REDUCING MATHEMATICS ANXIETY THROUGH LEADERSHIP-DRIVEN PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

Abstract

Secondary education plays a vital role in shaping students' minds, skills, and knowledge, which are essential for higher education and future careers. Mathematics anxiety poses a significant obstacle to students’ problem-solving abilities, especially during adolescence. This paper outlines findings from meta-analyses on the relationship between mathematics anxiety and students' academic performance, and evaluates the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in developing problem-solving skills. Furthermore, it explores the relationship between these findings and instructional leadership, highlighting the role of school leaders in strengthening professional learning communities and promoting evidence-based practices. Several studies indicates that mathematics anxiety has a moderate negative correlation with student achievement (r = - 0.28 to - 0.32), with stronger effects observed during adolescence. In contrast, problem based learning (PBL) is correlated with substantial improvements in students’ problem-solving skills (r = 0.53 to 0.64). Instructional leadership that emphasis on enhancing the quality of teaching-learning which plays a central role in implementing PBL in such a way that it addresses both the intellectual and emotional constraints that students face in learning mathematics. The review concludes with recommendations for future research and practice, and proposes a leadership-based framework to reduce anxiety and improve students’ problem-solving abilities in secondary education.