Math Anxiety In Sixth Graders Measured As A Multi-Dimensional Construct

Author(s):

Raphaela Porsch(presenting / submitting)Mona Bünnemann Rainer Bromme

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments

Format:

Paper

Session Information

20 SES 13 JS B, Issues of Inclusion in Mathematics Education II

Paper Session
Joint Session with NW 24

Time:

2013-09-13

11:00-12:30

Room:

D-404

Chair:

Tugba Temiz

Contribution

In order to understand the development as well as the effects of Mathematics Anxiety (MA) we need reliable and valid scales for measuring MA. One of the most frequently used instruments is the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS; Richardson & Suinn, 1972). Many studies support its validity and reliability (see Baloglu, 2010) but as Alexander and Martray (1989) have pointed out, the underlying assumption of MA as a unidimensional trait might be wrong. Several studies suggest a multidimensional structure of MA (e.g., Bessant, 1995; Ferguson, 1986; Kazelskis, 1998; Plake & Parker, 1982; Resnick et al., 1982). Suinn and Winston (2003) identified two factors with a 30-item-version of the MARS: mathematic test anxiety and numerical anxiety. Others suggest three or even five dimensions (e.g., Baloglu, 2010). Prominent questionnaires, many of them adapted or shortened versions of the MARS, are, for example, The Mathematics Anxiety Scale: MAS (Betz, 1978) and The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: AMAS (Hopko et al., 2003). As a common finding, these instruments identify two components of mathematics anxiety: having more general negative affective reactions to math (in school and/or daily life) and worrying about doing well in math, especially when being tested. However, even such a distinction might be too narrow: The broad distinction between school- and out-of-school-contexts does not consider the variety of situations of working on mathematical tasks in schools (e.g., answering spontaneously or after preparation time). Furthermore these instruments do not consider that different tasks from various areas of math (e.g., geometry and arithmetic) demanding various skills and, presumingly, evoke different levels of anxiousness. Sparfeldt et al. (2005) make a distinction of different subjects in school (e.g., math and physics) in order to investigate anxiety among secondary students. Other research showed differences between statistics anxiety and mathematics anxiety (e.g., Baloglu, 2004).

Method

In order to allow for both kinds of differences (situations and curricular content) we have developed an instrument for measuring mathematics anxiety with regard to different kinds of situations within school lessons as well as with regard to different curricular content areas. Participants have to answer three anxiety items on a four points Likert scale each asking about their worriedness when imagining having to solve a presented task either (a) individually in silence (b) spontaneously in front of the class, or (c) in front of the class after having preparation time. Altogether students are confronted with six mathematical tasks from two different areas, thus, 18 anxiety items need to be answered. After responding to the anxiety items, each task is presented again and needs to be solved by the students. The six tasks plus a sample task were taken from a piloted school competence test of sixth graders and covered the domains arithmetic and basic understanding of data. In the study to be presented we examined 177 sixth graders in order to find out if math anxiety at that age is affected by the situation of mathematical problem solving and by the specific area of math.

Expected Outcomes

Results from multivariate variance analysis show that – on the basis of highly reliable scales – math anxiety differs according to the situation and the area of the task presented. Math anxiety was high when pupils imagined calculating spontaneously in class and it was low when they imagined answering tasks after preparation time. Math anxiety of the sixth graders depends significantly on the domain of the task. The students feel more anxious when confronted with arithmetic problems compared to tasks from the domain of basic understanding of data. Using stepwise regression an impact of gender, type of school, achievement and self-concept could be found. Self-concept was the biggest predictor and explained 28 percent of the variance of math anxiety. The results of this study emphasize the need for a multidimensional construct definition and measurement of mathematic anxiety in order to make a more accurate diagnosis in future. Furthermore, the developed instrument proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure mathematics anxiety.

References

Baloglu, M. (2004). Statistics anxiety and mathematics anxiety: Some interesting differences I. Educational Research Quarterly, 27(3), 38–47. Baloglu, M. (2010). An investigation of the validity and reliability of the adapted mathematics anxiety rating scale-short version (MARS-SV) among Turkish students. European Journal of Psychology Education, 25, 507–518 Bessant, K. C. (1995). Factors associated with types of mathematics anxiety in college students. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 26(4), 327–345. Betz, N. E. (1978). Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25(5), 441–448. Ferguson, R. (1986). Abstraction anxiety: A factor of mathematics anxiety. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 17, 145–150. Hopko, D., Mahadevan, R., Bare, R. & Hunt, M. (2003). The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS). Construction, validity, and reliability. Assessment, 10, 178–182. Kazelskis, R. (1998). Some dimensions of mathematics anxiety: A factor analysis across instruments. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58, 623–633. Plake, B. S, & Parker, C. S. (1982). The development and validation of a revised version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 42, 551–557. Resnick, J. H., Viehe, J., & Segal, S. (1982). Is math anxiety a local´phenomenon? A study of prevalence and dimensionality. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 29, 39–47. Richardson, F. C. & Suinn, R. M. (1972). The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19, 551–554. Sparfeldt, J. R.; Schilling, S. R.; Rost, D. H.; Stelzl, I. & Peipert, D. (2005). Leistungsängstlichkeit: Facetten, Fächer, Fachfacetten? Zur Trennbarkeit nach Angstfacette und Inhaltsbereich. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 19(4), 225–236. Suinn, R. M., & Winston, E. H. (2003). The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, a brief version: Psychometric data. Psychological Reports, 92, 167–173.

Author Information

Raphaela Porsch (presenting / submitting)

TU Dortmund, Germany

Mona Bünnemann

Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster

Rainer Bromme