Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Education has given individuals enough reasons to decide which among the

topics for learning shall be retained and maintained throughout his life. The foundation

subjects are enough for pupils to start anew and look at life in different perspective.

However, of the various learning areas in basic education, Mathematics gives pupils

problems coming from within or leading from without. Mathematics anxiety is real and

can happen to anyone at any age regardless of his mathematical ability. Since

mathematics is perhaps the most abstract among academic subjects, many students

dislike and avoid it. Shores (2005) observes that this math avoidance can turn into a

severe case of math anxiety that, in many cases, has been associated with temporary

memory impairment and loss of self-confidence especially during tests or other

mathematical tasks. In a 2006 study, Rossnan reports that even the best

mathematicians are not exempt from bouts of math anxiety. Because math anxiety

demonstrates a stubborn impediment in the development of mastery and performance

in tasks that impact upon students’ academic achievement, it has become an important

research topic for mathematics educators and educational psychologists in the past 25

years.

Mathematics anxiety (MA) is generally defined as a state of discomfort caused by

performing mathematical tasks. MA can be manifested as feelings of apprehension,

dislike, tension, worry, frustration, and fear. It is not clear what factors result in the

appearance of MA. Nevertheless, potential causal factors include environmental

variables (e.g., negative experiences in class, teacher characteristics), intellectual

variables (e.g., the degree of abstract or logical thinking) and personality variables (e.g.,

self-esteem, learning style, attitude and confidence.

MA can develop in the early school years and becomes increasingly common with age.

It is thought to affect a notable proportion of the school age population and adults in

post-secondary education. Importantly, MA has several negative effects on children’s

and adult’s mathematics education. For example, people who experience high levels of

MA are likely to develop negative attitudes toward tasks involving mathematics, drop out

of elective mathematics classes or avoid taking them altogether; in addition, those with

high MA avoid pursuing careers that require quantitative skills. This can have large-

scale implications. For example, only 7% of pupils in the UK take mathematics to A

level, and while there are many reasons for this, many pupils give a dislike of

mathematics as a reason for not continuing [16] and sometimes the dislike is very

intense and ‘charged with emotion’.

Some have viewed MA as form of Test Anxiety (TA). Studies have shown

moderate correlations between TA and MA (between .30 and .50), so they are indeed

related constructs; however, measures of MA correlate more highly with one another

(between .50 to .80) than with TA, which suggests that MA is a distinct construct.

Of all of the negative effects that MA has on learning and using mathematics, the

relationship between MA and mathematics performance has received the most

attention. Past research has shown small negative correlations between mathematics

performance and MA (average correlations of -.27. and -.34 in two meta-analyses),

indicating that those with high MA show poorer mathematics achievement. However, it

has been argued that mathematics achievement, when measured in test situations, is
always confounded with MA. That is, the mathematics performance of highly

mathematics anxious individuals is impaired because of their “online emotional reaction

to the testing situation” [2, p. 320]. Consequently, the mathematics performance of an

individual with high MA may appear lower than it actually is, when measured using a

test. Furthermore, time-limited testing can negatively affect the performance of high and

low maths anxious individuals, but performance is not differentially affected in the two

groups. However, individuals with high MA can perform similarly to individuals with low

MA when mathematics problems are presented in a more relaxed format. Therefore, the

depressed performance associated with high MA and the reported negative correlations

between MA and performance may be exaggerated because of the context in which

mathematics performance is measured. Nonetheless, the effect of MA on ‘online’

mathematics performance is still pertinent, as mathematics achievement, particularly in

secondary and tertiary education, is measured using time-limited tests and formal

examinations. Therefore, the assessment of MA in realistic test situations is highly

important as these situations exert marked influence on individual career prospects and

well-being.

Presently, public elementary schools in the district of Cardona adhere to the

curriculum guide in teaching Mathematics for pupils. Learning package for intermediate

pupils, specifically for grade five are religiously instructed to them in preparation for

bigger and higher skills required of them in the next year. However, the researcher, a

grade five teacher, noticed that majority of the pupils are not interested in numbers. T

encourage them to participate, games and group activities were injected to motivate the

pupils but assessment of their performance is still low, thus, the conduct of the study.
Theoretical Framework

The study is anchored on the Cognitive Interference Theory which posits that

high levels of anxiety interfere with the recall of prior learning resulting in poorer

performance. A meta-analysis conducted by Hembree of 151 studies of MA found more

evidence to support the Cognitive Interference Theory than the Deficit Theory. However,

in a more recent investigation, Birgin and colleagues found that the highest unique

contribution to children’s MA was from the children’s mathematics performance [29].

Similarly, in one of the few longitudinal investigations, Ma and Xu found that poorer

mathematics performance led to higher MA in junior and senior high school students.

Together these studies lend support to the Deficit Theory. MA resulting from an

awareness of prior poor performance may be related to mathematics self-efficacy

beliefs as past studies have shown that maths self-efficacy is highly predictive of MA.

The findings of two recent studies that children with diagnosed mathematical disabilities

show more MA could also indicate that poor performance leads to greater MA, though

we cannot rule out the possibility that the disabilities were indeed partly caused by

anxiety. Evidently the directionality of the relationship between MA and performance is

open for debate and requires further research.

The relationship between gender and MA has also been studied extensively; but

findings have not been consistent. There are many studies that have found significantly

greater levels of MA in females than males [4,6,12,13,15,19,32,35-51]. However, there

are also many studies that show no gender differences in MA [3,5,7,10,29,52-61]. There

are indeed a few studies that have found higher MA levels in males than in females.
 Birgin and colleagues have suggested that the lack of consistent gender effects

may be because MA is not consistently defined or measured. Indeed, many different

MA measures have been used in past studies. The most frequently used scale is the

Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) which has 98 items. The large number of

items in the scale allows the assessment of mathematics anxiety in a wide range of

contexts and is therefore thought to have high construct validity. However, it requires a

considerable amount of time for administration, which may make it more difficult to use

with school age samples. Therefore several different shortened versions of the MARS

have been developed, however the psychometric properties of these shortened scales

have come under scrutiny. Hopko and colleagues developed a 9-item scale known as

the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) which was found to have strong test-retest

reliability, good internal consistency and validity.

The theory presented is related to the present study because it discussed the

intellectual faculty of individuals as he becomes ready to another skill which suddenly

escalates because of its differing technique and organization. Thus, if the individual

learner is not familiar with the logical presentation, anxiety begins which is often the

problem of pupils while studying Mathematics lesson.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1 shows the converging radial which shows the relationship of concepts or

components to a central idea.

The paradigm is composed of three rectangles with arrows attached to its body.

These rectangles are the Mathematical anxieties experienced by grade five elementary

pupils in selected public elementary schools in the district of Cardona.

 PERSONAL

ENVIRONMENT INTELLECTUAL

MATHEMATICS

Figure 1

A Schematic Diagram Showing the Mathematical Anxiety Among Grade Five Pupils of
Selected Public Elementary Schools in the District of Cardona
 The first box is environment which could be in the form of negative experiences

in the classroom including teacher’s characteristics. The second box refers to personal

variables which includes self-esteem, learning style, attitude and confidence while the

last box refers to intellectual or cognitive abilities which ascertain the degree of abstract

or logical thinking that the pupils have.

The arrow points directly to the circle placed at the center which represents the

subject perceived to give anxiety to the grade five pupils.

Statement of the Problem

This study ascertains the Mathematical anxiety of grade five pupils in selected

public elementary schools in the district of Cardona.

Specifically, it sought answers to the following problem.

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 parents’ educational attainment;

1.4 location of house; and,

1.5 monthly family income?

2. What is the level of Mathematical anxiety of grade five pupils in selected public

elementary schools in the district of Cardona with respect to:

2.1 environment;

2.2 personal; and,

2.3 intellectual?
 3. What is the academic performance of grade five pupils in Mathematics as

revealed by their average grade?

4. Is there significant difference on the level of Mathematical anxiety of grade five

pupils with respect to the different categories in terms of their profile?

5. Is there significant relationship between the grade five pupils’ academic

performance and Mathematical anxiety?

Hypothesis

The study tested the null hypothesis that:

1. There is no significant difference on the level of Mathematical anxiety of grade

five pupils with respect to the different categories in terms of their profile.

2. There is no significant relationship between the grade five pupils’ academic

performance and Mathematical anxiety.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The focus of this research work is to determine the level of Mathematical anxiety

among grade five pupils in the selected public elementary schools in the district of

Cardona.

In order to obtain results contributory to determine the level of Mathematical

anxiety, respondents who are grade five pupils have to answer the questionnaire

referring to factors on Mathematical anxiety such as environment, personal, and

intellectual. Personal demographic variables for the respondents are age, gender,

parents’ educational attainment, location of the house, and monthly family income.

The study is limited to respondents’ perception on the level of Mathematical

anxiety and its relationship to pupils’ academic performance. Likewise, significant

difference with respect to the different factors in terms of their profiles shall also be

determined.

Significance of the Study

This study focused on Mathematical anxiety among grade five pupils in selected

public elementary schools in the district of Cardona. Results of the study would be

beneficial to the following:

School Administrators. Those who are leading the schools could use the

findings of the study by empowering teachers through instructional leadership in

Mathematics to enhance pupils’ performance.

Curriculum Planners. Those who are involved in crafting the curriculum shall

include significant findings of this study to enrich further the subject for learners

benefits.

Teachers. Those in the instruction can create and recreate teaching to make

teaching and learning enjoyable to both teacher and pupils.

Pupils. The end beneficiaries of this study are the pupils who shall further

improve their innate skills in the subjects for lifetime use.

Parents. They will be assured that their children learn in the school and that

their teachers give their best in teaching and guiding their sons/daughters.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study are defined operationally and conceptually

for better perspective and understanding.

Age. It refers to the number of years of existence of the respondents since birth.
 Academic Performance. This refers to the pupils obtained average in

Mathematics during _____ grading period.

Correlation. This is in connection with the academic performance and

Mathematics anxiety of grade five pupils..

District of Cardona. The district in the Division of Rizal where the selected

public elementary schools are located.

Environment. It refers to one of the variables referring on Mathematical anxiety

which could be classroom situations, teacher’s attitude and the likes.

Gender. It refers to whether the respondent is ale or female.

Grade Five Pupils. Refers to the subjects of the study.

Intellectual. It refers to cognitive ability of the pupils in Mathematics.

Location of the House. It refers to the place where the respondents live which

may indicate or contribute to anxiety in Mathematics.

Mathematical Anxiety. It refers to state of discomfort caused by performing

mathematical tasks. MA can be manifested as feelings of apprehension, dislike, tension,

worry, frustration, and fear.

Monthly Family Income. This refers to the combined revenue of parents taken

from their major source of livelihood.

Parents’ Educational Attainment. It refers to the highest level of education that

their parents attained.

Personal. This refers to one of the factors on Mathematical anxiety which could

be contributory like friend or classmates, family problem or innate trait.

 School Year 2015-2016. It refers to the actual year when the study was

conducted.

Teachers. This refers to the persons engaged in teaching in the elementary level

whose mission is to teach children to develop skills to function in society.

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies in foreign and

local color which are pertinent in this study.

Foreign Literature

Anxiety is stress, tension and strain brought into one’s body and mind. It can be

of two types-somantic that involves the loss of control of the body, having sweaty palms,

pain in the neck or sick to the stomach, which involves loss of concentration, having

negative self-talk, feelings of doubt or mind wanders from test (Noting, 2006). Hurlock

(1972) defined anxiety as a painful uneasiness of mind concerning impending or

anticipated ills. It is marked by apprehension, uneasiness and apprehension from which,

the individual cannot escape. It is accompanied by feeling of helplessness because the

anxious person feels blocked, unable to find a solution to his problem. Anxiety causes

an individual to borrow from future problems and therefore, suffers the present fear.

Math anxiety is real and can happen to anyone at any age regardless of his

mathematical ability. Since mathematics is perhaps the most abstract among academic

subjects, many students dislike and avoid it. Shores (2005) observes that this math

avoidance can turn into a severe case of math anxiety that, in many cases, has been

associated with temporary memory impairment and loss of self-confidence especially

during tests or other mathematical tasks. In a 2006 study, Rossnan reports that even

the best mathematicians are not exempt from bouts of math anxiety. Because math

anxiety demonstrates a stubborn impediment in the development of mastery and

performance in tasks that impact upon students’ academic achievement, it has become
an important research topic for mathematics educators and educational psychologists in

the past 25 years.

Tobias (1993) defines mathematics anxiety as feelings of tension and anxiety

that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical

problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations and can cause one to

forget and loose one’s self-confidence. Test anxiety is a learned behaviour, which can

be unlearned. Some things that can create test anxiety are: parents, friends or teachers

that may pass their bias to the student to make them believe that there is a connection

between grade and self-worth, fear of alienating parents, family or friends due to poor

grades, anxiety that may be due to not feeling that they are not in control. The cognitive

theory of test anxiety (Meichenbau and Butler, 1980; Sarason, 1975; Wine, 1980;

Umoinyang, 1999) has three common components that are very important to consider in

a study like this. The first is that high level of test anxiety is believed to adversely

influence students’ self-appraisals of evaluative situation. Secondly, test-anxious

students are prone to engage in more negative thoughts (negative internal dialogue)

during evaluative tasks. Thirdly, students performance attributions are believed to be

influenced by high levels of test anxiety.

Mathematics is more challenging for some students than others and a student

with problems in that subject finds ways to continue to do poorly. Bad study habits, low

confidence on days of mathematics tests and poor self-esteem inhibit academic

potential and can snowball into a lifelong phobia for mathematics, which can spread to

other areas of life. An atmosphere that is conducive to the learning process, which is

more than just a physical space with good lighting, can help to solve some of the
anxiety student experience in mathematics test (Xin, 1999). Learning is maximized

when students and teachers share a strong rapport, when students are safe, trusted

and respected and when students believe in themselves. When, students get the

opportunity to learn in a supportive environment like this, their test scores, self-esteem

and confidence are built up. They experience a shift in learning from drudgery to joy.

Unfortunately, many of the learning environments are not optimized the way the

programmes are and students suffer from poor self-esteem as a result of this. When a

student’s confidence is low, test-taking anxiety is the mind’s natural response especially

in mathematics. This should not be so. The teacher should help students discover their

potentials and thereby improve their self-confidence and hence test anxiety will become

a thing of the past.

In an study, titled math ability: nature versus narture it was said that we are not

born with a fear of mathematics rather it is a learned behaviour. This learned behaviour

is what we call mathematics anxiety and it is the way we react to mathematics.

Mathematics has such a negative connotation that it can induce emotional stress. No

other subject unleashes such anxiety. It usually begins in early childhood due to a

negative experience with mathematics and mathematics teachers. While some people

are filled with anxiety when we talk of mathematics, others seem to be at home with it.

This has generated a lot of debate as to whether boys are better at mathematics than

girls or that some individuals are born with an innate ability to do mathematics, while

others seem to be born with an inability to comprehend it. This debate has led to the

nature versus nurture in mathematical ability.

 Mathematics anxiety and test anxiety in mathematics refer to a state of

uneasiness and distress about mathematics and the taking of mathematics tests.

Mathematics or tests in mathematics provide a very real cause or threat especially, to

students, who have not learned how to cope with them. In particular, a student who

have not prepared for a test by doing all the homework will have the fear of failing the

test. While excessive fear is certainly destructive and painful, a reasonable amount of

fear in certain situations is beneficial. In the school as we study for examinations, a

reasonable amount of fear is beneficial, providing motivation to increase learning in

order to perform well in the examinations. Excessive anxiety results in low self-esteem

and poor academic performance. According to the America Heritage definition of fear,

which is extreme reverence or awe as towards a supreme power, fear can be extremely

beneficial. In order to have reverence or awe for mathematics, by this definition, one

has to really understand it. Most people who fear mathematics do so because, they do

not know the subject. On the contrary, someone who has spent long hours studying and

learning mathematics develops this reverential fear for mathematics. The secret behind

this is hours and hours spent with the subject that allows one to know and respect the

subject in its deepest parts (Rapalje, 2006).

Research has confirmed that pressure of timed tests and risk of public

embarrassment has long been recognized as sources of unproductive tension among

many students (Spikell, 1993). He went further to say that three practices that are

regular part of the traditional mathematics classroom, which cause great anxiety in

many students are imposed authority, public exposure and time deadlines. Even

though, these are regular part of the traditional mathematics classroom, they cause
great deal of anxiety. It is therefore, important that teaching methods must be re-

examined to include less lecture and more student directed classes and more

discussion. The teacher should design their classroom in such a way that will make

student feel more comfortable. Incorrect responses must be handled in a positive way to

encourage student participation and enhance student confidence.

Local Literature

The difficulties in learning mathematics are a fascinating and complex area for

study. The interactions between factors that can be attributed to the cognitive domain

and those that can be attributed to the affective domain are many and varied. For

example, anxiety has a negative influence on working memory [1]. Skemp ([2], page

127) suggested that the reflective activity of intelligence is most easily inhibited by

anxiety. Lundberg and Sterner [3] claim that “over and above common cognitive

demands and neurological representations and functions, performance in reading and

arithmetic is influenced by a number of motivational and emotional factors such as need

for achievement, task orientation, helplessness, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-

concept….” Hattie [4] selects a pithy quote from O’Connor and Paunonen [5], “Whereas

cognitive ability reflects what an individual can do, personality traits reflect what an

individual will do.”

The implications on learning of anxiety, motivation, self-worth, self-efficacy and

attributional style are significant (e.g., [6–8]) particularly in mathematics where a

curriculum may make inappropriate assumptions about how some children learn. Those

assumptions may be rooted in beliefs about mathematics and how it can be taught and

learnt.
 There are a number of beliefs about mathematics that are long established and

embedded in its culture. This does not necessarily make them helpful in creating a

positive student attitude to mathematics, especially for those who have difficulties with

learning mathematics or, indeed, mathematics learning difficulties. For example, Mtetwa

and Garofalo [9] discuss five beliefs, which include “mathematics problems have only

one correct answer” and “computation problems must be solved by using a step-by-step

algorithm.” The first belief leads children to perceive of mathematics as highly

judgmental, that answers are right or they are wrong. The second belief leads children

and their teachers to perceive of mathematics as a series of procedures which have to

be memorised and not necessarily understood. Ernest [10] reviews the literature on

beliefs in his book, “The Psychology of Learning Mathematics.” Three examples from

his review are “some people have a mathematics mind and some do not,”

“mathematicians do problems quickly in their head,” and “mathematics requires a good

memory.” The first belief permits people to rationalise their inabilities in mathematics

and to protect their feelings of self-worth. The second belief sets up children who

process some information more slowly, for example dyslexic children, for failure. The

last belief is pervasive, for example, Porkess et al. [11] claims that “As with any

language, the fundamentals of mathematics (e.g., multiplication tables and number

bonds) are most easily learnt when you are young.” Unfortunately the reliance on

memorising facts and procedures does not stop there.

It could be hypothesised that these beliefs have been, and still are, influential in

the way mathematics’ curricula are designed and in the way mathematics is taught. For

example, the beliefs that surround the task of learning times table facts, where the
primary belief is that, providing the child practises enough, then the learning is

guaranteed and achieved early in the child’s life. Informal surveys of teachers across

the UK by the author lead to an estimate of somewhere around 50% of ten-year-old

students failing to achieve this goal. Evidence on levels of achievement in retrieving

basic facts acquired from a large sample of pupils from across the UK can be found in

Chinn [12].

The implications of the experience of failure in learning are succinctly described

in the back-cover summary of Covington’s [13] book on motivation:

“Achievement behaviour in schools can best be understood in terms of attempts by

students to maintain a positive self-image. For many students, trying hard is frightening

because a combination of effort and failure implies low ability, which is often equated

with worthlessness. Thus many students described as unmotivated are in actuality

highly motivated—not to learn, but to avoid failure.”

The experience of failure is a consequence of the inherently judgmental nature of

arithmetic. For example, the answer for 8 × 7 is 56. Giving an answer of 54 is rarely

judged empathetically as, “That was close. Well done.” The “54” answer generates the

response, “Wrong.” Arithmetic is, unavoidably, the dominant experience of mathematics

for young pupils.

Failure and the judgmental nature of mathematics contribute to anxiety. In

Chinn’s [14] survey of mathematics anxiety in over 2500 secondary students (ages 11

to 15 years) in England, the item “waiting to hear your score on a maths test” was

ranked high for anxiety, that is, from second to 6th out of 20 items for all ages and both

genders of mainstream students. “Having to take a written maths test” was ranked from
second to 4th and “taking an end of term maths exam” was ranked first out of 20 items

for all pupils.

The mathematics task which ranked highest was, “doing long division questions

without a calculator”, ranking from second to 5th. “Long multiplication without a

calculator” was ranked less highly, between 9th and 13th for ten of the fifteen subgroups

of students.

The ranking of the item, “having to work out the answers to maths questions

quickly,” which reflects the mathematics belief that computations have to be done

quickly, was also ranked high, for both the dyslexic (442 males) and the mainstream

school students (2084 male and female) in the sample. The anxiety generated by

having to attempt a problem that is a threat to the pupil’s confidence is often

exacerbated by the need to work out an answer quickly, that is, within an arbitrary time

limit.

Studies from many countries over many years have shown that performance in

mathematics is related negatively to mathematics anxiety ([15, page 249], [16, page

334], and [17, 18]).

Failure can motivate or undermine ([6, page 5]) depending on whether students’

reactions are mastery-oriented or helpless. Dweck uses the term “helpless” to include

all the reactions that some students show when they meet failure, including plunging

expectations, negative emotions, and deteriorating performance. It seems that the

consequence of failure in mathematics is to undermine.

One reaction, or strategy, to deal with failure that Chinn [19] observed in a

classroom study on errors in arithmetic is to avoid the challenge and use the “no
attempt” [20] error. The study was set up to compare both the performance and the

errors for pupils in mainstream schools to those for dyslexic pupils in specialist schools

(ages 11 to 13 years). There appeared to be no difference in the frequency of

occurrence of any of Engelhardt’s other categories of errors, but the one outstanding

exception was the “no attempt” error. For example, for 37.6–4, 14.0% of the dyslexic

pupils did not attempt the item compared to 2.2% of the mainstream pupils. This

compared to the addition item, 12.3  + 5 (where finger counting forwards is a strategy

that is accessible to almost all children) where the no attempt percentages were 2.5%

and 0%, respectively. For division the contrast was greater, for the item, 6040 ÷ 10,

39.7% of the dyslexic cohort did not attempt the problem in comparison to 5.8% of the

mainstream cohort. The study suggested that children with specific learning difficulties,

even if of above average intelligence, or perhaps because they are of above average

intelligence, will use avoidance rather than risk failure. Data from a 15-minute

mathematics test [12], the source of the data for this paper, is given for the bottom and

top quartiles of performers to support this conjecture.

Hadfield and McNeil [21] proposed a model of mathematics anxiety, centred on

three factors. Environmental factors include classroom issues and the perception of

mathematics as a rigid set of rules. Intellectual variables include a mismatch of learning

styles and self-doubt. Personality factors include a reluctance to ask questions in class

and low self-esteem. Any or all of these three factors could influence a learner and

generate a “no attempt” or avoidance attitude.

It is unlikely that this reaction is confined solely to the special needs population,

nor just to avoidance of individual questions. Ashcraft and Krause [17] note that
“Mathematics anxiety leads to a global avoidance pattern—whenever possible, students

avoid taking math classes and avoid situations in which math will be necessary…”

Foreign Studies

The present research attempts to study the relationship between the

mathematical anxiety among high school students and their self-esteem and teachers’

personality characteristics. From among the high school students some 480 people

were chosen categorically in accordance with their characteristics and 60 mathematics

teachers were also chosen through this method. The data were collected through the

use of self-esteem questionnaire of Cooper Smith and Mathematics Anxiety

Questionnaire and personality questionnaire by Neo. After data analysis, the following

findings were concluded: There is negative significant relationship between the

students, mathematical anxiety and their self-esteem. There is also a significant

relationship between the students, mathematical anxiety and their teacher's personality

characteristics. There is not significant relationship between the high school students

mathematics anxiety and their educational levels. There is a significant difference

between the mathematical anxiety of moreover students majoring in humanities and

natural science students and the students of physics and mathematics students. There

is a significant difference between the mathematics anxiety of male and female

students.

Mathematics anxiety is a construct, which has received extensive attention in

literature but still there is lot of ambiguity about the variables affecting it. This study

proposes and confirms a set of independent variables (gender, school types and

mathematics achievement of the secondary school students) that have a relationship

with mathematics anxiety. The population in this study consists of 1652 students from

different management types of school. Investigators developed 'Mathematics Anxiety

Scale' (MAS) and 'Mathematics Achievement Test' (MAT) instruments and used for data

collections while the variance analysis, t-test and correlation techniques are used for

statistical analysis. According to the results of the analysis, nearly half of the secondary

school students have moderate level of anxiety and females display more anxiety

toward math than the male. High level of math anxiety is observed in students of

Government and Government aided schools and low level of math anxiety is observed

in students of AMU and Missionary schools. Findings also reveals a significant negative

correlation (-0.48) between math anxiety and math achievement.

The research assessed math anxiety in 6th- through 12th-grade children (N564)

as part of a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of children's beliefs, attitudes, and

values concerning mathematics. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for two

components of math anxiety, a negative affective reactions component and a cognitive

component. The affective component of math anxiety related more strongly and

negatively than did the worry component to children's ability perceptions, performance

perceptions, and math performance. The worry component related more strongly and

positively than did the affective component to the importance that children attach to

math and their reported actual effort in math. Girls reported stronger negative affective

reactions to math than did boys. Ninth-grade students reported experiencing the most

worry about math and sixth graders the least.

The effects of mathematics anxiety and gender on attitudes toward mathematics

were examined using the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI). A sample of
134 students enrolled in mathematics classes in a state university was asked to

complete the ATMI. Data were analyzed using a multivariate factorial model. In this

sample, the results showed that gender had no effect on attitudes toward mathematics,

and gender and math anxiety had no influence on attitudes toward mathematics. There

was an overall significant effect of math anxiety on self-confidence, enjoyment and

motivation with large effect size. Students with no math anxiety scored significantly

higher in enjoyment than students with high math anxiety. Students with little or no math

anxiety scored significantly higher than students with some or high math anxiety in

measures of self-confidence and motivation. Students with some math anxiety scored

significantly higher in motivation than those with high math anxiety.

A study on Mathematics anxiety (MA), a state of discomfort associated with

performing mathematical tasks, is thought to affect a notable proportion of the school

age population. Some research has indicated that MA negatively affects mathematics

performance and that girls may report higher levels of MA than boys. On the other hand

some research has indicated that boys’ mathematics performance is more negatively

affected by MA than girls’ performance is. The aim of the current study was to measure

girls’ and boys’ mathematics performance as well as their levels of MA while controlling

for test anxiety (TA) a construct related to MA but which is typically not controlled for in

MA studies.

Four-hundred and thirty three British secondary school children in school years 7,

8 and 10 completed customised mental mathematics tests and MA and TA

questionnaires.
 No gender differences emerged for mathematics performance but levels of MA

and TA were higher for girls than for boys. Girls and boys showed a positive correlation

between MA and TA and a negative correlation between MA and mathematics

performance. TA was also negatively correlated with mathematics performance, but this

relationship was stronger for girls than for boys. When controlling for TA, the negative

correlation between MA and performance remained for girls only. Regression analyses

revealed that MA was a significant predictor of performance for girls but not for boys.

Our study has revealed that secondary school children experience MA.

Importantly, we controlled for TA which is typically not controlled for in MA studies. Girls

showed higher levels of MA than boys and high levels of MA were related to poorer

levels of mathematics performance. As well as potentially having a detrimental effect on

‘online’ mathematics performance, past research has shown that high levels of MA can

have negative consequences for later mathematics education. Therefore MA warrants

attention in the mathematics classroom, particularly because there is evidence that MA

develops during the primary school years. Furthermore, our study showed no gender

difference in mathematics performance, despite girls reporting higher levels of MA.

These results might suggest that girls may have had the potential to perform better than

boys in mathematics however their performance may have been attenuated by their

higher levels of MA. Longitudinal research is needed to investigate the development of

MA and its effect on mathematics performance.

Local Studies

The purpose of the study was to explore rural high school learners' experience of

mathematics anxiety in academic settings. Mathematics anxiety has been found to have
an adverse effect on confidence, motivation and achievement. This quantitative study is

exploratory and descriptive in nature. The participants were 403 learners doing

mathematics in 18 rural schools in the Free State province of South Africa. Participants

completed a 20-item questionnaire and 373 (92.5%) questionnaires were found to

contain valid responses and were analysed by a professional statistician at the

University of the Free State using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

(SPSS), Version 17.0. The questionnaire was testedfor reliability using the Cronbach

alpha coefficient and was found to have a reliability score of .841, indicating an

acceptable reliability coefficient. Findings reveal that all learners sometimes, often, or

always experience mathematics anxiety in academic settings. It is therefore important

for teachers and authorities in education to observe its prevalence and to implement

strategies toward the alleviation of the effects of mathematics anxiety.

The study found out, the relationship between Mathematics anxiety and student

academic achievement in some selected secondary schools in Southwestern Nigeria.

The study adopted the descriptive survey design and simple percentages were used in

analyzing the data. Two validated instruments were used in collecting data for the study.

The subject of the study was made up of 1750 senior secondary school students

selected from 2 secondary schools in each of the Senatorial districts in Southwestern

part of Nigeria. The results showed that many of the students were afraid of

Mathematics, because of the fear of the subject and the fear of failing tests. The

findings also revealed that majority of the students don’t know how to study for

Mathematics tests. It was recommended that stakeholders should organize propaganda

in the media to educate parents, students and the general public about Mathematics to

allay their fear of the subject.

Poor achievement levels in mathematics for a significant percentage of the

population have been an issue in the UK for decades [25]. The data presented in this

paper supports a number of hypotheses, which combine to suggest a final hypothesis,

that is, that too many children and adults give up on mathematics learning by

withdrawing from any task that is perceived as likely to result in failure, which in turn

becomes a pervasive attitude. The withdrawal strategy avoids the learner being judged

as wrong and thus adding to their sense of helplessness. Some of the demands of

mathematics that contribute to a sense of failure, anxiety, and helplessness are based

on beliefs, rather than academic necessity. These beliefs also have an effect on the way

mathematics is taught with a focus on the curriculum whilst overlooking the

characteristics of the learners.

The combination of “no attempts” and incorrect answers for many of the

examples used above is not indicative of a successful outcome for the mathematics

curriculum and how it is taught in the UK.

Finally, a 12-year-old student summed up his experiences of mathematics

teaching as, “All I hear is talking, talking. It’s a river.” Perhaps it is time to challenge

some of the mathematics beliefs that have a profound influence on the way the subject

is perceived and taught and give more focus to how learners learn.

In today’s educational systems, students of all levels of education experience

math anxiety. Furthermore, math anxiety is frequently linked to poor achievement in

mathematics. The purpose of this study is to examine the causes of math anxiety and to
explore strategies which pre-service teachers have identified to overcome math anxiety.

The methodology included conducting surveys with 70 pre-service teachers in Canada

and completing a critical analysis of the data to provide an overview of the causes of

math anxiety. These data indicate that pre-service teachers have encountered math

anxiety in many situations. These causes include: lack of self-confidence, fear of failure;

teaching styles; ineffective learning practices, and non-engagement of students.

Furthermore, these data indicate that facing math anxiety have empowered the

participants to devise strategies which have enabled them to overcome math anxiety.

The author suggests that an improved understanding of math anxiety hold implications

for all students and educators of mathematics.

Exploratory factor analysis of the ATMI using a sample of high school students

resulted in four factors identified as self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation.

Self-confidence consisted of 15 items. The value scale consisted of 10 items. The

enjoyment scale consisted of 10 items. The motivation scale consisted of five items.

Alpha coefficients for the scores of these scales were found to be .95, .89, .89, and .88

respectively (Tapia, 1996). Tapia (1996) found a four-factor solution from an

exploratory factor analysis with maximum likelihood method of extraction and a varimax,

orthogonal, rotation. The names for the factors reported were self-confidence, value of

mathematics, enjoyment of mathematics, and motivation. Based on that factor analysis,

the 40 items were classified into four categories each of which was represented by a

factor. A composite score for each category was calculated by adding up all the

numbers of the scaled responses to the items belonging to that category. Cronbach

alpha coefficients were calculated for the scores of the scales and were found to be .96
for self-confidence, .93 for value, .88 for enjoyment, and .87 for motivation. The data

were analyzed by using multivariate factorial model with the four factors as dependent

variables: (1) self-confidence, (2) value, (3) enjoyment, and (4) motivation and two

independent variables: (1) gender and (2) level of math anxiety. Multivariate analysis of

variance (MANOVA) was performed by using SPSS.

Data were analyzed testing for interaction effect and main effect at the .05 level.

Data analysis indicated that the two-way interaction effect of the two variables

Gender*MathAnxiety on the four dependent variables self-confidence, value, enjoyment,

and motivation was insignificant with small effect size (Wilks’ Lambda F = 1.117, p < .

35, eta squared = .04). Hence, it was concluded that there was not enough evidence to

indicate a two-way multivariate interaction. The results also showed that the main effect

of gender was insignificant with small effect size (Wilks’ Lambda F= 1.018, p < .40, eta

squared = .03), but the main effect of mathematics anxiety was significant with large

effect size (Wilks’ Lambda F = 7.237, p < .00, eta squared = .19). So it was concluded

that there was enough evidence to say that there was an effect of the variable level of

math anxiety on the four dependent variables self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and

motivation. Therefore, follow ups were conducted.

Tests of between-subject effects showed that the effect of math anxiety to three

of the four dependent variables was significant with large effect size. There was enough

evidence to say that there was an effect of math anxiety on the variables self-

confidence (F(3,121) = 31.158, p < .00, eta squared = .44), enjoyment (F(3,121) =

9.614, p < .00, eta squared = .19), and motivation (F(3,121) = 13.179, p < .00,eta

squared = .25).
Estimated marginal means in self-confidence were 62.96 (SD = 2.12) for students with

no math anxiety, 57.64 (SD = 1.68) for students with little math anxiety, 48.89 (SD =

1.71) for students with some math anxiety, and 36.42 (SD = 2.16) for students with high

math anxiety. Pairwise comparisons showed students with no or little math anxiety

scored significantly higher in self-confidence than students with high math anxiety.

In enjoyment estimated marginal means were 36.78 (SD = 1.49) for students

with no math anxiety, 34.37 (SD = 1.19) for students with little math anxiety, 31.74 (SD

= 1.20) for students with some math anxiety, and 26.08 (SD = 1.52) for students with

high math anxiety. Pairwise comparisons showed students with no math anxiety scoring

significantly higher in enjoyment than students with high math anxiety.

Estimated marginal means in motivation were 17.06 (SD = 0.79) for students

with no math anxiety, 16.14 (SD = 0.63) for students with little math anxiety, 13.65 (SD

= 0.64) for students with some math anxiety, and 10.88 (SD = 0.80) for students with

high math anxiety. In motivation pairwise comparisons showed students with no or little

math anxiety scoring significantly higher in motivation than students with some or high

math anxiety and students with some math anxiety scoring significantly higher than

students with high math anxiety.

The study of has revealed that secondary school children experience MA.

Importantly, girls showed higher levels of MA than boys and high levels of MA were

related to poorer levels of mathematics performance. As well as potentially having a

detrimental effect on ‘online’ mathematics performance, past research has shown that

high levels of MA can have negative consequences for later mathematics education.

Therefore MA warrants attention in the mathematics classroom, particularly because

there is evidence that MA develops during the primary school years. Furthermore, our

study showed no gender difference in mathematics performance, despite girls reporting

higher levels of MA. These results might suggest that girls may have had the potential

to perform better than boys in mathematics however their performance may have been

attenuated by their higher levels of MA. Longitudinal research is needed to investigate

the development of MA and its effect on mathematics performance.

A study involving 482 secondary school pupils were studied in total. 49 pupils

were excluded from the investigation because they did not give at least one correct

response in the mathematics test (41 pupils: 28 boys and 13 girls) or because they did

not fill in the MA questionnaire (8 pupils). We decided to exclude the 41 pupils who did

not fill out the mathematics test because it was hard to decide whether they did so

because they were genuinely unable to solve a single task (which is very unlikely) or

because they were not motivated to respond to the questions. The remaining 433

children (165 girls and 268 boys) were included in the sample: 158 children in Year 7

(mean age = 12.13 years, SD = 0.43 years), 137 in Year 8 (mean age = 13.01 years,

SD = 0.44 years) and 138 in Year 10 (mean age = 15.14 years; SD = 0.40 years).

Participants attended a rural comprehensive secondary school located in England, UK.

The catchment area of the school was predominantly working class and lower-middle

class. Participants and guardians gave appropriate informed written consent. The study

was approved by the Departmental Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of

Education, University of Cambridge. The research was in compliance with the Helsinki

Declaration. Additional file 1: Figure S1 demonstrates the MA scores of excluded

participants: scores cover the whole available spectrum. In this sample the mean ±
standard deviation of MA was 0.62 ± 1.35 (minimum; -1.98; maximum: 3.56) which fits

the group average. The following describes the results from the main sample.

Gender differences on the three measures are depicted in Figure Figure1.1. The

MANOVA found the gender factor highly significant (Wilks: F(3, 427) = 11.57; p

<0.0001). According to univariate ANOVAs mathematics test performance was not

different between girls and boys (−0.08 vs. 0.04 standard deviations; p = 0.2). In

contrast, MA was 0.33 standard deviations higher in girls than in boys (0.2 vs. -0.13

standard deviations; F(2, 429) = 11.52; p = 0.0007). In addition, TA was also 0.55

standard deviations higher in girls than in boys (0.34 vs. -0.21 standard deviations; F(2,

429) = 33.51; p <0.0001). There were no other significant effects.

Bamidele (2005) in his study mathematics not dreadful subject stated that in

Nigerian schools, students general impression is that mathematics is a dreadful subject.

But ironically, this subject is the basis for scientific and technological advancement of

any country. This was corroborated by Prof. Samuel Ale that the subject is rather an

interesting one hence, the establishment of the National Mathematical Center (NMC) in

Abuja, Nigeria. The main objectives of the NMC was to improve on the teaching and

learning of mathematics; to develop interest in the mathematical sciences; to enable

researchers in the mathematical sciences to come together for more advanced work by

organizing workshops not only for Nigeria, but also for West Africa, Africa and the world

at large.

Chapter 3
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the research design, setting of the study, instrumentation,

validation, procedure of the study, and the statistical treatment applied in the problems.

Research Design

This study used descriptive correlation and documentary analysis method with

the questionnaire-checklist as the primary data gathering tool. This is found to be the

most appropriate design to be used because the concern of this study is to determine

the correlations of Mathematical anxiety and academic performance of grade five pupils

in the District of Cardona. Likewise, significant difference shall also be determine based

from the analysis of the factors and respondents’ profile.

Descriptive studies are usually the best methods for collecting information that

will demonstrate relationships and describe the world as it exists. These types of studies

are often done before an experiment to know what specific things to manipulate and

include in an experiment. Bickman and Rog (1998) suggest that descriptive studies can

answer questions such as “what is” or “what was.” Experiments can typically answer

“why” or “how.” Further, it is used to obtain information concerning the current status of

the phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a

situation. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo.

It is also correlation study which investigates the relationship between variables.

It is important to appreciate that correlational research is descriptive because there is no

manipulation of variables or controls. In correlational research, it is impossible to

conclude that something "caused" something to occur. Remember that correlations are
indicators of a relationship and not an effect leading to developmental studies which

seek to determine changes over time.

Likewise, it also involved documentary analysis as results of grades in

Mathematics were obtained to find out its relationship to Mathematical anxiety.

All the mentioned designs were applied to obtain all the necessary information as

reliable as possible pertinent in this investigation.

Subject of the Study

The focus of this study are the selected public elementary schools in the district

of Cardona from where grade five pupils of these schools are chosen as respondents of

the study.

Table 1

Distribution of Respondents in the study

Schools Population Sample Total

Elementary School
Elementary School
Elementary School
Elementary School
Total

Table 1 presents the distribution of the respondents of the study. It could be

gleaned from the table that there are ____ from ________ Elementary School;

____________ Elementary School; _____ from ___________ Elementary School while

_____ from ___________ Elementary School with a total of _____ respondents.

The actual number of respondents were obtained and computed using purposive

random sampling applying the Slovin’s Formula at 0.5 to standard margin of errors. The

Proportional Random Sampling was applied using the following formula:

 N
n=
1+ N e 2

Where: n = sample size

N = population size

E = desired margin of error (5%)

Procedure of the Study

The preparation for thesis writing started with title defense to the research

instructor where series of questions were asked to the researcher to justify the need for

the proposed title. After the approval of the tile, the researcher started to gather

information about the selected topic. After which, development of Chapters 1-3

followed. Likewise, construction of the research instrument was done which was

personally subjected to face validation with the help of some teachers in the field of

Mathematics. It was then shown to the research instructor for checking. After careful

analysis of the research instructor, finding out that it is ready for colloquium, schedule

for pre-orals was given.

Instrumentation

In order to smoothly conduct the present research, standard operating

procedures were adhered to push through with the investigation. In order to find

answers to the main objective of the study, a questionnaire/ checklist was developed by

the researcher describing the use of different variables considered in the study.
 The self-made questionnaire/checklist is divided into two parts. Part I includes

the respondents profile wherein personal variables for respondents such as age,

gender, parents’ educational attainment, and monthly family income are included. To

facilitate data collection, respondents have to check the appropriate space that

corresponds to their answer. As the researcher, administers the distribution of

instrument, encouragement to fill out the entire document was done to get a reliable

response. In case the respondent did not answer some items, the researcher reserves

the right of the respondent in this regard.

Part II discusses the main problem of the study. This portion includes variables

on Mathematical anxiety such as environment, personal, and intellectual. These

variables were considered as these are often discuss in the literature and studies about

the topic.

A Likert-type was prepared where respondents can freely choose their responses

based on the following scale:

Scale value Description

4.20–5.0 5 – Always

3.40– 4.19 4 – Often

2.60 – 3.39 3 – Sometimes

1.80 – 2.59 2 – Seldom

1.00 – 1.79 1 – Never

To describe the level of academic performance of the respondents in

Mathematics, the following scale values and description were applied.

Scale value Description Academic Performance

4.20 – 5.00 excellent 93–100%

3.40 – 4.19 very good 97–92%

2.60 – 3.39 good 80–86%

1.80 – 2.59 fair 75 – 79%

1.00 – 1.70 poor 70– 74%

The respondents checked the appropriate space on the information called for in

each of the item listed without leaving any item unanswered. The answers/responses

provided were treated confidentially.

Validation

In order to validate the questionnaire made by the researcher, experts who have

been honed by times in the field of education, administration and research were asked

to comment on the document. In doing so, the researcher has to include suggestions

given by the experts for further improvement of the questionnaire.

To further determine the veracity of the instrument, it was also presented to the

research instructor and finally to the research director of the college for approval. With

the given go-signal that the paper is valid, it was finalized for reproduction.

Statistical Treatment

The data obtained were analyzed and interpreted with the use of the following

statistical tools.

For problem 1, on the profile of the grade five pupil respondents, frequency and

percentage distribution was utilized.

 For problem 2, determine the level of Mathematical anxiety of the respondents

with respect to the different factors, weighted mean was used.

For problem 3, to obtain the academic performance of grade five pupils

documentary analysis shall be used. Data in this portion shall be obtained from the

selected schools following the standard operating procedures. Computation shall be

made with the use of mean and standard deviation

For problem 4, to determine the significant difference on the level of

Mathematical anxiety of the respondents with respect to the different factors in ters of

their profile, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed.

For problem 5, to determine the significant relationship of Mathematical anxiety

and academic performance of grade six pupils, Pearson-r was utilized.

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            12_v38/21109782/p1/article.jhtml
 QUESTIONNAIRE/CHECKLIST ON MATHEMATICAL ANXIETY AMONG GRADE
FIVE PUPILS IN SELECTED PUBLIC ELEENTARY SCHOOLS
IN THE DISTRICT O CARDONA

PART I. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES. Check the space that describes you

1. Age

_____ 9 yrs. old and below

_____ 10
______ 11 yrs old and above

2. Gender:
_____ Male_____ Female

3. Parents’ Educational Attainment

Father
_____ College Graduate
_____ High School Graduate
_____ Elementary Graduate
Mother
_____ College Graduate
_____ High School Graduate
_____ Elementary GRaduate

4. Monthly Family Income

_____ below P9,999.00

_____ P 10,000 – P14,999.00
_____ P 15,000 – P19,999.00
_____ P 20,000 - P24,999.00
_____ P 25,000 - P29,999.00
_____ P 30,000 and above
PART II. MATHEMATICAL ANXIETY AMONG GRADE FIVE PUPILS

Check the space that corresponds to your answer. Use the scale below:

5 - Always
4 - Often
3 - Sometimes
2 - Seldom
1 - Never

ENVIRONMENT 5 4 3 2 1

1. Mathematics teachers have been willing to help

me learn the materials in the subject given to us.
2. I have asked questions in my mathematics
classes.
3. I have sought help from mathematics teachers
outside of class.
4. I have worked with other students in my
mathematics classes.
5. I get nervous when I have to use mathematics
outside of school.
6. I am anxious when mathematics teachers are
lecturing.
7. I cannot understand some Mathematics problem
because I have no book
8. I cannot concentrate because the classroom is
crowded.
9. I do not understand because the teacher does not
explain Mathematics lesson well
10. I am bored the way my teacher teaches Math
PERSONAL 5 4 3 2 1

1. I have enjoyed mathematics

2. I am the type of person who is able to learn
mathematics well.
3. I have been happy in my mathematics courses.
4. I have set goals in my mathematics classes.
5. I have worked hard in my mathematics classes.
6. regularly do assigned homework in my mathematics
classes.
7. I get nervous when asking questions in class.
8. I get tense when I prepare for a mathematics test.
9. I believe I can do the mathematics in a mathematics
course.
10. I worry that I will not be able to do well on
mathematics tests.
INTELLECTUAL 5 4 3 2 1

1. I believe I can get an high grade when I am in a

mathematics class.

2. I believe I can learn well in a mathematics class.

3. I believe I can think like a mathematician.
4. I believe I can complete all of the assignments in a
mathematics subject.
5. I have done well in my mathematics courses.

6. I worry that I will not be able to get a good grade in

mathematics class.
7. I can answer Math problem using Math
computation
8. I have memorized multiplication table
9. I have mastered addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division.
10. I never get failing grade in this subject