Mathematics Anxiety in Serbia: Comparison of 2003 and 2012 PISA Cycle

Author(s):

Jelena Radišić(presenting / submitting)Aleksandar Baucal(presenting)Marina Videnović

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

09. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

Format:

Paper

Session Information

09 SES 02 A, Findings from PISA: Performance In and Attitudes Towards Mathematics

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-02

15:15-16:45

Room:

B010 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Anabela Serrão

Contribution

Over a decade ago PISA 2003 Survey data have indicated high levels of mathematics anxiety of students in Serbia, convoyed with low achievement in mathematics. As indicated by the results, more than half of Serbian students worried whether they will have difficulties in mathematics class or earn poor marks. Latest PISA 2012 cycle allows for a closer examination on the issue, especially due to recent attempts to address the topic in both academia and everyday educational practice. Furthermore, the period between the two cycles has also been marked by more extensive efforts by the educational authorities to change teacher practices. Yet the efforts lack on continuity, while the trainings offered to the teachers were not specifically designed to tackle particular issues.

Mathematics related anxiety is defined as a state in which a student experiences negative reactions when he/she encounters mathematical concepts (e.g. numbers) or procedures during their math knowledge evaluation (Richardson &Woolfolk, 1980; Cates & Rhymer, 2003). This is a multidimensional psychological construct encompassing the feeling of pressure, inadequacy and unease while solving problems which involve number manipulation and math problems both in academia and everyday life context (Bai, Wang, Pan, & Frey, 2009; Newstead, 1998). The concept is most often operationalized through scales measuring: concerns about school marks, feelings of helplessness or/ and nervousness in solving math problem (Bai et al., 2009; Kesici & Erdogan, 2010; Zeidner, 2007).

Studies indicate that if a student has had bad experiences during elementary and secondary schooling, math anxiety will continue to reappear later in life (Jackson & Leffingwell, 1999). What's more while students’ cognitive competencies do predict confidence in learning, affective variables better predict whether or not the student will enrol in courses or follow a career in a given domain (Ashcraft, 2002; Haraekiewitz, Barron, Tauer, Carter, & Elliot, 2000; Wigfield, Battle, Keller, & Eceles, 2002).

Focus of this study will be on anxiety within the mathematics field, examining relationship between math anxiety and achievement at mathematics literacy scale and establishing possible predictors of math anxiety. Authors assume existence of different groups of students considering their interest in mathematics and related anxiety, and postulate anxiety to influence achievement of these groups differently. The comparison between 2003 and 2012 results will be in focus of this paper.

Method

Two separate analysis were undertaken, one involving 2003 PISA sample and the other involving the 2012 sample. Both samples were formed by students involved in PISA cycles (2003 and 2012). Variable in focus was math anxiety, a composite comprised of five items relating to various aspects of mathematics anxiety. High anxiety is measured agreeing with items related to worrying or feeling helpless or nervous in solving math problems. Students’ achievement was operationalized through score at PISA math literacy scale. As predictors of math anxiety three groups of variables were used: (a) demographic variables (gender, student’s expected educational level and index of economic, social and cultural status); (b) atmosphere in school and classroom (teacher support, disciplinary climate, student-teacher relations at school, sense of belonging at school, attitudes towards school) and (c) motivational cognitive aspects in learning mathematics (interest in mathematics, instrumental motivation, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics self-concept, learning strategies). Following, predictive power of each variable was examined. Based on mathematics anxiety and cognitive-motivational aspects in learning mathematics groups of student differing in their relationship towards mathematics and achievement were identified (hierarchical cluster analysis).

Expected Outcomes

The differences between the cycles are small and are not substantial. At both cycles results indicate mathematics anxiety to be negatively correlated with achievement at mathematics literacy scale. Increases in anxiety for 1 point lead to decrease in the achievement for 36 points. Similar results are obtained for 2003 cycle. Socio-demographic factors, motivational and cognitive aspects related to learning mathematics, perception of school and classroom climate explain 38% in 2012, and 40% variance of mathematics anxiety in the 2003 results. Based on students’ relationship towards mathematics they can be divided into three groups; while dimensions that set them apart are uninterested-interested in mathematics and presence-absence of anxiety. Following groups were extracted in the 2003 cycle: 1) anxious in mastering and applying mathematics, 2) uninterested and non-anxious and 3) interested in the content of mathematics. Students from the first group achieve the lowest scores at mathematics literacy scale (F=215.316, df=2, p=0.000). Similar groups were extracted nine years later. The difference rests in the fact that the first extracted group is saturated with students who are anxious and interested in mathematics, whereas the latter two groups remain the same. However within the 2012 cycle lack of interest leads to the lowest scores (F=150.723, df=2, p=0.000). Although the results presented are initial they do open the floor for a debate on the current efforts to change educational practice in Serbia, as well as whether any changes may be expected in respect to mathematics anxiety if no targeted action has been introduced. In particular strong negative relationship between being uninterested in mathematics and achievement present additional concern in the way mathematical content is delivered to students.

References

Ashcraft, M. A. (2002). Math anxiety: Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(5), pp. 181-185. Bai, H.; Wang, L.S.; Pan, W. and Frey, M (2009). Measuring mathematics anxiety: psychometric analysis of a bidimensional affective scale. Journal of Instructional psychology, 36(3), pp. 185-193. Cates, G. L., & Rhymer, K. N. (2003). Examining the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance: An instructional hierarchy perspective. Journal of Behavioral Education, 12 , pp. 23-34. Harackicwitz, J.M., Barron, K.E., Tauer, J.M., Carter, S.M., & Elliot, A.J. (2000). Short-term and long-term consequences of achievement goals: Predicting interest and performance over time. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 316-330. Jackson, C., & Leffingwell, R. (1999). The role of instructors in creating math anxiety in students from kindergarten through college. Mathematics Teacher, 92(7), pp. 583-587 Kesici, S. and Erdogan, A. (2010). Mathematics anxiety according to middle school students’ achieve motivation and social, comparison. Education, 131(1), pp. 54-63. Newstead, K. (1998). Aspects of children's mathematics anxiety. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 36(1), pp. 53-71. Richardson, F. C., &Woolfolk, R. L. (1980). Mathematics anxiety. In I. G. Sarason (Ed.), Test anxiety:Theory, research, and application.Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum , pp. 271–288 Wigfield, A., Battle, A., Keller, L. B., & Eccles, J. S. (2002). Sex differences in motivation, self-concept, career aspiration, and career choice: implications for cognitive development. In A. McGillicuddy-De Lisi & R. De Lisi (Eds.), Biology, society, and behavior: The development of sex differences in cognition (pp. 93-124). Westport, CT: Ablex. Zeidner, M. (2007). Test Anxiety in Educational Contexts: Concepts, Findings, and Future Directions. In P.A. Schutz & Pekrun, R. (Eds.), Emotions in Education (pp. 165-184). London: Academic Press.

Author Information

Jelena Radišić (presenting / submitting)

Institute for Educational Research, Serbia

Aleksandar Baucal (presenting)

Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Marina Videnović

Institute of Psychology, University of Belgrade, Serbia

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