Anxiety about Mathematics among Economics Students in Mexico

Elena Moreno-García,Milka Elena Escalera-Chávez,Arturo García-Santillán,Némesis Larracilla Salazar

doi:10.3390/math7050409

Elena Moreno-García, Milka Elena Escalera-Chávez + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/math7050409

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Abstract

Anxiety about mathematics is a phenomenon that occurs regardless of age, gender, or area of professional study. This research provides an overview of this phenomenon in Mexico, as experienced by undergraduate students in economics, a science that requires significant use of mathematics. The study is cross-sectional and not experimental and makes use of the ANOVA technique. The results obtained from the application of the Abbreviated Version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (AMARS) to 381 students nationwide provide evidence of the existence of this phenomenon in more than 50% of the sample and indicate differences in terms of gender, region of origin, and type of university.

Highlights

Mathematics is a science that studies abstraction and its logical relations; its use has been fundamental to human beings given the knowledge it entails and how it provides solutions to everyday problems
Since the goal of this research is to ascertain the differences between the factors that generate anxiety towards mathematics in economics students according to gender, region, and type of university, an analysis of variance of a factor (ANOVA) was carried out to contrast the independent population means so that the existence of differences or equalities is known when comparing the groups that integrate a quantitative variable
This research corroborates the existence of significant differences between the factors that explain anxiety about mathematics in economics students in Mexico depending on the region of origin

Summary

Introduction

Mathematics is a science that studies abstraction and its logical relations; its use has been fundamental to human beings given the knowledge it entails and how it provides solutions to everyday problems. The understanding of mathematical concepts gives access to higher levels of knowledge [1], which makes this science an interesting one to study due to the feelings generated in the students when interacting with it. In 2015, it was observed that more than 50% of Mexican students did not have the basic skills required to apply mathematical knowledge in everyday life [2]. People who develop a fear of mathematics can be severely affected throughout their lives because they lose confidence in their academic abilities and seek to avoid topics and courses related to it [4]

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