An investigation of mathematics anxiety among sixth through eighth grade students in Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate mathematics anxiety among 220 sixth through eighth grade Turkish students in terms of mathematics achievement levels, perceived enjoyment of the mathematics teaching method, perceived enjoyment of mathematics, and perceived help with mathematics from parents. The Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Primary School Students (Bindak, 2005) was used to assess the levels of mathematics anxiety. A 3 × 2 factorial analysis of variance results showed that there was not a significant interaction effect or main effect of gender; however, there was a significant main effect of grade level. Standard multiple regression analyses show that independent variables accounted for 63% to 70% of variability in the dependent variable. The results also indicate that not only the perceived enjoyment of mathematics, but also the enjoyment of the mathematics teaching method and help with mathematics from parents had a significant effect on mathematics anxiety.

Introduction

Mathematics literacy and associated mathematical skills such as mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, mathematical connections, and communication have become more important than ever before in the current era. Furthermore, future technological and scientific innovations will be depending on the mathematics developed currently (Cuoco, Goldenberg, & Mark, 1996). On the other hand, negative attitudes and mathematics anxiety are identified as barriers in learning mathematics and attending courses and jobs/careers which require mathematics. Chipman, Krantz, and Silver (1992) reported that mathematics anxiety is negatively correlated with students’ interests in a scientific career regardless of their level of mathematical skills or gender. Similarly, Scarpello (2005) found a negative correlation between mathematics anxiety and career efficacy.

Even though there has been a considerable research on the topic, as Baloğlu and Koçak (2006) state, “there is still no clear answer as to the nature and causes of [mathematics] anxiety” (p. 1331). Moreover, Newstead (1998) argues that negative attitudes and anxiety are firm constructs to change and their negative consequences such as avoidance of mathematics, distress, and interference with conceptual thinking and memory processes may even have extended effects in adult life.

Mathematics anxiety is first introduced as a distinct construct by Dreger and Aiken in 1957 and it has been suggested as a subject-specific form of anxiety (Baloğlu & Zelhart, 2007). Atkinson (1988) defined mathematics anxiety as “a sequence of cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to a perceived self-esteem threat which occurs as a response to situations involving mathematics” (p. 3).

Although there is no general consensus about mathematics anxiety among researchers regarding not only its definition and dimensions but also its causes and effects, it has been directly or indirectly, affecting all aspects of mathematics education as being one of the most commonly investigated constructs in mathematics education (Çatlıoğlu, Birgin, Coştu, & Gürbüz, 2009). For example, when the authors performed a search of ProQuest® for interdisciplinary dissertations and theses with the keyword “mathematics anxiety,” they found 166 dissertations and theses between 1973 and 2009 on the topic.

People of all ages and ethnicities may experience mathematics anxiety; however, girls in middle and secondary schools, freshman college students, and adult women were found to show higher levels of it (Bonnstetter, 2007). In addition, there has been little research with younger students in relation to mathematics anxiety (Bonnstetter, 2007). Elizabeth-Franz (2005) argues that mathematics anxiety studies have focused more on pre-service elementary school teachers than on student populations. However, according to Newstead (1993), as being a time of quick changes, childhood is a crucial time in terms of anxiety and investigations focusing on this period are of importance.

Mathematics anxiety research among elementary to high school populations show that it is an influential variable in mathematics education. Wigfield and Meece (1988) investigated sixth through twelfth grade children and found that mathematics anxiety was more than lack of confidence in mathematics and was more of negative affective reactions to mathematics. Similarly, Meece, Wigfield, and Eccles (1990) examined the predictors of mathematics anxiety in a sample of 250 seventh through ninth grade students and found that, invariant to gender, mathematics anxiety was most directly related to mathematical ability perceptions, performance expectancies, and value perceptions.

According to the results of a meta-analysis including 151 studies, Hembree (1990) found that mathematics anxiety is related to poor performance on mathematics. He also found significant differences in mathematics anxiety levels across ability, grade level, and fields of study. In another meta-analysis of 26 studies, Ma (1999) found a significant negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and achievement among elementary and middle school students. This relationship was also consistent across gender and grade level. Ho et al. (2000) found a significant negative relationship between the affective factor of mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement across samples of sixth grade students from three different nations. Finally, the results of the Program for International Student Assessment Project (PISA), used a five-item mathematics anxiety measure and found that eighth grade Turkish students experience mathematics anxiety. Furthermore, the mean mathematics anxiety score of Turkish students was found to be higher than the means of other OECD students (EARGED, 2005).

A review of the current literature identifies several factors and correlates of mathematics anxiety which are summarized above and will be discussed below. The purpose of the present study is to investigate mathematics anxiety on a sample of sixth through eighth grade Turkish students in terms of mathematics achievement levels, perceived enjoyment of the mathematics teaching method (PET), perceived enjoyment of mathematics (PEM), and perceived help with mathematics from parents (PPM). Such an investigation is an important step in future mathematics anxiety prevention or reduction attempts. Only when the factors and correlates have been identified it may be possible to diagnose or treat mathematics anxiety. More specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:

• What are the mathematics anxiety levels of sixth through eighth grade Turkish students?

• Are there any significant differences on mathematics anxiety across gender and grade level?

• Are there any significant relationships between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement, PET, PEM, and PPM and can these variables be used in the prediction of mathematics anxiety?