Math Anxiety

120 Pages·2017·2.23 MB·English

by  Patricia Ann Preston

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Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
6-1986
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Patricia Ann Preston
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss
Part of the Education Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Preston, Patricia Ann, "Math Anxiety: Relationship with Sex, College Major, Mathematics Background,
Mathematics Achievement, Mathematics Performance, Mathematics Avoidance, Self-Rating of
Mathematics Ability, and Self-Rating of Mathematics Anxiety as Measured by the Revised Mathematics
Anxiety Rating Scale (RMARS). " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1986.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1252
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee
Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized
administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
To the Graduate Council:
I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Patricia Ann Preston entitled "Math Anxiety:
Relationship with Sex, College Major, Mathematics Background, Mathematics Achievement,
Mathematics Performance, Mathematics Avoidance, Self-Rating of Mathematics Ability, and
Self-Rating of Mathematics Anxiety as Measured by the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating
Scale (RMARS)." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and
content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Education.
Donald J. Dessart, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
John Bradley, Ken McCullough, Paul Wishart
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)
To the GraduateC ouncil:
I am submittinhge rewith dai ssertationw ritten by PatriciaA nn Preston
entitled" MathA nxiety: Relationship wiStehx , CollegeM ajor,
MathematicBsa ckgroundM,a thematicAsc hievementM,a thematicPse rformnace,
MathematicsA voidance,S elf-artingo f MathematicAsb ility,a nd Self­
ratingo f Mathematics Anxiaest yM easurde by the RevisedM athematics
AnxietyR atingS cale (RMARS)." I havee xaminedt he final copy of this
dissertatiofno r forma nd contenta nd recommetnhda t it be accepted in
partialf ulfillemnt of the requirementfso r the degreeo f Doctoorf
Philosophyw,i th a majori n Education.
We have read this dissertation
and recommendi ts acceptance:
Acceptedf or the Council:
Vice Provost
and Dean of The GraduateS chool
MATH ANXIETY: RELATIONSHIPW ITH SEX, COLLEGEMA JOR, MATHEMATICS
BACKGROUNDM,A THEMATICASC HIEVEMENT, MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE,
MATHEMATICASV OIDANCES, ELF-RATINGO F MATHEMATICS ABILITY,
AND SELF-RATINOGF MATHEMATICSA NXIETYA S MEASURED BY
THE REVISED MATHEMATICASN XIETYR ATINGS CALE( RMARS)
A Dissertation.
Presentedf or the
Doctoro f Philoosphy
Degree
The Univesrity of Tennesse,e Knoxville
PatriciaA nn Preston
1986
June
Copyright© PatriciaA nn Preston,1 986
All rightsr eserved
DEDICATION
Tom ym oma ndd ad
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Manyp eoplhea vec ontirbudt etom akintgh si disrsteatni poossilbe.
I ame speicallyi ndebdt e tDoo nalDdes srat, thec hairmoafnm yd octoral
commitete. Specitahla nkasr ed ue JoBhrna dl,e KyenM cCulloug,h Paul
Wishrat, CarlM urphya.n dA lan Lasat,e rmemboefrm sy c ommittee.
A particunlotareo fa ppreactiioins due inttshreu tcorsan d
admniisrtatroso ft hes tduy, andt hee nitres taffo ft heM athematics
Deparnttm.e
I amg rateuflt oL isaH unta nde specilaylM ichaKeele nfeo ra ll
theri suggsetiosn ande dtiinga ndt oA nnL aCavoaf t heG raudaet School
for ahlelr a ssiasntce.
Butm osto fa llI thanmky h usba,n odurc hildrena ndt heir
gradnparnetsf ora llt heisru ppoarntd s arciifcet hroutghhe y ear.s
iv
ABTSRACT
"
Matheamticesd uctaorsa ndp scyholosgtisb lam"em taha nxietyfor
affcetign mathaetmiclse arnin,g perfonrmca,e ande nrlolme,n atnd, susbe­
quetnl,y choicoefc ollemgaej or andc are.e rReesarchehrasv ey et to
agreoen tphree vlaecne, stbailtiy, ande ffecotfsm atha nxeity.
Thiss tudy( 1)i nvestgaitetdh ep rvealenacned i ntensoiftm ya th
anxietiyn c ollegsetu detns( sa wah ol,e byma jor, andb ys ex,)
(2.)d eterminetdh es tabiyl oiftm atha nxeityo vert iem,a nd( )3 invseti­
gaetdt hosbea ckgroaunndde xeprietniafla ctorrelsa tedt oi tso ccurrence
inc ollegsetd uent,s usingd atag athereodn 1 73c ollesgteu dentsi n
mathaetmisc,e duactino,a ndE nglsihc lassromos. Thed atac onrnceed col­
leges tudent's matha nxieyt asm easurbeydt heR evisedM ahtematisc
AnxietyR aitngS cal(eRMA RS)a nds electde congitviec orrleateso fm ath
anxitey.a ndw erea nalzyedb ya nlayseosf v aricaen,! -tes.t asnd corre­
laitonaalna lyses.
Basde upont hes tatiisctala nalsye,s thesrees ultsw erea chie:v ed
(1)ma than xietiys r eltaedt oc hoiec ofc ollemgaej o,r (2)m alesa nd
femaledso n otd iffeirn m atha nxietlye evl,s ()3 matha nxietlye vles
changleit tel overa shortti em interval, ()4 mathan xietsyh owrse la­
tivelyl ittler ealtoinsihpt om athaetmisc perfonrcme,a (5)mat ha nxiety
showas moderartelea tionshpi tom athaetmicbsac kgrou,n adchievnet,m aend
aviodnace, and( 6) theh ighero ne'lse veolf m atha nxeity (as measurbeyd
theR MARS). thel oweorn e'sse lrfa-tinogf m athetmiacasb liiyt and the
higehro ne'sse fl-rationfgm athmeaticasn xiety.
v
Basedu pont her esutsl,t hesceo nlcusiownesre drwan: (1)i mproving
mathematisc pefrormanwciel lr equiprreo gratmhsa dto m orteh arne duce
matahn xieyt,( 2) re-entsrtyu denwtosu ladpp eatro b enfeitm ostf rom
tremaetnto fm atha nxieyt,( 3)m atha nxieyt apperast ob er elatteod
inheremnatt hemataibciaitlli se ofs tuden(t4s), t heRMAR S seemtso
adequealtym eausreo ne'lse veolf m ath anxietays p erceibvyeo dne self
fora llg roupesx cepfto rt heT echnicMaalj oresn rolliendP r ecalculus
Matemhatsic,( 5)s e-xreltaedd ifefrenciensm atha nxietmya ye xistb,u t
arep robabmluyc hsm alletrh asnu ggteesdp reivoulsy,a nd( 6)t her educ­
tiono fm atha nxeityi nt heT echnailM cajorGsr oupcso ulbde a ttirbuted
priamriltyo t heu niqueel emenotfst hesger opus: coursceon te,n tpre­
reuqiistes,a ndp oistoini nt hes equcee.n
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TABLOEF C ONTENST
CHAPTER PAGE
1. INTORDCUTION 1
Statemeonftt heP urpose 3
ResearQcuhe stions 3
DefinitioofnT se rms 4
Method • • • • . 6
Assumptioofnt sh eS tudy 7
Limitatioofnt sh eS tudy 8
ExplanatoifoN no tati•o n• • 8
StatistiTcraela tmeonftt heD ata 9
Importanocft eh eS tud•y • • 11
Organizatoifot nh eS tudy 12
II. LITERAUTRER EVIEW 13
Descprtiionso fM athA nxiety 14
MeasuremeonftM sa th Anxi• e•t y• • • •• • « • 15
StudieDess cribMiantghA nxietinya College
Populoant i• • • • • . • . • • • • • • 25
Summary • • • • 31
III.ME THOD 33
TheP articipants in the Study 33
TheM easuriInnsgt rumen• t•s • 37
TheC urirculumo ft heC oursIensv olviendt heS tudy 38
Procedufroerst heG roup• s 40
Summary• . • . • •• 41
IV. RESULTANDS DICSUSSIO• N 42
Analysoifst heR eivsedM athematAincxsi etRya ting
Scael • • • • • 42
Changeisn � th AnxietLye vels • • • • 53
Correlatoifot nh eRMA RS andt heS ixB ackgroaunndd
58
ExperientFiaaclt ors
• • • •
Sutntnary• • • • • • • . II • • • • • 71
V. SUMMARY.C ONCL�SIOANDN SS.U GGESITONS 72
72
Answertso R esearQcuhe stniso « •
Conclusions• • • • • • • • • 77
79
Suggestiofnosr F urthReers earch
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