Causes and Effects of Mathematics Anxiety Among Senior Secondary School Students in Port Harcourt City
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of mathematics anxiety among secondary school students in Lagos state. Specifically, this study seeks to:
1) To examine the perception of students on the causes of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school.
2) To examine the level of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school.
3) To identify the solution to the problem of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical framework
The theory which underpins this study is the Transactional model of test-related emotions by Smith and Ellsworth (1987). Many researchers Liebert and Morris, Zeidner cited in Bentil (2020) that test anxiety is prompted by two main factors; namely, worry and emotionality. To these researchers, the worry factor entails the cognitive components of test anxiety which results in the student having gloomy expectations, being absent-minded, self-criticism, and irrational outcomes which have been discovered to negatively correlate with academic performance.
The emotionality factor relates to physiological attributes such as heart rate, feeling of sickness, sweating, tense muscles, etc. (Liebert & Morris, 1967; Zeidner, 1998). Some scholars have offered other models in explaining test anxiety such as Skills-Deficit Model and the Cognitive-Attentional Model. Therefore, the outcome of research based on this theory could be used in making inferences on other examination anxiety theories. The study also adopted the cycle of math avoidance model by Pries and Biggs’ (2001) to explain why students experience math anxiety. According to this model, in the first phase, the person experiences negative reactions to math situations. These may derive from past negative experiences with math, and lead to a second phase in which a person avoids math situations.
This evasion leads to phase three, which is inadequate mathematics preparation, which leads to phase four, which is inadequate math performance. This leads to further unpleasant math experiences, bringing us back to the first phase. This cycle can repeat itself so many times that the math-phobic believes they can’t perform arithmetic, and the cycle is rarely interrupted. In essence, pupils go through this cycle over and over, seldom rebounding, and as a result, they believe they are incapable of doing Mathematics.
Biological investigations on mathematics anxiety discovered that math-anxious people have a faulty inhibitory system, causing task-inappropriate distracters to deplete working memory resources (Jones, 2006). Students who perform poorly on exams and examinations remark that they feel confused are unable to focus on the work at hand, or constantly worrying about how bad they are at mathematics, according to Jones (2006). Mathematics worry affects working memory’s ongoing, task-relevant activity, reducing performance and lowering accuracy.
Definition and Nature of Mathematics Anxiety
Mathematics anxiety describes the state of mind developed through personal experience, and individual emotional responses to these experiences. Negative feelings towards learning Mathematics arise as a consequence of a range of encounters relating to the way Mathematics is presented, taught and learnt by individuals (Green & Allerton, 1999). According to Sheffield and Hunt (2007), Mathematics anxiety in many ways is easy to describe and define. It is the feelings of anxiety that some individuals experience when facing mathematical problems. Like other forms of anxiety, students may feel their heart beat more quickly or strongly, they may believe they are not capable of completing a Mathematics problem, or they may avoid attempting Mathematics courses. Mathematics anxiety is known as a disabling condition when students struggle with Mathematics. This condition according to Oxford and Vordick 2006 is a specific and real fear of Mathematics that causes students to have an obsessive urge to avoid Mathematics completely. Mathematics anxiety can occur at all the levels of the educational strata from primary school to higher education, and once established, can persist in life, interfering with every day activities involving numeracy experiences in working with teachers, tutors, classmates, parents or siblings (Yenilmez, Girginer, & Uzun, 2007).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine causes and effects of mathematics anxiety among senior secondary school students in Port Harcourt city. Selected secondary schools Port Harcourt forms the population of the study.
SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Udoyen, 2019). In this study, the researcher adopted the convenient sampling method to determine the sample size.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain causes and effects of mathematics anxiety among secondary senior secondary students in Port Harcourt city. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of causes and effects of mathematics anxiety among secondary senior secondary students
Summary
This study was on causes and effects of mathematics anxiety among secondary senior secondary students in Port Harcourt city. Three objectives were raised which included; To examine the perception of students on the causes of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school, to examine the level of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school and to identify the solution to the problem of mathematics anxiety among students of secondary school. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary school in Port Harcourt. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
Results reveal that there still exists mathematics anxiety among secondary school students. However, gender-related factors do not influence mathematics anxiety. This study also shows that there is a difference in mathematics achievement of students based on their level of mathematics anxiety. Therefore, teachers should strive to understand mathematics anxiety and implement teaching and learning strategies so that students can overcome their anxiety. Yuksel-Şahin (2008) suggests that teachers should be positive and supportive and should also employ teaching methods that empower students to develop healthy attitudes toward mathematics. In addition, Smith (2004) suggests that teachers demonstrate their own interest in mathematics in order to raise students’ motivation in mathematics as a means of helping students reduce their math anxiety. Thus, this study has implications for all parties, including teachers, schools and parents, encouraging those with a vested interest in the success of their students to take into account math anxiety levels before determining effective and appropriate strategies when teaching and learning is carried out. In this way, it is hoped that the level of mathematics anxiety can be reduced
Recommendation
Mathematics educators need to recognize the causes of mathematics anxiety. Educators can become more informed about the effects of mathematics anxiety by reading related literature and attending workshops and conferences on the topic.
– Students should be able to realize that interest to learn mathematics greatly influence their performance in mathematics.
– Changing attitudes about mathematics will require support from parents, teachers and society. If negative attitudes are not changed, students’ performance, college and career choices will be limited
– Mathematics anxiety is a reality for many students; educators should be knowledgeable about its causes and provide supportive learning communities that assist students in overcoming it.
References
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- Arem, C.A., 2009. Conquering Math Anxiety. 3rd Edn., Cengage Learning, Belmont, ISBN-10: 0495829404, pp: 215.
- Bidin, J., N. Sharif and Z. Kassim, 2003. Kegelisahan matematik di kalangan pelajar menengah rendah di perlis. Proceedings of the 13th National Symposium of Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics Anxiety Among Secondary School, Perlis.
- Elenchothy, D., 2007. Kebimbangan matematik dan hubungannya dengan pencapaian pelajar tingkatan empat di daerah Klang. M.Sc Thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
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