Mathematics Self-concept Research Articles

Mathematics as a gendered subject: a deeper insight into students’ attitudes in Irish post-primary schools

This study examines gender differences in students’ attitudes to mathematics in Irish post-primary schools. Large-scale international assessments have shown the achievement gap between boys and girls to be narrowing in recent years, particularly in lower post-primary education. However, women and girls remain significantly under-represented in advanced level mathematics courses and STEM careers. The current research aims to contextualise this state of inequity, providing a deeper understanding of gendered attitudes to mathematics in Ireland today. To this end, Irish data from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study is further analysed, focusing specifically on the student background questionnaire. Various aspects of students’ attitudes to mathematics are investigated, including their interest in mathematics, views on mathematics class, confidence and mathematical self-concept, and perceived importance of mathematics as a subject. The findings show consistent and significant attitudinal gender differences. These differences were generally strongest regarding confidence and self-concept, and attitudes to mathematical problem-solving. Differences regarding attitudes to mathematics lessons were small to negligible.

Evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on math self-concept and math anxiety of elementary school students

This study investigated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on math anxiety and math self-concept in elementary school students using an experimental design. For this study, we selected 30 students with high mathematics anxiety and low mathematics self-concept from a larger sample of 142 elementary school students in Arak City, Iran. We randomly assigned participants to either the control or treatment group. The treatment group took part in a 12-session program based on a cognitive-behavioral approach. Math Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) and PALMA math self-concept were used to measure math anxiety and mathematics self-concept. The finding shows that participants in the treatment group reported statistically lower mathematics anxiety and higher mathematics self-concept after participating in group sessions based on CBT intervention.

Student and Teacher Characteristics on Student Math Achievement

Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study implements two statistical analyses to investigate the effects of student and teacher characteristics on students’ mathematical achievement. First, the authors conduct an exploratory factor analysis to explore the factor structure for the various student and teacher variables of interest in this study. Second, they perform hierarchical linear modeling to analyze students’ and teachers’ multilevel structure in a school. The results suggest that student characteristics such as mathematics interest, instrument motivation, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, mathematics self-concept, and out-of-school study time predicted 39.9% of mathematical achievement variance. The results also suggest that mathematics self-efficacy had the largest effect on mathematical achievement. Teacher characteristics such as teacher-directed instruction, cognitive activation, teacher support, classroom management, and student–teacher relations predicted 34.9% of mathematical achievement variance. This study’s results have implications for educators in fostering a positive learning environment to increase students’ mathematics interest and self-efficacy, and focus on specific teacher characteristics to increase students’ mathematical achievement.

Modeling the Effects of Instructional Quality on Mathematical Literacy Performance from the Students’ Perspective: PISA 2012 Turkey Sample

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of students’ perceptions of instructional quality in mathematics lessons on the PISA 2012 mathematical literacy performance as well as the mediating role of self-concept and interest in mathematics in this effect by using the PISA 2012 data for Turkey. The sample of this research in the descriptive-relational survey model included all of the students in Turkey sample of 4848 students. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Based on the theoretical framework of the triarchic model conceptualizing the instructional quality, the independent variables discussed in the research were defined as cognitive activation, classroom management, student orientation, and teacher support, while non-cognitive variables such as mathematics self-concept and mathematics interest were defined as mediating independent variables. Mathematical literacy performance obtained from PISA 2012 mathematics test was used as the dependent variable of this study. The findings of the study revealed that while student orientation was the variable that best explained mathematical literacy performance in terms of a net total effect (albeit negative), the variable that positively explained it the most was cognitive activation. It was also found that classroom management and teacher support were not significant explanatory variables for mathematical literacy performance in the model. On the other hand, similar to the direct effect of the perceptions of cognitive activation and classroom management on the mathematics self-concept, it was determined that the perceptions of teacher support had also a low direct effect on the perception of interest in mathematics. In terms of indirect effects on mathematical literacy performance, the study showed that the perceptions of cognitive activation and classroom management had a significant positive low effect. The results and limitations of the research were discussed and some suggestions were made for further research.

Mathematical self-concept among prospective teachers

Mathematical self-concept (MS-C) is an important construct that prospective mathematics teachers must have in mathematics learning. The aim of the research was to analyze the increase of MS-C of prospective mathematics teachers. The research was quasi-experimental with the design of one group pretest-posttest. The results showed that for prospective teachers, MS-C increased in the medium category while the MS-C indicators achieved in the medium and low categories. The increase of MS-C is due to the effectiveness of collaborative mind mapping (CMM) learning strategy and the process of strengthening MS-C capacity of prospective teachers. The CMM facilitates prospective teachers to construct creative ideas through structured collective ideas that support the increase of MS-C among prospective teacher.

Investigation of Mathematics-Specific Trend Variables in PISA Studies with Neural Networks and Linear Regression

This study aimed to examine the importance levels of mathematics-specific trend variables in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2003 and 2012 in predicting mathematics performance across years with a two-step analysis method. The sample of the study was 9703 Turkish students (N2003=4855 and N2012=4848) selected by clustered and systematic sampling methods. As data analysis methods, multilayer perceptron and radial basis functions techniques of artificial neural networks and multiple linear regression were used. In the two-step analysis, first, the least erroneous model was selected as the analysis method. Then, variable importance analysis was performed with this method. The results with the lowest relative errors were obtained by the multilayer perceptron when compared to radial basis functions. The results of neural network analysis had similar or lower error rates when compared to multiple linear regression. In both PISA cycles, significant predictors were mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics interest, student-teacher relations in school, attitudes towards the school, mathematics self-concept, mathematics instrumental motivation, and teacher support in mathematics classes, respectively. The results were discussed in the light of relevant literature.

Disentangling different sources of stability and change in students’ academic self-concepts: An integrative data analysis using the STARTS model.

Academic self-concept (ASC) is characterized by the dual nature of stability and change. That is, students strive for consistency in their self-concept but also receive achievement feedback that leads to changes in ASC. Only a few previous studies have scrutinized the stability of ASC. The STARTS model (Stable, AutoRegressive Trait, and State) disentangles three sources of variation that underlie individual differences in a construct across time: (a) a time-invariant stable component, (b) a time-varying, partly stable component, and (c) an occasion-specific state component. This study is the first to analyze the stability of ASC with the STARTS model. Rather than selecting a single data set, we followed the idea of using an integrative data analysis (IDA) and applied the STARTS model to 11 longitudinal studies that included more than 20,000 students. Our results show that there is a substantial proportion of stable trait variance in both mathematical (26%) and verbal self-concept (24%)—that is, some sources of individual differences in ASC are completely stable (e.g., genes, preschool environment). The largest part of the variation in ASC across time could be attributed to factors that systematically changed in an autoregressive way (e.g., achievement feedback). Mathematical self-concept showed higher stability than verbal self-concept as a result of a smaller proportion of occasion-specific state variance. The IDA also revealed substantial heterogeneity across studies. We argue that disentangling stable and temporally changing aspects of ASC is important not only for informing theory but also for assessing the potential of psychological interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Secondary School Leaving Examinations: The Impact of Expectancies, Values, and Dimensional Comparisons on Male and Female Students’ Science-Oriented Choices

In Germany, secondary school students have to choose at least one STEM subject (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics) for their Secondary School Leaving Examinations. In a representative sample of students in grade 13 in one federal state in Germany, we explore boys’ and girls' subject choices in an expectancy-value framework by considering students’ prior performance, ability self-concept, and values in the chosen subject. We extend previous research by including dimensional comparisons that students make between the varying subjects they have to choose from. We discriminate between two opposing groups. One group shows a science-avoidance choice pattern by selecting only one science subject: biology (n = 439). The other group shows a science-oriented choice pattern by selecting physics or chemistry or two STEM subjects of which one was at least physics or chemistry (n = 248). We measured achievement test scores, relative and absolute midterm grades, ability self-concepts as well as attainment and utility values in chosen and non-chosen subjects and calculated logistic regressions as well as multigroup models. Our results showed that science-oriented final exam choices depended highly on ability self-concept in mathematics for boys and girls and on the relative mathematics-English midterm grade for boys. When controlling for the other predictors, attainment and utility values seemed to be irrelevant for science-oriented final exam subject choice. Our findings raise the question whether boys and girls should be encouraged differently in order to stay in the STEM pipeline and how structural conditions may shape pathways into or out of this pipeline.

The Effect Contextual Teaching-Learning Approach on Improving Students’ Mathematical Reasoning Ability and Self Concept

The goal of this research is to examine the role of contextual teaching-learning  approach (CTLA) toward students’ mathematical reasoning ability (MRA) and self concept in mathematics (MSC). The research involves 66 eighth grade students, a MRA test, a MSC scale. Findings of this research were: students getting CTLA reached MRA at better grade than the grade of students who get SA learning, even if those grades were at low level. However, there was no difference grades on students’ MSC in both teaching approaches, and those grades were at fairly good level. Students in both teaching approaches encountered difficulties in solving MRA tasks such as on analogical reasoning about position of two lines, solving tangent equation on a curve problem, and writing down the formula involved in a calculation. Beside that, there was association between MRA and MSC, and students performed active learning during CTLA lessons.Keyword: contextual teaching-learning, mathematical reasoning, mathematcal self concept.

Transfer effects of mathematical literacy: an integrative longitudinal study

Mathematical literacy (ML) is considered central to the application of mathematical knowledge in everyday life and thus is found in many comparative international educational standards. However, there exists barely any evidence about predictors and outcomes of ML having a lasting effect on achievement in nonmathematical domains. We drew on a large longitudinal sample of N = 4001 secondary school students in Grades 5 to 9 and tested for effects of ML on later academic achievement. We took prior achievement in different domains (information and communication technology literacy, scientific literacy, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension), socioeconomic status, and gender into account and investigated predictive effects of math grade, mathematical self-concept, reasoning, and prior achievement on ML. Using structural equation models, we found support for the importance of integrating multiple predictors and revealed a transfer effect of ML on achievement in different school domains. The findings highlight the importance of ML for school curricula and lasting educational decisions.

Fuzzy Regression in Predicting Math Achievement, Based on Philosophic-Mindedness, Creativity, Mathematics Self-efficacy, and Mathematics Self-concept

ABSTRACT The present study proposes a flexible/soft model for investigating the role of philosophic-mindedness, creativity, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics self-concept in predicting math achievement. To do this end, a fuzzy regression model is developed. Two common criteria are used to evaluate the obtained model. Moreover, the predictability of the model is explained. The case study involves 28 male students from Marand, Iran (year 2015–2016) who took part in a test of mathematics achievement. The participants were junior high-school students in science field of study who were asked to answer four questionnaires pertaining to philosophic-mindedness, creativity, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics self-concept. The analysis of the results through fuzzy regression revealed that philosophical-mindedness is not linked to participants' math achievement, while the variables of creativity, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics self-concept are positively correlated. The results of this study provide suggestions to any educational system in planning for students' math achievement growth. The proposed methodology is general, so that it can be employed in other educational levels and fields of study.

Attitudes towards mathematics in secondary school students. Personal and family factors (Las actitudes hacia las matemáticas del alumnado de secundaria. Factores personales y familiares)

ABSTRACT The importance of the affective domain in maths learning has been analysed since the 1980s. Among the explanatory variables of this domain, this study focuses on attitude towards mathematics and its relationship with important personal and family variables. Specifically, it analyses relationships with the family environment, family communication, self-concept and resilience in a sample of 203 students in all four years of secondary education in a school located in a disadvantaged area. The main results show that attitude towards mathematics decreases from the first to the third year and goes up again in the fourth year. A better overall academic self-concept or mathematical self-concept is related to a more positive attitude towards mathematics. In the family, mothers exert a greater influence on this attitude than fathers. Finally, males have a more positive attitude towards mathematics, and in particular a higher mathematical self-concept, than females. The educational implications of the results are discussed, stressing the need to consider the affective domain in order to make educational interventions effective.

Gender Differences in Mathematics Self-concept Across the World: an Exploration of Student and Parent Data of TIMSS 2015

Using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 assessment of fourth-grade students in 32 countries, a series of mean comparisons and regression analyses were conducted to determine (1) the gender gap in students’ self-concept in mathematics; (2) to what extent student achievement, student gender, and parental characteristics (early numeracy activities, attitudes, expectations, and education) are related to students’ self-concept; and (3) to what extent the effect of achievement and parental characteristics on mathematics self-concept differs between male and female students. Results from this study indicate that gender differences in students’ self-concept in mathematics are significant in most countries, usually in favour of boys as early as in fourth grade. The differences largely remain the same when the data analysis controls for effects of student achievement and parental involvement.

Problem-solving ability using mathematical modeling strategy on model eliciting activities based on mathematics self-concept

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of problem-solving skills using mathematical modeling strategy on MEAs and to describe problem-solving skills based on the mathematics self-concept. This research uses a quantitative method followed by descriptive with research variables are problem-solving ability and mathematics self-concept. Data collection techniques used in this study are documentation, tests, questionnaires, and interviews, then processed with a classical completeness test, t-test, proportion test, and linear regression test. We find that the ability of problem-solving with mathematical modeling strategy on Model Eliciting Activities achieved completeness. The ability to solve problems with mathematical modeling strategies on Model Eliciting Activities is better than conventional learning models. Student’s mathematics self-concept has a positive effect on problem-solving ability by 31.2%. There are two subjects with high mathematics self-concept categories have high and low problem-solving skills, and two subjects with medium and low mathematics self-concept groups have medium and low problem-solving skills.

Mathematical Connection Ability of Grade 8th Students’ in terms of Self-Concept in Problem Based Learning

MMathematical connections ability is a demand in mathematics education to develop mathematical ideas and problem-solving in one another. This study aims to find mathematical connection ability patterns in terms of self-concept. The research method used is mixed methods with concurrent embedded design, quantitative research analysis using true experimental design, while qualitative research analysis uses the Miles and Huberman model. The population in this study was eighth-grade students of SMP Negeri 13 Semarang, Indonesia, and sampling was done by random sampling technique. The results showed that the mathematical connection ability pattern in terms of mathematical self-concepts is diverse. It is found that there were two patterns of mathematical connection ability in subjects with high self-concept. In subjects with moderate self-concept, three patterns of mathematical connection ability subjects with low self-concept, three patterns of mathematical connection ability are found

Leaving the pond—Choosing an ocean: Effects of student composition on STEM major choices at university.

Self-concept in mathematics (MSC) and interest in mathematics are important predictors of whether a student will choose to major in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field at university. Research on the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) has shown that both predictors are affected by the achievement composition of students in schools. That is, given the same individual ability, students in higher achieving schools exhibit lower MSC and interest in mathematics than students in lower achieving schools due to social comparison processes. The BFLPE has been replicated in high school settings many times, but less is known about the long-term effects of this context effect. In the present study, we investigated the long-term effects of the BFLPE on the aspiration to major in and the actual decision to major in a STEM field at university. We used data from a German longitudinal study. The results showed no direct BFLPE on the aspiration to enroll in a STEM major at the end of high school or on actual enrollment in a STEM major 2 years after graduating from high school. However, small negative indirect effects of the BFLPE via MSC and interest in mathematics on the aspiration to and enrollment in a STEM major occurred. In sum, the longitudinal BFLPE on STEM major choice was small. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

CORRELATES OF SELF-CONCEPT, ATTITUDE AND MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA

The study investigated the correlates of senior students’ mathematics self-concept, attitude, and mathematics performance in secondary school level of Nigeria. The population comprised all the secondary school students from the six states in Northeast, Nigeria. From the population, a total of 589 students were sampled from 18 schools purposively selected from four out of the six states in the zone. The instruments employed for the data collections were Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and a Mathematics Self-concept and Attitude Scale (MSCAS). The instruments were validated and the reliability was determined through test re-test method. Using Cronbach alpha analysis, high reliability coefficients of 0.83and 0.915 were obtained for MAT and MSCAS respectively. The statistical tools used in testing the hypotheses were t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the findings revealed that the students’ self-concept correlates significantly with their attitude; and relationship exists significantly among students’ self-concept, attitude and their performance. It was recommended among other things that students’ mathematics self-concept and attitude be improved in schools by making the teaching of mathematics practical oriented such that students see it interesting and pleasurable.

Reciprocal Predictions Between Interest, Self-Efficacy, and Performance During a Task

In this study, we examined 1) how situational interest, self-efficacy, and performance predict each other during task engagement, and 2) how they, in turn, contribute to continued interest. Finnish fourth-graders (N = 263) did an inductive reasoning task consisting of two sections, figural and numerical. Before and after each section, the students reported their situational interest and self-efficacy, and at the end of the task, students stated whether they would like to do similar tasks again (i.e., continued interest). Students’ domain-specific interest and self-concept in mathematics, and gender were controlled. A cross-lagged reciprocal effects model with repeated measures, control variables, and outcomes within the structural equation modeling framework was estimated. The results showed situational interest to have a stronger effect on self-efficacy than vice versa, and that they both partly contributed to task performance. Continued interest was influenced only by situational interest at the end of the task. The patterning of effects across the different stages of the task suggest these effects to be somewhat sensitive to task characteristics.

Effects of peer tutoring on middle school students' mathematics self-concepts.

The effects of peer tutoring on students' mathematics self-concepts were examined. The Marsh questionnaire was used to measure students' mathematics self-concepts before and after implementation of a peer tutoring program. A pretest posttest control group design was employed. Study participants included 376 students from grades 7 to 9 (12 to 15 years old). No statistically significant differences were reported between the pretest and the posttest for any of the control groups. Statistically significant improvements were reported for all grades for the experimental groups. An average increment of 13.4% was reported for students in the experimental group, and the overall effect size was reported to be medium (Hedges' g = 0.48). No statistically significant differences were reported across grades for the experimental group. The main conclusion of this study is that same-age and reciprocal peer tutoring may be very beneficial for middle school students' mathematics self-concepts. Several recommendations for field practitioners emanated from the study: use same-age and reciprocal tutoring over cross-age and fixed peer tutoring; schedule tutoring programs for four weeks or less with two to four sessions of 25 minutes or less per week for each tutoring session; and, include a control group in research studies.

Pengaruh Pemberian Penguatan terhadap Self Concept Matematis Siswa

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant influence on giving reinforcement to students' mathematical self-concept. This research is a quantitative study using the Quasi-experimental method, the type of experimental design is the quasi-experimental method with the pretest-posttest control group design in two different classes which are divided into the experimental class and the control class. The population of this research is class VII MTsN 1 Padangsidimpuan and the sample class VII 3 is 32 students and VII 11 is 34 students. Then the data collection instrument is a questionnaire. Analysis of the data used is descriptive and inferential statistical formulas namely normality test and hypothesis testing with paired sample z-test. In accordance with the hypothesis testing using the Paired Sample z-test, the price obtained by the price of zcount = -11,858, which is greater than ztable = 1.96, according to the basis of decision making in the z Test, zilia calculated - ztable can be concluded H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted at a significance level of 5% (α = 0.05) this indicates that there is a significant effect of giving reinforcement to students' mathematical Self Concepts.