High Levels Of Mathematics Anxiety Research Articles

Math Anxiety and Poor Math Competence: A Longitudinal Investigation of Students Failing to Achieve the Math Skills Required by School Curricula

ABSTRACT Mathematics anxiety (MA) has emerged as a significant concern in recent years, recognized for its potential to interfere with learning processes. Our study delved into exploring the relationship between the presence and level of MA and the ability to acquire math skills required by the school curriculum. For this purpose, secondary school students were monitored during their first year of study. A questionnaire designed to assess MA and a math skills assessment test were administered on two separate occasions: initially at the end of the first term and subsequently at the conclusion of the second term. The results of the end-of-year tests indicated that students with high levels of MA, assessed at the beginning of the school year, showed a significantly greater risk of failing to achieve the required competence. These findings seem to support the notion that a high level of MA can significantly contribute to hindering the acquisition of educational outcomes.

A STUDY OF ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS IN RELATION TO MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND MATHEMATICS ANXIETY OF 8TH GRADE STUDENTS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

This study examines the relationship between Achievement in Mathematics, Medium of Instruction and Mathematics Anxiety among 8th-grade students in District, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. The primary objective is to explore how Mathematics Anxiety and Medium of Instruction, especially English and Hindi, impact Achievement in Mathematics. A sample of 162, 8th-grade students from various schools in Himachal Pradesh was selected. Data were collected using standardized mathematics achievement tests and a validated Mathematics Anxiety questionnaire. Contrary to common expectations, the findings reveal that students with higher levels of Mathematics Anxiety achieved higher scores. Furthermore, students taught in English medium outperformed their Hindi medium counterparts. These results suggest that while Mathematics Anxiety is generally perceived as detrimental, it may also drive certain students to achieve better results. Additionally, the Medium of Instruction plays a crucial role in shaping mathematics achievements, with English medium instruction providing a notable advantage in Achievement in Mathematics. The study concludes that educational strategies should consider both the Medium of Instruction and the complex role of Mathematics Anxiety in learning to enhance student Achievement in Mathematics.

Mathematics self-concept and response pattern in higher education examinations: differences between genders

The study examined how mathematics self-concept, mathematics anxiety and endorsement of mathematics gender stereotypes may impact female students’ response pattern in multiple-choice examinations in courses with mathematical content. Questionnaires measuring these three variables were completed by 435 undergraduates (327 enrolled in a non-mathematical course and 108 in a course with mathematical content). Achievement was measured via multiple-choice examinations, thus allowing us to analyse students’ response patterns (i.e. not only their mark but also the number of hits, errors and unanswered questions). In females, a poorer mathematics self-concept and higher levels of mathematics anxiety (compared with male classmates) did not impact negatively on their final mark in the course with mathematical content. However, the response pattern in this course differed according to gender and mathematics self-concept: a poorer mathematics self-concept was associated with a higher number of unanswered questions in women and a tendency toward a greater number of errors in men. This suggests that a poorer mathematics self-concept leads women to be more cautious during multiple-choice examinations so as to minimise mistakes, whereas in males it tends to be associated with a risk-taking response strategy. These results raise further concerns about the use of multiple-choice examinations, particularly for assessing mathematical knowledge in students with low mathematics self-concept.

Engaging non-mathematics students in mathematics learning through collaborative teaching

Abstract Mathematics is a common component of many science and social science degrees, but frequently not considered a prerequisite for their study. This can lead to some students studying mathematics components at undergraduate level with little or no previous mathematical learning and varying levels of motivation, or desire, to study mathematics. This situation has consequences for student experience and teaching practice, including the potential for lower levels of student engagement, higher levels of student anxiety and lack of student motivation for studying a subject that is not what they chose as their degree subject. This paper details an intervention designed to address issues experienced in the teaching of mathematics to undergraduate students, with varying motivation for the study of mathematics and high levels of mathematics anxiety, in their first year of study in a department of Earth Sciences at a UK university. The intervention provided a bespoke mathematics module, designed and taught collaboratively by a teaching specialist in mathematics and a subject specialist in Earth Sciences. The mathematics specialist was able to provide extensive experience in teaching students from widening participation backgrounds and those with mathematics anxiety, making the content more accessible to the students, particularly those with mathematics anxiety. The Earth Sciences specialist was able to contextualize the mathematics content, showing students how the content was applicable to the rest of the degree and helping locate the mathematical content within the broader scope of the discipline. Previous approaches to this module were taught either solely by an Earth Sciences specialist or solely by a mathematics specialist. Compared with those approaches the collaborative teaching intervention improved student attainment by 10% in the average module mark and moved the module from having the lowest student satisfaction scores in the department to the highest. This innovation also benefited both teachers with respect to professional development, which is discussed in the paper.

Investigating mathematics anxiety among mature students in service mathematics courses using the mathematics anxiety scale U.K.

The decision to undertake undergraduate studies as a mature student poses challenges, especially when service mathematics is part of the programme of study, giving rise to mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety comprises negative feelings pertaining to a person’s engagement with mathematics. While much research into mathematics anxiety concentrates on students in second-level and higher education, there has been a paucity of research focusing on mature students learning service mathematics, and particularly in an Irish context. The drive to widen access to undergraduate education means that more and more mature students engage with programmes with obligatory service mathematics courses. The current study employs a quantitative approach to investigate mathematics anxiety among mature students learning service mathematics in Ireland. A survey was administered comprising biographical questions and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale U.K. (MAS-U.K.). The findings demonstrate that mathematics anxiety exists among this cohort, with situations of mathematics evaluation resulting in higher levels of mathematics anxiety. The findings also critique the MAS-U.K. as a method of investigating mathematics anxiety among mature students, and present suggestions for effectively using the scale in future studies.

An Invitation into the Investigation of the Relationship between Mathematics Anxiety and Learning Styles in Elementary Preservice Teachers

Two hundred sixty-four students from a large southeastern U.S. university participated inthis study which investigated the relationship between mathematics anxiety and learningstyles in elementary preservice teachers. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS)and Style Analysis Survey (SAS) were administered. Scores were analyzed using Pearsonproduct-moment correlations. Results showed a relationship between mathematics anxietyand global learning style (r = 0.42) indicating a tendency for global learners (wholepicture learners) to have higher levels of mathematics anxiety.

An Investigation of Mathematics Anxiety and Academic Coping Strategies Among High School Students in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Increasing numbers of students around the world are suffering from mathematics anxiety. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between mathematics anxiety and gender, grade, career choices, and academic achievement in Grade 10, 11, and 12 students. This study used the Revised Version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale to survey 1,548 high school students (570 males and 978 females) from high schools in Vietnam. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze data. The results show that there are significant differences in the influence of grade, academic achievement, and students’ career choices on mathematics anxiety. Academic coping strategies, gender, grade, and career choices are significant predictors of mathematics anxiety. Grade 12 students have higher levels of mathematics anxiety than others. Students with high average mathematics scores (9.0–10.0) have higher levels of mathematics anxiety than students with lower scores. Besides, students choosing finance and economics or industrial engineering to pursue into higher education also experienced higher levels of mathematics anxiety than others. This study contributes to the general discussion about the nature of mathematics anxiety and the relationship between mathematics anxiety and academic achievement.

The impact of mathematics anxiety on stress appraisals, neuroendocrine responses, and academic performance in a community college sample.

Mathematics anxiety is a major impediment to achievement in mathematics and science academic domains. Although important steps have been made in understanding the psychological processes of mathematics anxiety, as well as developing promising interventions, less is known about the relationship among mathematics anxiety, affective and biological responses, and achievement in stressful performance contexts. Toward this end, the research presented here recruited community college students (N = 478) from 30 mathematics classrooms, and examined associations among mathematics anxiety, stress appraisals, neuroendocrine reactivity (cortisol and testosterone), and exam scores. Higher levels of mathematics anxiety associated with students perceiving more demand and fewer coping resources in exam settings, lower levels of testosterone on exam days relative to baseline, and worse exam performance. Moreover, associations among mathematics anxiety, and neuroendocrine reactivity and performance were partially mediated by stress appraisals. Implications for student achievement, wellbeing, and intervention development are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Addressing Mathematics Anxiety through Developing Resilience: Building on Self-Determination Theory

Mathematics-specific anxiety is anxiety that impedes mathematical thinking and progress, and creates distress for many learners, or at the least a tendency to avoid mathematical thinking. Such anxiety is prevalent. The importance of mathematics to economic recovery is well-established; in order to meet the need for mathematics, the high levels of mathematics anxiety that stand in the way of individual mathematical progress should be addressed. Using a case study involving an adult learner, we use self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017) to explain why mathematical resilience (Lee and Johnston-Wilder, 2017) is a concept which can work against anxiety and for a positive stance towards mathematics. Work on mathematical resilience demonstrates that well-informed, subject-specific interventions can help people manage emotions, including anxiety, and improve progress and uptake in mathematics. We illustrate ways in which the focus of self-determination theory on meeting basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness), to enhance wellbeing and prevent harm, provides grounding for much good practice in mathematics education and specifically for work in mathematical resilience. The tools of mathematical resilience go beyond what is currently proposed in SDT research. We illustrate ways in which these tools can specifically facilitate learners’ emotion regulation, which we propose is integral to mathematical learning competence, leading to greater mathematical wellbeing, learning, and release from mathematics anxiety.

Time, Time, Time: Perceptions of the Causes of Mathematics Anxiety in Highly Maths Anxious Female Adult Learners

Adult learners and female students report higher levels of mathematics anxiety than their peers, suggesting that female adult learners may be particularly vulnerable. This study used Bandura’s triarchic reciprocal causality model as a foundation and interviewed five highly mathematics anxious female adult learners to understand their perceptions of the causes of their mathematics anxiety. Thematic interpretation revealed five themes from the interviews; time since last educational experience emerged as the strongest theme, with other personal and environmental factors also emerging. The findings support a social cognitive perspective of mathematics anxiety. Suggestions for pedagogical techniques with adult learners are included.

Learning environment and anxiety for learning and teaching mathematics among preservice teachers

The learning environment has been found to be related to mathematics anxiety at a variety of educational levels, including higher education, but to date has not been investigated in relation to preservice teachers. It has been previously found that preservice teachers often harbour high levels of mathematics anxiety, and that mathematics-anxious teachers devote less time to the subject area, teach in less effective ways, and can even transmit anxiety to their students. Mathematics teaching anxiety is a construct separate from mathematics anxiety, and the relationship between the two has shown very mixed results. To date, the relationship between the learning environment and mathematics teaching anxiety has not been examined. This cross-sectional study in the UAE examined the relationship between 157 preservice teachers’ perceptions of their mathematics learning environments in a teacher education programme and reports of their mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. The learning environment was predominantly negatively related to mathematics anxiety across a number of scales, but predominantly positively related to mathematics teaching anxiety, indicating that the learning environment is of utmost importance in teacher education and must be carefully attended to.

Elementary teachers’ mathematical beliefs and mathematics anxiety: How do they shape instructional practices?

AbstractThis quantitative study investigated the relationships among practicing elementary teachers’ (N = 153) beliefs about mathematics and its teaching and learning, mathematics anxiety, and instructional practices in mathematics. When viewed singly, the findings reveal the teachers with higher levels of mathematics anxiety tend to use less standards‐based instruction and those with beliefs oriented toward a problem‐solving view of mathematics reported more standards‐based teaching. A combined analysis shows that after controlling for mathematical beliefs, teaching longevity, and educational degree attainment, there is no relationship between teachers’ mathematics anxiety and instructional practices. These findings suggest a spurious relationship between anxiety and practices, with beliefs having the strongest relationship with practices. Several suggestions for positively influencing the mathematical beliefs and affect in general of elementary teachers while learning mathematics are offered.

Mathematics Anxiety in Secondary School Female Students: Issues, Influences and Implications

Mathematics anxiety is a global phenomenon that has generated research interest over the past four decades. Many researchers have suggested that girls display higher levels of mathematics anxiety than boys. This article explores that conjecture in the New Zealand context. It reports on the prevalence of mathematics anxiety in adolescents and investigates the factors that influence students’ mathematics anxiety in mathematics classrooms. Participants in the study were Year 9 students (N = 415) from seven secondary schools in New Zealand. Students were asked to indicate their levels of mathematics test anxiety and mathematics learning anxiety. Statistical analyses confirmed that girls report higher levels of mathematics anxiety than boys. Findings revealed that girls’ mathematics anxiety increased with school decile, and was higher in single-sex girls-only schools. Mathematics test anxiety was a major contributor to levels of mathematics anxiety. The article offers a number of strategies that schools might put in place aimed at reducing mathematics anxiety.

UNDERSTANDING MATHS ANXIETY IN PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS THROUGH A QUALITY OF LIFE FRAMEWORK

This article analyzes pre-service primary teachers’ written reflections using the Quality of Life conceptual framework, with its three domains of being, belonging, and becoming, as a lens to elucidate the concepts of identity and projective identity. Data collected via Critical Incident Technique were used to investigate the antecedents of mathematics anxiety as perceived and identified by pre-service teachers. When not addressed, high levels of mathematics anxiety in primary pre-service teachers’ affect their future teaching of mathematics and the achievement of their students. The results show that using the framework contributes to an understanding of primary pre-service teachers’ mathematics anxiety and its implications for their identity development. The article concludes with recommendations and practical implications.

Cognitive and Emotional Math Problems Largely Dissociate: Prevalence of Developmental Dyscalculia and Mathematics Anxiety

A negative correlation between math anxiety and mathematics performance is frequently reported. Thus, some may assume that high levels of mathematics anxiety are associated with poor mathematical understanding. However, no previous research has clearly measured the association between mathematics anxiety and mathematical learning disability. To fill this gap, here we investigated the comorbidity of developmental dyscalculia (a selective, serious deficit in mathematical performance) and mathematics anxiety in a sample of 1,757 primary school (8- to 9-year-old) and secondary school (12- to 13-year-old) children. We found that children with developmental dyscalculia were twice as likely to have high mathematics anxiety as were children with typical mathematics performance. More girls had comorbid mathematics anxiety and developmental dyscalculia than did boys. However, 77% of children with high mathematics anxiety had typical or high mathematics performance. Our findings suggest that cognitive and emotional mathematics problems largely dissociate and call into question the assumption that high mathematics anxiety is exclusively linked to poor mathematics performance. Different intervention methods need to be developed to prevent and treat emotional and cognitive blocks of mathematical development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

IntroductionIndividuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance.MethodWe measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8–9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11–13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students’ anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance.ResultsAnxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety.ConclusionsThere may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one’s anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

International note: Are Emirati parents' attitudes toward mathematics linked to their adolescent children's attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement?

Drawing on data from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and employing multilevel modeling as an analytic strategy, this study examined the relations of adolescent children's perceptions of their parents' attitudes towards mathematics to their own attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics achievement among a sample of 5116 adolescents from 384 schools in the United Arab Emirates. The results of this cross-sectional study revealed that adolescents who perceived that their parents liked mathematics and considered mathematics was important for their children not only to study but also for their career tended to report higher levels of intrinsic and instrumental motivation to learn mathematics, mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy, and mathematics work ethic. Moreover, adolescents who perceived that their parents liked mathematics and considered mathematics was important for their children's career tended to report positive intentions and behaviors toward mathematics. However, adolescents who perceived that their parents considered mathematics was important for their children's career tended to report higher levels of mathematics anxiety. Finally, adolescents who perceived that their parents considered mathematics was important for their children to study performed significantly better on the mathematics assessment than did their peers whose parents disregarded the importance of learning mathematics.

Math anxiety—contributing school and individual level factors

PISA 2003 survey data indicate high levels of mathematics anxiety among students in Serbia. More than a half of Serbian students are concerned with whether they will have difficulties in a mathematics class or earn poor marks. At the same time, the achievement on the mathematical literacy scale is very poor. Building on control-value theory, the analysis in this paper focuses on exploring possible correlates of math anxiety, separating the school level factors from individual level factors (HLM), and differences between different groups of students in respect to their relationship towards mathematics (hierarchical cluster analysis). Data suggest high levels of anxiety within the Serbian student body to be a rather systemic problem not contributed to a particular school. Approximately 6 % of the total variance in math anxiety is explained by the between schools differences, while 94 % of differences accounts for the within the school variance. The achievement and interest in mathematics, high mathematics self-concept, and school and classroom atmosphere are associated with a lower level of math anxiety. The only school level factor that has a minor, but significant effect is the index of economic, social, and cultural status. Based on students’ attitudes towards mathematics, they can be divided into three clusters. Dimensions that distinguish the clusters are interest in mathematics and presence of math anxiety. The group displaying anxiety, scores the lowest among the three in math achievement.

Feeling Good about Teaching Mathematics: Addressing Anxiety amongst Pre-Service Teachers

Research regarding pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards teaching mathematics has revealed that many pre-service teachers experience high levels of mathematics anxiety about both the learning of mathematics and the teaching of the mathematics curriculum. Little is known about the particular characteristics of pre-service teachers that make them more likely to experience anxiety about mathematics in the early years. Addressing anxiety towards mathematics and the teaching of mathematics could effectively eliminate later problems in teaching. Teaching mathematics confidently is associated with teachers’ beliefs about their mathematical ability, which is their mathematical self-efficacy. This paper reports on an investigation into the anxiety of first- year pre-service teachers towards their future teaching of mathematics. 223 students enrolled in a first-year mathematics unit for birth to eight years, in the Bachelor of Education of Early Childhood and Primary Education Courses attributed their beliefs about mathematics to external—their past teachers—or internal factors: that one is either good at mathematics or not. The findings highlight the need for pre-service teacher’s anxiety about mathematics to be addressed within the university education classroom context so that pre-service teachers become capable and competent teachers of mathematics.

Exploring Mathematics Anxiety: Mathematics Students’ Experiences

The purpose of this research was to explore students’ mathematics anxiety levels at a selected tertiary institution in South Africa. Mathematics achievement is a top priority in the world over. South Africa lags behind in mathematics education and must do everything to develop effective strategies for the instruction of mathematics. The research examined the differences in mathematics anxiety levels according to gender, age and home language. This study examined responses to a questionnaire administered to students, utilizing a quantitative research. Data on perceived notions of students’ mathematical experiences was collected. The study involved 120 respondents (84 male and 36 female) randomly selected. The instrument used to measure mathematics anxiety levels was adopted from Jerran’s Maths Centre (2012). The data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0. Hypotheses were formulated to test the information that was generated. A t-test for the difference between means of the anxiety levels of males and females, Chi–square tests for association and ANOVA for testing differences among language backgrounds and anxiety levels were used as statistical analyses to measure responses. The findings of the study indicated that there are high mathematics anxiety levels among the respondents. The results also show high levels of mathematics anxiety among female students. The t-test showed that the mean difference between mathematics anxiety and gender is significant. Based on the findings of this study, it is worth noting that mathematics anxiety is one psychological factor that affects students’ achievement and their general practices. Therefore, facilitators/teachers should strive to understand mathematics anxiety and implement teaching and learning strategies and study habits that can help them overcome anxiety. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p283