactile Concrete
Social Group
Social Individual
Memory Techniques
PEMDAS
FOIL
How to Improve Listening and Note-taking Skills– Chapter 6
Listen EffectivelyGolden Triangle of Success Warming up for math class – Student taskUse abbreviationsWhen to take notes a.Writing on the board b.Summarizing c.This is a tricky problem
Seven Steps to Note- takingModel the steps on the boardMath glossary – put vocabulary words on testsMath vocabulary cardsReworking notesStudents take notes and compare their notesHelping students ask questions
Class Note-taking SystemThree Column Method
Math Problem
Key Words/Rules/Properties
Examples/Problem Steps
Explanations and questions I need to ask myself
How to Improve Your Reading and Homework Techniques– Chapter 7
When should students read from the textHow to read the syllabusStudent survey on reading the textbook – student taskTen Steps to Understanding Reading Material – student task to read assignment for today's topicStudents complete each step in 1 or 2 minutes
How to establish study goals – student taskReasons for assigning homework – Stages of MemoryHow do students do homework?Ten Steps to Doing Homework – student taskOn line homework – Like My Math LabMetacognitive techniques – model questions ask self
Learning from the Textbook
When should students read the math textbook:
Before class: Become familiar with vocabulary and concepts. Helps you collect all the details during class.
After class: Helps glue all the details together or fill in the details you missed.
Before homework: Reading the textbook and reviewing notes before starting homework reduces the number of times you flip the pages.
Visit your instructor during office hours and ask for a system for using the textbook.
Learn the Ten Steps to Understanding Reading Material.
Learning from the Textbook
When should students read the math textbook:
Before class: Become familiar with vocabulary and concepts. Helps you collect all the details during class.
After class: Helps glue all the details together or fill in the details you missed.
Before homework: Reading the textbook and reviewing notes before starting homework reduces the number of times you flip the pages.
Visit your instructor during office hours and ask for a system for using the textbook.
Learn the Ten Steps to Understanding Reading Material.
Ten Steps to Doing Math Homework1. Review related textbook material.2. Review appropriate lecture notes.3. Do homework neatly.4. Write down every problem step.5. Understand reasons for problem steps.6. For difficult problems repeat 1 -5 and
review similar problems, call another student, use other references, see a tutor or teacher.
7. Finish by working a problem successfully.8. Recall or write down important concepts.9. Make up note cards for difficult concepts.10. Don’t get behind.
Learning from homework = Doing homework
Ten Steps to Doing Online Homework
1. Review related textbook material.2. Review appropriate lecture notes.3. Do homework neatly.4. Must write down problem and every problem
step.5. Understand reasons for problem steps
instead of using the click and go method.6. For difficult problems use the resources
provided by the software (videos /tutor line).7. Finish by working a problem successfully.8. Recall or write down important concepts.9. Develop virtual note cards by using
www.studystack.com.10. Don’t get behind – you could get block out.
Learning from online homework is more difficult than text book homework
How to Improve Your Math Test-Taking Skills– Chapter 8
Attending class and doing homework may not be enough to pass – student discussionHow do students take the math test? – student task Ten Steps for Taking a Math TestMaking a mental cheat sheet – student/group taskReasons for not using all the test time – student task
Six Types of Test-Taking ErrorsDeveloping a test error log – Concept ErrorsConducting test analysis –student task in classPreparing for the final examMaking up test questions – student task and group work
Taking the Test: Ten Steps for Taking a Test
“The first student done with the test may not be the smartest in the class. Often the smart students are the ones that take the entire time to make sure they do everything accurately. Be brave. Stay in the room and make sure you complete everything accurately.”
1. Memory Data Dump
2. Preview Test
3. 2nd Memory Data Dump
4. Test Progress Schedule
5. Answer Easy Questions
6. Skip Difficult Questions
7. Review Skipped Questions
8. Guess at Remaining Questions
9. Review All of the Test
10.Use all the Test Time
Six Types of Test-taking Errors
1. Misread Directions
2. Careless Errors
3. Concept Errors
4. Application Errors
5. Test Procedure Errors
6. Study Errors
This is why they invented the eraser!
Use the eraser wisely. Sometimes it is better to scratch something out at first and then make sure the correction is right. Go back and erase, leaving the correct information. Sometimes when we are nervous, we may change a correct answer. We erase the right answer, go on to other problems, check the test and discover we changed an answer incorrectly and have forgotten the right answer.
How to Take Control Over Math and Motivate Yourself – Chapter 9
Develop Internal Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy Avoid Learned HelplessnessOvercome Procrastination by Defeating Fear of Failure, Fear of Success, Rebellion Against Authority and PerfectionismHow to Improve Self-EsteemHow to Communicate to Your Math InstructorMotivate Students with Disabilities
Decreasing Procrastination and Improving Motivation/Self-Efficacy
Learn helplessness – student task on repeating math coursesWhy procrastinate – student group task
Fear of failureFear of successRebellion Perfectionism
Which one is student reason – student group task
Improve motivation/self-efficacy – student group task Setting up SMART goals
Specific goalMeasurable Action-Oriented RealisticTimely
Improving self-talkAnalyzing self-talkPositive self-talk
The Process for Helping Students Develop Self-efficacy
Input
Output Model strategic thinking in content
areas
Set short term goals with learning strategies to reach them
Use scaffolding approach to build independence
Teach for metacognition
Set up mastery learning with short term goals
Frequent assessment and self-assessment
Overwhelmed
Learned Helplessness
No strategies
In control
Self-efficacy
A system of strategies for math, English, reading
Building Self-regulated Students
How to Help Students with Disabilities Learn Math - Chapter 9
Study Skills for LD Study Skills for ADHDStudy Skills for TBI Individual Learning and Testing PlanWhat Student Need to Do to Get HelpDRC Workshops, Math Study Skills Evaluation, General Study Skills Evaluation, Learning Styles Inventory, Test Anxiety Survey
Additional Interventions
Use of Mastering Math Web stream Series Managing Math and Test AnxietyTen Steps to Taking a Math TestTaking Effective Math Notes (Nolting and
Nolting, 2008) – (documented individual success)Use of Learning Styles Inventory- (documented group and individual success)Use of How to Reduce Test Anxiety CD/Web based – (documented individual success)Motivation - Use of Navigating College Strategies for College Success – (documented individual success)
Options for Integrating Math Study Skills into Curriculum
• Integrate study skills into math labs attached to math courses
• Training tutors and other academic support staff in math study skills
• Math anxiety and test taking workshops• Math study skills course• In the math course• College success course• Learning labs, math and counseling
departments
Good News! Students can change!
Web Resources• Limited Math Study Skills Evaluation by Dr. Paul Nolting (Bottom of
the Web page) http://www.academicsuccess.com/
• Title 3 Practice Placement Test Resources (Accuplacer) http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/1484.asp
• Title 3 Research and Presentation by Dr. Paul Nolting and others http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/2092.asp
Student Math Practice and Learning Site http://www.academicsuccess.com
Web Resources• American Math Association of Two Year Colleges http://www.amatyc.org• Beyond Crossroads by the American Math Association of Two Year
Colleges http://www.bc.amatyc.org• Math Research and Study Skills by Dr. Paul Nolting and others http://www.academicsuccess.com/research/math.php
National Developmental Education Association www.nade.net
Student Life Skills Report (Data Trend31) by Dr Patricia Windham, Associate Vive-Chancellor for Evaluation (850-245-9482): www.fldoe.org/CC/OSAS/DataTrendsResearch/Data_Trends.asp
