AmaIIa E.

RoIdan
OccIdentaI MIndoro State CoIIege
MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety has been deIIned as
IeeIIngs oI tensIon and anxIety that InterIere
wIth the manIpuIatIon oI numbers and the
soIvIng oI mathematIcaI probIems In a wIde
varIety oI ordInary IIIe and academIc
sItuatIons (RIchardson & SuInn , 1972).
PeopIe who suIIer Irom math anxIety
IeeI that they are IncapabIe oI doIng
actIvItIes and cIasses that InvoIve
math..
AccordIng to Luo et aI 2009,
mathematIcs anxIety Is a kInd oI
dIsease.
Students experIence unheaIthy mood
responses when they encounter mathematIcs
probIems and manIIest themseIves as beIng
panIcky and IosIng one's head, depressed
and heIpIess, nervous and IearIuI, and so on.
At the same tIme, It Is accompanIed by some
physIoIogIcaI reactIons, such as perspIratIon
oI the paIms, hoIdIng tIght the IIsts, beIng
sIck, vomItIng, dry IIps, and paIe Iace.
They experIence a IeeIIng oI seII-
threat, resuItIng In the Ioss oI Interest
and the Ioss oI conIIdence In
mathematIcs IearnIng (TobIas, S.,
1993)
MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety MathematIcs anxIety Is emotIonaI,
rather than InteIIectuaI, but It was
Iound out that It InterIeres wIth a
person's abIIIty to Iearn math and
resuIted to an InteIIectuaI probIem
(TobIas, S., 1993).
Many aduIts are bIocked Irom
proIessIonaI and technIcaI job
opportunItIes because they Iear or
perIorm poorIy In mathematIcs
consIderIng that most oI them are
braIn-capabIe oI IearnIng more
mathematIcs (CurtaIn, M., 1999).
NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety Is another
subscaIe that measures anxIety due to
manIpuIatIon oI numbers IncIudIng
basIc mathematIcaI operatIons and
sImpIe aIgebra equatIons.
The negatIve eIIects negatIve eIIects negatIve eIIects negatIve eIIects oI mathematIcs anxIety
on students' math achIevement.
DImensIonaIIty DImensIonaIIty DImensIonaIIty DImensIonaIIty oI math anxIety has not been
expIored IuIIy
The concern on the dIstInctIveness oI math math math math
anxIety anxIety anxIety anxIety as as as as a a a a psychoIogIcaI construct psychoIogIcaI construct psychoIogIcaI construct psychoIogIcaI construct have
been raIsed (math anxIety and math abIIIty
concepts were hIghIy correIated (r = -.89) .
SIngIe SIngIe SIngIe SIngIe- -- -Iactor Iactor Iactor Iactor ModeI (unIdImensIonaI) ModeI (unIdImensIonaI) ModeI (unIdImensIonaI) ModeI (unIdImensIonaI)
Dreger & AIken Dreger & AIken Dreger & AIken Dreger & AIken, (1957)The NUM8ER ANXETY SCALE NUM8ER ANXETY SCALE NUM8ER ANXETY SCALE NUM8ER ANXETY SCALE - -- -
a measure to descrIbe a measure to descrIbe a measure to descrIbe a measure to descrIbe students' attItudInaI
dIIIIcuItIes wIth mathematIcs mathematIcs mathematIcs mathematIcs.
RIchardson & SuInn RIchardson & SuInn RIchardson & SuInn RIchardson & SuInn,( 1972) The MATHEMATCS The MATHEMATCS The MATHEMATCS The MATHEMATCS
ANXETY RATNC SCALE ANXETY RATNC SCALE ANXETY RATNC SCALE ANXETY RATNC SCALE more comprehensIve and
extensIveIy used . t Is a 98-Item scaIe composed oI
brIeI descrIptIons oI behavIoraI sItuatIons that may
arouse dIIIerent IeveIs oI anxIety In cIIents.
Two Two Two Two- -- -Iactor ModeI Iactor ModeI Iactor ModeI Iactor ModeI
Rounds & HendeI, (1980 Rounds & HendeI, (1980 Rounds & HendeI, (1980 Rounds & HendeI, (1980)
MathematIcs Test AnxIety MathematIcs Test AnxIety MathematIcs Test AnxIety MathematIcs Test AnxIety ( 6 Items) ( 6 Items) ( 6 Items) ( 6 Items)
NumerIcaI AnxIety ( 9 Items) NumerIcaI AnxIety ( 9 Items) NumerIcaI AnxIety ( 9 Items) NumerIcaI AnxIety ( 9 Items)
PIake and Parker (1982) PIake and Parker (1982) PIake and Parker (1982) PIake and Parker (1982)
LearnIng MathematIcs AnxIety (16 Items)
MathematIcs EvaIuatIon AnxIety (8 Items)
Three Iactor modeI Three Iactor modeI Three Iactor modeI Three Iactor modeI
AIexander and Marthray (1989) AIexander and Marthray (1989) AIexander and Marthray (1989) AIexander and Marthray (1989)
MathematIcs Test AnxIety, (15 Items)
MathematIcs Course AnxIety, (5 Items)
NumerIcaI Task AnxIety (5 Items)
to contrIbute on the attempt oI
estabIIshIng muItIdImensIonaIIty oI
the mathematIcs anxIety scaIe and
to determIne the other Iactors
common among the FIIIpIno coIIege
students.
ExpIoratory Iactor anaIysIs ExpIoratory Iactor anaIysIs ExpIoratory Iactor anaIysIs ExpIoratory Iactor anaIysIs
detect structure In the reIatIonshIps
between the Items,
PrIncIpaI Component AnaIysIs
combInes Items that are hIghIy
correIated wIth each set at Iactor
IoadIng oI .5 ("very sIgnIIIcant") and
above.
250 coIIege Ireshmen oI OccIdentaI
MIndoro State CoIIege, San ]ose,
OccIdentaI MIndoro.
currentIy takIng MathematIcs subjects
IIke 8asIc MathematIcs and AIgebra
The Items were derIved Irom
MathematIcs AnxIety RatIng ScaIe
revIsed by AIexander and Martray
(1989) wIth three Iactors: MathematIcs
test anxIety, NumerIcaI Tasks anxIety
and MathematIcs course anxIety.
The new MAS scaIe consIsts oI 25
Items teIIs about mathematIcs reIated
tasks experIenced by FIIIpIno coIIege
students.
UsIng a IIve poInt scaIe, the students
are requIred to rate theIr IeveIs oI Iear
or apprehensIon wIth the tasks usIng
the dImensIons oI 1- "not at aII", 2- "a
IIttIe", 3- "a IaIr amount", 4- "much",
or 5- "very much".
ExpIoratory Iactor anaIysIs
PrIncIpaI Component AnaIysIs
Scree test
VarImax rotatIon
InternaI consIstency method usIng Cronbach
AIpha
nter - Item correIatIon
EIgenvaIues (MathematIcs AnxIety ScaIe Ior FIIIpIno CoIIege EIgenvaIues (MathematIcs AnxIety ScaIe Ior FIIIpIno CoIIege EIgenvaIues (MathematIcs AnxIety ScaIe Ior FIIIpIno CoIIege EIgenvaIues (MathematIcs AnxIety ScaIe Ior FIIIpIno CoIIege
students) ExtractIon: PrIncIpaI components students) ExtractIon: PrIncIpaI components students) ExtractIon: PrIncIpaI components students) ExtractIon: PrIncIpaI components
EIgenvaIue Z TotaI CumuIatIve CumuIatIve
1 10.88013 43.52053 10.88013 43.52053
2 2.21820 8.87280 13.09833 52.39330
3 1.14576 4.58303 14.24409 56.97636
4 1.11119 4.44476 15.35528 61.42112
shows Iour Iactors that can
be traced above the
eIgenvaIue oI 1.
4 Factors were decIded to be
extracted sInce the smooth
decrease oI EIgenvaIues
appeared to IeveI oII to the
rIght oI the pIot aIter the
Iourth Iactor
Factor 1- 10.88
Factor 2- 2.21
Factor 3- 1.14
Factor 4 - 1.11
Plot of Eigenvalues
Number of Eigenvalues
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
V
a
l
u
e
1tems 1tems 1tems 1tems Factor Factor Factor Factor
IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng
Item 1 Picking up math textbook to begin working on a homework
assignment
.62
Item 5 Reading a cash register receipt after a purchase .77
Item 14 Opening a Math book and found a page full of problems to solve .67
Item 16 Being given a set of numerical problems involving addition .79
Item 17 Being given a set of numerical problems involving subtraction .71
Item 18 Being given a set of numerical problems involving multiplication .81
Item 19 Being given a set of numerical problems involving division .81
Item 20 Watching a teacher work on an algebraic equation on the blackboard .80
Item 24 Listening to another student explaining a math formula .79
NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety NumerIcaI Task AnxIety
1tems 1tems 1tems 1tems Factor Factor Factor Factor
IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng
Item 10 Getting ready to study for a math
test
.53
Item 8 Thinking about an upcoming math
test I day before
.77
Item 9 Thinking about an upcoming math
test 1 hour before
.83
MathematIcs Test AnxIety beIore the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety beIore the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety beIore the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety beIore the exam
1tems 1tems 1tems 1tems Factor Factor Factor Factor
IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng IoadIng
Item 13 Taking math section of college
entrance exam
.55
Item 21 Taking an exam (quiz) in a math
course
.50
Item 23 Taking an exam ( final) in a math
course
.70
MathematIcs Test AnxIety durIng the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety durIng the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety durIng the exam MathematIcs Test AnxIety durIng the exam
N Mean SD Cronbachs
Alpha
MAS 250 3.09 .74 .94
Numerical Task Anxiety 250 3.18 .96 .94
Math Test Anxiety before
the Exam
250 3.22 .91 .79
Math Test Anxiety during
the Exam
250 2.88 .78 .77
(1) (2) (3)
MAS
(1) Numerical Task Anxiety
1.00 0.526** .496**
(2) Math Test Anxiety before the
Exam
1.00 .503**
(3) Math Test Anxiety during the
Exam
1.00
Math anxIety Is very reaI and occurs among
thousands oI peopIe. Much oI thIs anxIety
happens In the cIassroom due to the Iack oI
consIderatIon oI dIIIerent IearnIng styIes oI
students.
Today, the needs oI socIety requIre a greater
need Ior mathematIcs. Math must be Iooked
upon In a posItIve IIght to reduce math anxIety.
ThereIore, teachers must re-examIne tradItIonaI
teachIng methods whIch oIten do not match
students' IearnIng styIes and skIIIs needed In
socIety.
Lessons must be presented In a varIety oI ways.
For Instance, a new concept can be taught
through pIay actIng, cooperatIve groups, vIsuaI
aIds, hands on actIvItIes and technoIogy.
As a resuIt once young chIIdren see math as Iun,
they wIII enjoy It, and, the joy oI mathematIcs
couId remaIn wIth them throughout the rest oI
theIr IIves.
The new scaIe can be used to support
InstructIon, screenIng tooI, a pIacement tooI, or a
research tooI.