I’ve worked with hundreds of students struggling with maths anxiety over the years. What I’ve learnt from both research and real classroom experience is that anxiety isn’t a maths problem—it’s a support problem. And the PISA 2022 data proves it.
Teacher support is not simply a bonus in the classroom. It has a measurable, powerful effect on maths anxiety and GCSE Maths results. The PISA 2022 framework examined teaching behaviours across many countries and identified clear patterns in how supportive teaching lowers mathematical fear.
Students with supportive teachers showed much lower maths anxiety even when their home background and socioeconomic factors were taken into account. This shows that teaching quality has an independent impact no matter what circumstances a student comes from.
This raises an important question. What actually makes a teacher supportive, and how can parents and tutors create similar conditions at home?
What PISA 2022 Actually Measured: Beyond Test Scores
PISA 2022 did not only look at test scores. It also examined how teaching behaviours influence emotional responses to mathematics. Researchers focused on qualities such as encouraging mathematical thinking, fostering reasoning and teaching students to make sense of modern mathematical ideas. Student questionnaires explored effort, persistence and mathematical self-confidence. They also measured maths anxiety, which is strongly linked to performance and long-term attitudes towards learning.
Because the study handled socioeconomic differences in its analysis, it showed clearly that supportive teaching helps students regardless of their background. This is especially relevant for neurodiverse learners who may already experience extra layers of stress around maths.
Parents looking for effective help, whether through private tutoring, homeschool support or GCSE preparation, can use these research-backed qualities to identify good teaching.
The Three Pillars of Anxiety-Reducing Support
The results revealed three specific psychological needs that, when met, dramatically reduce maths anxiety. These align with self-determination theory, as echoed in PISA analyses of student well-being.
Competence: “You Can Do This”
Supportive teachers help students build genuine confidence. They do this by breaking concepts into small, manageable steps and celebrating each improvement. Students begin to see their progress and start believing in their abilities.
In GCSE and IGCSE learning, this means strengthening essential foundations such as fractions, algebra, percentages and ratios before moving to more advanced content. This approach creates real mastery rather than surface-level understanding.
When working through challenging topics, effective tutors focus on building genuine capability—not just getting through worksheets.
Autonomy: “Your Thinking Matters”
Students feel less anxious when their reasoning is valued. They don’t need to memorise procedures without understanding them. Supportive teachers encourage students to explore, explain and make sense of problems, even if they get things wrong at first.
Your mathematical voice matters. This is especially important for learners who approach tasks in non-traditional ways, including students with SEND profiles. These students may solve problems through different pathways whilst still demonstrating strong mathematical understanding.
Relatedness: “We’re In This Together”
Strong relationships create emotional safety. When a student feels understood and supported, they are more willing to take risks and try new methods. PISA found that positive relationships improve confidence, curiosity and enjoyment, which in turn influence achievement.
Supportive teaching creates an environment where it is safe to think, explore and grow. Quality student-teacher relationships allow for mathematical risk-taking without fear of judgment.
The Neuroscience Behind the Magic: How Brains Change
Neuroscience research shows that supportive maths tutoring can change the way the brain responds to anxiety. One study showed that children who received one-to-one tutoring not only improved their maths skills but also showed reduced activity in the brain’s fear centre (the basolateral amygdala). Their emotional circuits became more stable and their anxiety responses softened.
This mirrors the principles of exposure therapy. With repeated positive experiences, the emotional reaction to maths becomes calmer. In the study, the students who showed the greatest drop in fear-related brain activity also showed the biggest decrease in maths anxiety.
The research found significant improvements after only eight weeks of focused support. This supports the effectiveness of high-quality online maths courses and small-group workshops that combine emotional support with strong teaching.
This neuroplasticity evidence validates why maths confidence can be built through sustained supportive practice, particularly important for students who’ve developed negative mathematical associations.
Why Early Intervention Helps, But It’s Never Too Late
Long-term research shows a cycle. Low achievement creates anxiety. Anxiety then lowers achievement even further. This cycle often begins around Year 3, which emerges as the critical early-onset period for mathematics anxiety intervention (see longitudinal studies).
However, older students can still experience meaningful change. Whilst anxiety may become more reinforced over time, the brain remains adaptable. Supportive teaching can reduce anxiety at any age, including during GCSE years.
The correlation between mathematics anxiety and performance is weaker for younger students than older ones, but intervention remains effective at the GCSE Maths level with appropriate support.
For teens who have lost confidence or experienced learning gaps, the most effective approach is to rebuild foundations whilst making learning feel safe again. Focus on creating interconnected understanding rather than isolated skills.
Understanding these principles is powerful, but implementing them requires specific strategies.
Practical Strategies for Supportive Maths at Home
1. Use Language That Calms Rather Than Pressures
Instead of: “You should know this”
Say: “Let’s explore this together”
Instead of: “Why do you not understand this?”
Try asking: “What part makes sense so far?”
2. Use Process Praise
Praise strategy, effort and reasoning. For example:
- “I noticed you checked your steps. That shows strong thinking.”
- “You tried a different approach. That is excellent problem-solving.”
3. Ask Questions That Uncover Understanding
Instead of asking “Does that make sense?” try:
- “What feels clear to you right now?”
- “How would you explain this to someone else?”
4. Introduce Exam Conditions Gently
Build familiarity with timed practice gradually. Have conversations afterwards that focus on strategy, confidence, and next steps, rather than scores alone.
5. Use Visual and Conceptual Tools
Help students see how ideas connect. This is particularly supportive for neurodiverse learners who benefit from concrete, visual explanations.
Cultural Considerations and Individual Differences
Although PISA found universal patterns in what reduces maths anxiety, different cultures express these ideas in different ways. Growth mindset consistently reduces mathematics anxiety across the UK, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, but through different pathways.
For UK families, a balanced approach works well. Encourage independent thinking (autonomy) whilst creating opportunities for guided problem-solving together (relatedness). This combination supports both confidence and connection.
Neurodiverse learners often benefit even more from the three pillars of competence, autonomy and relatedness. These principles remain effective when adapted to the learner’s unique profile, respecting individual ways of processing and expressing mathematical understanding.
We’d love to help your child break free from maths anxiety and discover the confidence that comes with genuine understanding. If you’re looking for research-backed tutoring that prioritises emotional safety alongside academic progress, book a free consultation with Square Roets Maths.
Your Next Steps Towards Anxiety-Free Maths
Supportive teaching can absolutely be recreated by parents and tutors. The research shows that these experiences improve maths skills and, in addition, literally reshape the brain’s emotional response to maths.
Here are some simple next steps:
- Audit your current support. Reflect on the support your child currently receives. Are competence, autonomy and connection present? If not, which pillar needs strengthening?
- Implement supportive language. Start using the specific phrases and questions outlined above. Notice how your child responds.
- Use process praise consistently. Praise effort, strategy and reasoning every time you work together.
- Introduce challenges gradually. Build up to harder tasks and exam conditions with plenty of encouragement and reflection.
- Consider professional support. Look for tutors or programmes that demonstrate these research-backed approaches in their teaching.
Whether your child aims for strong Grades 7 to 9 or simply wants to feel calmer during maths lessons, the research is clear. The right support transforms the learning experience in maths. Every positive interaction builds confidence, and confidence builds capable mathematicians.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How quickly can supportive teaching reduce maths anxiety?
Research shows noticeable reductions in as little as eight weeks of structured one-to-one tutoring. High maths-anxious children experienced significant anxiety decreases after just 8 weeks of intensive cognitive tutoring, proving that focused support can create rapid improvements.
Q: Is it too late to help my teenager who dislikes maths?
Not at all. Whilst anxiety becomes more entrenched over time, neuroplasticity research proves that sustained supportive experiences can still rewire anxiety circuits at any age, including at GCSE level. It’s never too late to rebuild confidence.
Q: What is the difference between supportive teaching and just being kind?
Supportive teaching specifically meets three psychological needs: competence (building genuine capability), autonomy (valuing student thinking) and relatedness (creating emotional safety). It is purposeful and structured, not just encouraging. It’s the difference between saying “good job” and actually helping someone develop real mathematical power.
Q: How can I tell if a tutor uses anxiety-reducing methods?
Look for tutors who praise the process over results, ask open-ended questions to gauge understanding, break complex ideas into manageable steps, and value the student’s reasoning even when answers are initially incorrect. Watch whether they create space for mistakes as part of learning.
Q: Does this approach work for learners with SEND?
Yes, it often works especially well. The three pillars (competence, autonomy, relatedness) are particularly important for neurodiverse learners who may solve problems through non-traditional pathways whilst still demonstrating mathematical understanding. These principles adapt beautifully to individual learning profiles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ilse Roets is the founder of Square Roets Maths and a passionate advocate for lifelong learning. With over two decades of experience in maths education, Ilse has helped hundreds of students overcome maths anxiety through personalised, holistic support. As a dyslexic educator and lifelong learner, Ilse brings empathy, insight, and practical strategies to every child she teaches.
