Do pre-service elementary school teachers still have mathematics anxiety? Some factors and correlates

Abstract

This study aims to provide new evidence from Turkish pre-service elementary school (PES) teachers and to identify some correlations and factors associated with mathematics anxiety (MA). 480 Turkish PES teachers participated in this study. Data was collected using a Personal Information Form, Mathematics Anxiety Scale, and Mathematics Attitude Scale. Data was analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 statistics program. It was revealed that the MA level of the participants was low, and the difference based on gender was not significant. Cross-sectional comparison indicated that freshmen were more inclined to have MA than the seniors. Based on self-reported perceptions, we found that there were significant differences related to mathematics. There was a tendency for participants with negative attitudes towards mathematics and low achievers to possess higher levels of MA. It was also found that there was a significant correlation among mathematics anxiety, mathematics achievement, and mathematics attitudes. This study will provide some guidance for the revision of course requirements and teaching strategies, and promotes collaboration between mathematics educators and counselors.Keywords: Mathematics anxiety. Pre-service elementary school teacher. Mathematics attitudes. Gender. Achievement. ResumoO artigo pretende investigar, no contexto da Turquia, fatores associados à ansiedade em relação à Matemática, tendo como sujeitos futuros professores da escola elementar. Quatrocentos e oitenta sujeitos compuseram a amostragem da pesquisa, cujos dados foram coletados por meio de questionários, organizados usando escalas que levaram em conta tanto a ansiedade quanto a atitude de cada sujeito em relação à Matemática e analisados usando o programa estatístico SPSS 17.0. Observou-se que o nível de ansiedade dos professores é baixo e que a diferença entre os gêneros não é significativa. Uma análise cruzada revelou que a ansiedade dos futuros professores em início de formação são mais inclinados à ansiedade que aqueles ao final do curso. A partir de relatos dos próprios participantes, foram detectadas diferenças significativas, entre eles, no que diz respeito à Matemática e a existência de uma correlação entre a ansiedade, atitudes e resultados obtidos pelos estudantes. Os

Preservice to Inservice: Does Mathematics Anxiety Change With Teaching Experience?

“…For decades, research has documented mathematics anxiety in both pre- and inservice elementary teachers (Adeyemi, 2015; Aslan, 2013; Beilock, 2010; Boyd, Foster, Smith, & Boyd, 2014; Catlioglu, Gurbuz, & Birgin, 2014; Hadley & Dorward, 2011; Luo, Wang, & Luo, 2009) and focused on the origin of their prior negative mathematical experiences, mathematical beliefs, the effect of prior teachers, and teacher education training programs. The findings have concentrated on factors that contribute to teachers’ mathematics anxieties and ways to address those anxieties in preparation for teaching mathematics (Belbase, 2013; Gresham, 2009; Nisbet, 2015; Peker, 2009).…”

A Systematic Review Research: ‘Mathematics Anxiety’ in Turkey

“…Some of the reviewed studies done with middle school students stressed divergent results. For instance, in the study conducted by İlhan and Öner Sünkür (2013), it is claimed that girls are more anxious compare to boys whereas other studies done by Birgin, Baloğlu, Çatlıoğlu & Gürbüz (2010), Çatlıoğlu, Gürbüz & Birgin (2014) and Taşdemir (2015) emphasized that there is no significant relation between gender and mathematics anxiety. These results show that there is a need to conduct study with big samples at middle school levels and also at other levels to establish the relationship between these.…”

“…Hacıömeroğlu, 2017;Karadeniz & Karadağ, 2014, Şimşek, Şahinkaya & Aytekin, 2017and Yenilmez, Girginer & Uzun, 2007, relationship between some variables and mathematics anxiety (e.g. Çatlıoğlu, Gürbüz & Birgin, 2014;Doruk & Kaplan, 2013;Taşdemir, 2013;Oksal, Durmaz & Akın, 2013;Şentürk, 2012 andUysal &Selışık, 2016), relationship between anxiety, attitudes and self-efficacy in mathematics (e.g. Adal & Yavuz, 2017;Akın & Kurbanoğlu, 2011;Doruk, Öztürk &Kaplan, 2016 andKurbanoğlu &Takunyacı, 2012) relationship between anxiety and achievement in mathematics (e.g.…”

Özel Yetenekli Öğrencilerin Matematik Öz-Yeterlik Kaynaklarının Matematik Kaygıları Üzerindeki Etkilerinin İncelenmesi

“…One of the most important affective factors influencing mathematics achievement is mathematics anxiety (Bekdemir, 2009;Çatlıoğlu, Gürbüz & Birgin, 2014;İlhan & Öner Sünkür, 2012). Mathematics anxiety negatively affects individuals' problem solving skills and their abilities to use numbers by causing them to drift into feelings of anxiety and nervousness in daily life (Şahin, 2000).…”