EMOTION-AWARE AND CONVERSATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR EASING MATH ANXIETY IN CLASSROOMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Math anxiety serves to hinder academic progress. From primary to high school level, cognitive issues and fears, related to mathematics learning, continue to hamper student to comprehend foundational concepts, and apply them successfully during standardized tests and to real-life circumstances. Over the past decade, digital tools have been increasingly utilized to support inclusive Mathematics. However, their efficacy in addressing cognitive and emotional barriers to complex issues - like math anxiety – remains largely underexplored. This systematic review investigates the role of conversational and emotionally responsive digital tools—such as AI tutors, digital chatbots, and interactive dialogue simulations—in mitigating the effects to math anxiety, for optimal learning. Utilizing the results of peer-reviewed studies from the past decade, the review highlights key digital interventions that promote math confidence through strong emotion – cognitive techniques, such as personalized feedback, peer-simulated dialogue, and affect-sensitive engagement. The findings reveal that while most tools focus on procedural fluency, tools that address emotional and cognitive dissonance, associated with math anxiety, are few. To address this existing limitation, this paper suggests a Digital Dialogue for Anxiety Reduction (DDAR) framework that helps educators integrate affect-aware resources to help students with anxiety to harness inclusive learning environments. This study can further contribute to the design of emotionally intelligent math instruction by utilizing the power of digital resources.

Keywords: Math anxiety, performance in mathematics, digital tools, emotionally responsive.