Improving learning and alleviating Students’ Anxiety in mathematics by Fostering Emotional support (ImSAFE)

Mathematics anxiety (MA) is a widespread phenomenon affecting children, adolescents, and adults across educational and everyday contexts. MA involves cognitive, emotional, physiological, and behavioral responses that can impair mathematical performance, lead to avoidance of math-related activities, and affect academic and career trajectories, even among individuals with sufficient math skills. Research shows that MA is shaped by the learning environment and context and is influenced by students’ early school experiences, teachers’ own anxiety, parental pressure, and students’ self-efficacy. However, limited knowledge exists on how to reverse this process in practice.
The ImSAFE (Improving Learning and Alleviating Students’ Anxiety in Mathematics by Fostering Emotional Support) network brings together an interdisciplinary partnership of three Universities of Applied Sciences, one university, two public organizations and one associated university from five European countries that seeks to understand mechanisms of MA in school practice and investigates how it could be reversed. In a broader perspective the network seeks to understand the reasons behind mathematics unsuccess and translate these insights into actionable recommendations for improving mathematics education.
The ImSAFE-project aims to work together to develop a research proposal aligned with the theme of the ImSAFE network. The call we have in mind is a Horizon Europe call on the declining youth skills in mathematics, reading, and science. In this proposal, we outline the scenario in which we apply for this call. Project activities include community building and expansion, stakeholder analysis, strategic preparation and submission of the proposal, and virtual and in-person meetings.
The project will result in a sustainable and strategically aligned international network with the capacity to drive long-term European collaboration on mathematics education research. A fully developed and competitive project proposal within the ImSAFE theme will be submitted to Horizon Europe or another relevant European funding program.