Abstract
The study aimed to describe the lived experiences of first-year students in a local college regarding their anxiety about learning mathematics. This study engaged a mixed-method design, utilizing a parallel convergent approach. The participants of the study were the first-year students across all programs. There were 258 students who were randomly selected for quantitative and 14 for the qualitative, 14 for in-depth interview which were purposively selected. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that the level of mathematics anxiety is high. The results from the quantitative and qualitative converged when they were being corroborated. The results confirm the Cognitive Appraisal Theory, which posits that individuals' interpretations of events significantly influence their emotional responses. This suggests that helping students reframe their perceptions of mathematical tasks and challenges, as well as providing supportive learning environments, may help alleviate students' mathematics anxiety and improve their understanding and performance in the course subject.
