Dr. Claudia Vargas Díaz from our University's Faculty of Science proudly participated in the 9th ICMI-East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education, which took place in South Korea from July 18-22, 2025.
The international forum was organized by renowned researchers from the Korean Society of Mathematics Education (KSME) and the Korean Society of Educational Studies in Mathematics (KSESM). Its central theme was the essence of mathematics education in the era of digital transformation.
"My research addresses mathematical anxiety at a technical-professional high school in the Maule Region. This is a type of stress and concern that students feel due to difficulties in learning the subject. This work is supported by the Directorate of Scientific and Technological Research (Dicyt-Usach), the Museum-School Network Creation project, and the invitation of Dr. Wee Tiong Seah," said Dr. Vargas.
The research seeks to identify the causes of mathematical anxiety in order to adopt intervention measures in the school system. This is based on the confirmation that this anxiety is a critical factor in academic performance, comparable to socioeconomic status, but with the crucial difference that it can be addressed.
“This is important to address for two reasons. Not only does Chile have one of the highest levels of math anxiety, but it also impacts the professional future of young people, who often choose to avoid careers in this crucial discipline,” said the academic.
The research, which identifies mathematical anxiety as a feeling of fear and tension that affects student performance, was met with very positive international feedback. These results help deepen our understanding of mathematical self-efficacy through more qualitative studies and, in turn, guide new experiences within the Museum-School Network project to combat this anxiety.
“One of the most positive outcomes of the South Korea trip is the lasting connections. We remain in contact this week with my colleagues from Brazil, GPIMEM, and with several Asian research groups from the PME. These links are greatly strengthening international research collaboration for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and for the University of Santiago de Chile,” she concluded.