2. Why is learning anxiety so difficult for teachers to spot? Discuss how teachers can recognise it and its causes and suggest ways that pupils can be helped to feel secure and stay focused in lessons and practice.
Introduction
In this essay, Learning Anxiety is defined as: An uncontrollable negative emotional reaction that affects the physiology, language and behaviour of the pupil that inhibits learning. This reaction takes the form of fear and nervousness, and is a response to the teacher and/or the tasks in a lesson.
Learning anxiety distracts pupils during lessons, prevents understanding, and can make what should be an enriching experience of learning into an unpleasant one. Teachers can have difficulty recognising and helping pupils overcome it. It is unfortunate how many initially enthusiastic pupils are taken victim by anxieties, and are prevented from gaining and enjoying new knowledge and skills.
In this essay I hope to shed light on what can otherwise be a confusing topic. I will do this by first discussing why it is difficult for teachers to identify learning anxiety, then how teachers can learn how to recognise it during lessons and what’s causing it, and finally how teachers having identified it and its causes can resolve it, make pupils feel secure, able to take on new tasks, and also to prevent it from reoccurring.
For teachers to understand learning anxiety, they need to know why it is difficult to spot, and why often they mistake it for other behaviours.
Why Teachers Have Difficulty Spotting Learning Anxiety
Signs of anxiety are not displayed openly
The fundamental reason teachers may have a difficulty spotting learning anxiety in pupils is that pupils usually don't display their anxiety openly – they don’t want teachers to see it. This can be because they may feel it is inappropriate, or they will damage their reputation if they are honest about their feelings. L.Mackworth-Young (2000) writes "There may also be anxiety about learning itself. Usually well hidden, as it's "not cool" to show such feelings in our society, there is a fear of "not being able to do it", a fear of failing"[1]
It should be noted that often the pupil is unaware of the reason for their anxious feelings, and that not only do they try and hide their emotions from the teachers, but can also hide it from themselves.
This desire to hide anxiety, not only means there is a lack of honest communication, but can also lead to two behaviours which can easily be misinterpreted by teachers, namely a) distracting behaviour b) persistent mistakes
Misinterpreted behaviour
One way teachers can misinterpret learning anxiety is that it can appear as disruptive, disinterested or distracting behaviour. A stressed pupil may, for example, mess about, seem bored, or even forget to bring their music to the lesson, in order to avoid attempting a task.
Unfortunately for a pupil who has diligently practiced, anxiety can completely undo progress made when it takes over. What may sound to a teacher like a pupil hasn't practiced may in fact be the effect of anxiety on their playing. B.Green and T.Gallwey (1986) write "We are trying in an anxious or frustrated way, and not surprisingly, this makes us tense up. This kind of trying results from doubt. If we didn't doubt our ability to perform the task at hand, we wouldn't need to try." (p.47).[2] Anxiety causes the pupil to make a lot of mistakes, and to the teacher it sounds like the pupil hasn’t practiced.
To an uninformed teacher the anxiety underlying both these behaviours could easily be missed.
Teachers may be distracted by their own emotions
Another reason that teachers may find it difficult to spot learning anxiety is that they are distracted by their own thoughts and emotions (especially if these are uncomfortable or negative). L.Mackworth-Young (2000) writes "Whereas positive feelings fill us with inner security, making it easy for us to be open to the pupil and he to us, negative feelings are disabling." (p.56)[3] She discusses the possibility that when we are feeling inadequate, frustrated, or angry, it could be 'countertransfered' from the pupil. She defines countertransference as "Our own feeling in lessons, .... may actually be telling us what the pupil is feeling, as feelings travel gut to gut, by-passing reason." (p.55)[4] Unaware that we are responding to pupil’s emotions, we feel as if these emotions are confined to ourselves. Teachers who are unaware of transference may have a difficulty spotting learning anxiety in pupils as they will be focused on their own emotions, rather than realising that they are unconsciously picking up on the pupil’s anxiety.
Clearly it is important for us teachers to learn to recognise anxiety and its causes if we are to be able to help our pupils learn.
Recognising Learning Anxiety
Teachers can recognise learning anxiety by looking at the pupil’s physiology, language, and behaviour. These are elaborated on below:
Physiology
These are the signs of learning anxiety displayed by the pupil’s physiology. They are displayed by the pupil’s body. Some examples include;
Language
The signs of learning anxiety in pupil’s language are both in what pupils say, and what they don't. Teachers should be aware that anxious pupils will refrain from expressing thoughts and feelings. Signs of learning anxiety in pupil’s language include:
Behavioural
These are some of the behaviours often displayed by pupils experiencing learning anxiety:
Any combination of any of these characteristics might indicate that the pupil is anxious about some aspect of their lesson. The cause of this anxiety is worthy of investigation/discussion, if a teacher is to better understand and help the pupil.
Causes of Learning Anxiety
Origins
The fundamental reason pupils feel learning anxiety is the fear that they are unable to resolve any issues in a new task – a fear of being out of control. Mackworth-Young (2000) argues that this anxiety is rooted in infancy. All anxiety reminds us of when, as babies, we were powerless when faced with hunger, thirst, or loneliness and could nothing about it. It was only our caregivers that could solve our problems. ‘Simply by becoming a pupil, whether at the age of six or sixty six, the pupil cannot help but key back, at some level into his own inner infantile and early childhood emotions... "Not being able to do it” is experienced as life threatening.’ [5](p.6)
There appears to be some common causes of anxiety, that either seem to come from the Pupils Perception of the Teacher, or from the Anxiety Related to the Tasks pupils are given.
Anxiety Related To Perceptions of the Teacher
Pupils can feel anxiety caused by a teacher simply being in charge during lessons, that is not due to the actions of the teacher, but due to their perceptions of teachers from their past.
Previous Authority Figures
Pupils who have had bad experiences with previous authority figures, like parents, or teachers, can develop anxiety around new teachers who could induce similar experiences. Salzberger-Wittenberg, Williams, and Osborne (1983) write that "It was Sigmund Freud who discovered that feelings that have been experienced in the past are transferred into present relationships. He found that his patients re-lived in relation to him emotional experience which they had in their childhood” (p.32)[6] Our past experiences of people are used to predict new people’s behaviour. Pupils learn to be anxious around new teachers due to previous negative authority figures.
Fear of Criticism from the Teacher
Teacher’s critical behaviour can cause distress if they are not careful. Salzberger-Wittenberg, Williams, and Osborne (1983) write "Any criticism is easily felt to be cutting and destructive and the teacher experienced as complaining, dissatisfied, or even as a deliberate fault-finder .... While it is part of a teacher's function to assess the student's work, this lends itself to a feeling of constantly being watched and judged."[7] (p.30) Unless work is ‘perfect’ then pupils can think it is not worth showing, which creates anxiety during learning processes.
However it is not always the teacher that causes pupils to be anxious, but the tasks in lessons.
Anxiety Related to the Task
The tasks in lessons can also cause anxieties . If the teacher knows that the task is not too difficult for the pupil, then there may be other reasons for anxiety to occur, such as:
Learnt Perceptions of Failure
Pupils may feel nervousness when given new tasks, as they believe that in our society (as explained earlier) failure is viewed as unacceptable. This perception frames failure as a lost competition, and they must try to avoid failing, or they are worth less than those who have succeeded. J.Holt (1967) makes a comparison of two children at different ages solving tasks that require them to put things together. The 4 year old in a nursery is putting together a puzzle, and Lisa (aged 1) is fixing a pen she took apart. The four year old is struggling and worried about how his class will react to his failure, and yet Lisa doesn’t care about what others think. “To many four year olds, doing a puzzle is often only a means to an end- gaining someone else's approval. To Lisa, putting the pen together is an end in itself."[8] (p.49)Learning anxiety often comes from what pupils believe failing at the task says about them in comparison to others.
Learning Anxiety Caused by a Fear of Judgement from Others
Pupils may feel they have to perform for the teacher, which create anxiety. When discussing why performances cause overwhelming fear W.Westney (2003) writes "I think the underlying fear can be easily identified: losing control in front of others, and facing the possibility of embarrassment and humiliation."[9] (p.140) It seems that the majority of learning anxieties come from how the pupils view the authority of the teacher, coupled with fear of not being able to perform well in tasks they are given.
When teachers recognise that a pupil is anxious they need to use techniques to reduce the pressure of the situation.
Methods used to reduce Learning Anxiety
Teachers can help students with learning anxiety by showing them that they shouldn't fear anything in lessons, whether it is the teacher, or about the tasks given.
Changing Students Perception of the Teacher and the Lesson
If the pupil is worried about being in the lesson, or their relationship to the teacher, then the teacher can use the techniques below to create a comfortable environment for discussion.
Using Counselling Skills
Counselling skills can be used to initiate conversations about subjects a pupil feels anxious about or doesn’t initially want to discuss, by making the learning environment feel safer. L.Mackworth-Young (2000) lists counselling skills teachers can use; ‘Allowing time, and a safe space’, ‘Be unfailingly empathic, accepting the pupil’s feelings without judgement even when they feel threatening’, ‘”Meet” the pupils feelings’, and ‘Reflect and paraphrase’[10](p.63) Using these techniques in difficult situations, teachers can help worried pupils. For example, if a pupil does not seem to be interested in an activity due to stress, then the teacher could say "I'm feeling stressed today... How about you? I was thinking we could do something less demanding? Some light playing after a hard day. "
Changing Preconceived Notions of the Teacher
Teachers can have conversations with, or change their behaviour around pupils when they see signs of learning anxiety, to show show the pupil that they do not need to be anxious in lessons. Salzberger-Wittenberg, Williams, Osborne (1983) write “If the teacher can provide a different experience from the one that is feared or unrealistically desired, the pupil has another chance to adjust his picture of the world and grow on the basis of this new experience.”[11] (p.36) Teachers should behave in a manner that is enthusiastic about whatever the pupil achieves, and show that they want the pupil to enjoy the lessons too. This can be achieved by giving pupils time in lessons and practice to do a song or activity of their own choice, to help the pupil do what they want to do with their instrument.
Help with Overcoming Fears Related To a Task
If the pupil is nervous about the tasks (both in Lesson and in Practice) that teachers give, then the teacher can use the methods below to change perceptions of what is actually at stake if the task goes wrong.
'Performing' in Lesson
Teachers should let pupils know that the classroom is a relaxed environment, where mistakes are made and will not be judged, and that the teacher is invested in improving the pupil’s skill and enjoyment of playing. This can be done by:
Changing Thoughts on Mistakes
Teachers can help pupil who is anxious about mistakes by letting them know that mistakes are both allowed, and are useful tools for identifying what needs improving. Westney (2003) writes “Honest mistakes are not only natural, they are immensely useful. Truthful and pure, full of specific information, they show us with immediate, elegant clarity where we are right now and what we need to do next.”[12] (p.62) A way to apply this philosophy is that pupils could see the teacher's own views of mistakes during the course of lessons. For example, being relaxed when they makes a mistake, or even asking pupils to deliberately make mistakes, to try playing badly, or create harsh sounds on the piano, for the sheer enjoyment of doing so.
Discussions about the Performance Mindset
Talking to pupils about the effect of thoughts on performance (especially negative ones) can help them understand, performing and help them succeed in it. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an idea that can be discussed with pupils, in which thoughts they have when anxious are put into the context of them feeling anxiety. 'The Bulletproof Musician's Kageyama (date not given) writes 'For instance, there’s a big difference between saying “I’m anxious” and “I’m feeling anxious”. Between thinking “I’m a loser” and “I’m having the thought that I’m a loser”.'[13] Framing unhelpful thoughts in this way makes them more accurate, and also help calm students down, and feel a better sense of perspective. A practical way this could be used, is teachers could discuss it with students, and afterwards try out two performances of the same piece; one with negative thoughts, and the other using ACT methods, and the results can be compared by the students on how they thought both sounded, felt, and how much they enjoyed each performance.
Anxiety about Practice
If pupils are anxious about how to practice, (usually shown by them not doing it), then teachers need to know how to convey to them effective practice strategies, that are fun and improvement is noticeable.
Teaching Effective Practice Strategies
Time in lessons should be spent discussing and experimenting with various methods of practice. It should never be assumed that pupils “know how to practice”, as this can lead to anxiety if they make little improvement. A way of reducing pupil anxiety is to show them goal setting practice, which has been shown to make each practice sessions goals clear, and work faster than other methods. In a study by P.Miksa (2013), two groups, one doing ‘instruction-given’ practice strategies ‘slowing, repetition, whole-part-whole and chaining’, and the other ‘self-regulated’ doing ‘concentration, goal-selection, planning, self-evaluation, rest/reflective activity’ were compared in effectiveness of results in 5 days. The results showed ‘Those who received the self-regulation instruction made significantly greater gains in performance achievement on day 5.... and chose nuanced (dynamics, articulation, interpretation, etc.) as opposed to basic (e.g. notes, rhythms) musical objectives in their practice sessions with significantly greater frequency.’[14] This could be applied in lessons by showing pupils the research, then getting them to set their own goals when they practice, and seeing the results in the following lesson. This method allows pupils to decide what they do for practice, and thus reduces their anxiety about "doing it right".
Teaching Concepts/Ingredients
This is a method of teaching that separates all of the musical concepts or ‘ingredients’ of a piece (e.g. time signature, or articulation markings) that students are learning, and covers each individually, making tasks (such as clapping games or singing) musical, simple, and applicable to material they will come across later. Harris (2006) ‘Begin each piece with ingredient work first and open the music later. By teaching in this way you are virtually removing all that potential for anxiety.’[15] (p.17) There are endless ways teachers could implement this. For example, teaching 3/4 time in a waltz by clapping and dancing to waltzes in lessons would help the pupil 'feel' the pulse, and put a historical context to the music.
Conclusion
Once teachers know about learning anxiety, they will know that is vital to spot pupils with it, and help them out as it hinders learning, and makes lessons horrible and discouraging experiences, where learning happens intolerably slowly.
A small amount of anxiety about the outcome of learning and playing is required for pupils to be motivated to improve, however elaborating on this topic would be outside of the scope of this essay.
Once teachers know that learning anxiety is hidden, they can look for the physiological, language and behavioural, signs, try to understand the cause, and then try to help pupils feel more comfortable in lessons. Once knowledge about learning anxiety is gained, lessons can become more relaxed, and teachers can create an enjoyable learning environment, that pupils will be eager to return too.
Word count: 3,296
References
All references are from books apart from where noted with **
[1]Mackworth-Young, L. (2000) Tuning In Practical Psychology for Musicians. The Houghton Centre: MMM Publications ISBN 0-9539485-0-1
[2] Green, B. Gallwey,W.T. (1986) The Inner Game Of Music. Chatham: Makays IBSN- 0-33017-2
[3] Mackworth-Young, L. (2000) Tuning In Practical Psychology for Musicians. The Houghton Centre: MMM Publications ISBN 0-9539485-0-1
[4] Mackworth-Young, L. (2000) Tuning In Practical Psychology for Musicians. The Houghton Centre: MMM Publications ISBN 0-9539485-0-1
[5] Mackworth-Young, L. (2000) Tuning In Practical Psychology for Musicians. The Houghton Centre: MMM Publications ISBN 0-9539485-0-1
[6] Salzberger-Wittenberg, I., Williams, G. Osborne, E. (1983) The Emotional Experience of Learning and Teaching, London: Routeledge IBSN0-415-05900-3
[7] Salzberger-Wittenberg, I., Williams, G. Osborne, E. (1983) The Emotional Experience of Learning and Teaching, London: Routeledge IBSN0-415-05900-3
[8] Holt, J. (1967) How Children Learn. St. Ives:Clays Ltd. ISBN 0-14-013600-2
[9] Westney, W. (2003), The Perfect Wrong Note, Newark: Amadeus Press IBSN- 1-57467-145-6
[10]Mackworth-Young, L. (2000) Tuning In Practical Psychology for Musicians. The Houghton Centre: MMM Publications ISBN 0-9539485-0-1
[11] Salzberger-Wittenberg, I., Williams, G. Osborne, E. (1983) The Emotional Experience of Learning and Teaching, London: Routeledge IBSN0-415-05900-3
[12] Westney, W. (2003), The Perfect Wrong Note, Newark: Amadeus Press IBSN- 1-57467-145-6
[13] **Kageyama, N. (no date given) The Bullet Proof Musician (website)
[14] ** Miksza, P. (2013) Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Study: The effect of self-regulation instruction on the performance achievement, musical self-efficacy, and practicing of advanced wind players
Article: http://pom.sagepub.com/content/43/2/219.abstract
[15] Harris, P. (2006) Improve your teaching. Bloomsbury House: Faber Music Ltd, ISBN 0-571-52534-2
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