Analysis of Mathematics Anxiety and its Effects on Mathematics Achievements in Male and Female Students Studying at 10 Grade

Abstract

The focus of this study was on the analysis of mathematics anxiety in male and female students studying mathematics at secondary level in Pakistan and its effects on their achievements. It was correlational study and the researcher applied quantitative method to collect the data. bStudents studying at grade 10 were the population of the study. Random sampling technique was applied to select the participants. Mathematics anxiety scale developed by Bai, Wang, Pan, & Frey (2009) was applied to analyse mathematical anxiety after its translation, modification and validation. The effects of mathematics anxiety on the performance of students were determined applying correlation. The major conclusions of the study are that the level of mathematics anxiety is higher in female as compared to male students. It is also concluded that the achievement level of female students in mathematics is lower than male students because of psychological, educational and societal factors that raise the level of mathematical anxiety. It is recommended that learning in classroom in the subject of mathematics needs to be relevant with the problems of life so that students in general and female students in particular gain interest in the study of this subject. Special attention needs to be given to high anxiety victims to raise their confidence. Parents are recommended that they may work to root out stereotyped, illogical perceptions about math as male dominated subject that is out of the reach of female students.