Date
4-7-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Mary Strickland
Keywords
math anxiety, algebra, attentional control theory, hermeneutic phenomenology, teachers’ lived experiences
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Education
Recommended Citation
Henderson, Chanly Kong, "The Lived Experiences of Secondary Algebra Teachers Working with Students with Math Anxiety: A Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8130.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8130
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of working with students with math anxiety in algebra classrooms for secondary math teachers at the Sunflower School District in the Western United States. The study was guided by attentional control theory, which explains how anxiety disrupts attention and working memory. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of secondary math teachers working with students with math anxiety in algebra classrooms? Ten participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and a journal prompt, and were manually analyzed using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Four themes emerged from the data: three with four subthemes and one with three subthemes. The first theme, teachers’ recognition of students’ anxiety through students’ behavior, included: (a) avoidance behavior, (b) physical signs of anxiety, (c) verbal deflections, and (d) student self-identification. The second theme, teachers’ experiences of student identity, confidence, and math anxiety, included: (a) internalized failure, (b) identity and self-worth, (c) observed differences in anxiety, and (d) parental and cultural influences on confidence. The third theme, instructional strategies to reduce anxiety, consists of: (a) predictable routines and scaffolding, (b) collaborative learning, (c) classroom climate, and (d) reframing mistakes. The final theme, challenges in implementing strategies, included: (a) building trust and rapport with students, (b) consistency and flexibility, and (c) teachers’ authenticity and transparency. The findings revealed that teachers recognized and addressed students’ math anxiety as they navigated both instructional and emotional demands.
