Investigating Mathematics Anxiety over Time in University Engineering Students

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the presence of math anxiety (MA) among University Engineering students at all levels of undergraduate study. In an effort to assess the presence and severity of MA over the course of an undergraduate degree, as well as to quantify the number of highly math anxious students in this STEM discipline, a 29-question survey was conducted in each of five levels of undergraduate Engineering students. Using non-parametric statistical methods such as Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests as well as pairwise proportion comparisons, MA was compared across years of study. Utilizing existing anxiety classifications of Math Evaluation Anxiety (MEA), Learning Mathematics Anxiety (LMA) and Numerical Anxiety (NA), it was found that MEA showed the highest anxiety scores, while LMA and NA remained at or below a neutral anxiety score in all years of study. MEA questions related to anticipation of evaluation and the receipt of grades revealed the highest scores and the greatest discrepancy in anxiety by year (with Year 1 students more highly anxiously than later years in nearly all cases). Although earlier research suggests that MA tapers off by grade 10, this research suggests that while first-year university students exhibit low levels of LMA and NA, they continue to exhibit high levels of MEA. This result may be in part due to the level of questions on traditional MA assessment questionnaires addressing lower level mathematical concepts (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Since students gain comfort and mastery of concepts as they use them more frequently, this study suggests that such metrics for MA must be adjusted in order to accurately assess students as they progress through later years of study.

Examining the Math Anxiety Levels of University Students During Covid-19

“…It is possible to express this inversely proportional change as the decrease in mathematics anxiety levels as students' academic achievement levels increase. This result coincides with previous studies in the literature (Cates & Ryhmer, 2003;Clute, 1984;Georges, et al, 2016;Levere & Kahlon, 2019). In other words, the finding of the study that higher mathematics achievement means lower mathematics anxiety is also supported by another study conducted on F8aculty of Business Administration students.…”

“…Accordingly, it was observed that the change in students' math anxiety was not significant at the grade level. In general, it is expected that 1 st -grade students' math anxiety will be higher than other grade levels since the students of the Faculty of Business Administration take basic mathematics lessons in the first year (Levere & Kahlon, 2019;Yenilmez et al, 2004, Wahid et al, 2014. This finding that there is no difference in the mathematics anxiety of business students can be interpreted as the right choice to enroll in this higher education program as a result of the university entrance exam applied in our country.…”

“…Some researchers claim that as the grade level rises, math anxiety grows (Arıkan, 2004;Birgin et al, 2010;Dursun & Bindak, 2011). On the contrary, other research indicates that as grade level increases, math anxiety reduces (Aydın et al, 2009;Levere & Kahlon, 2019;Özdemir & Sezginsoy Şeker, 2017). When this result is evaluated in terms of mathematics anxiety, it can be attributed to the fact that many programs in higher education offer basic mathematics lessons to students in the first years and the anxiety is at the level of damped behavior for advanced grade levels (Levere & Kahlon, 2019;Wahid et al, 2014;Yenilmez et al, 2004).…”

“…On the contrary, other research indicates that as grade level increases, math anxiety reduces (Aydın et al, 2009;Levere & Kahlon, 2019;Özdemir & Sezginsoy Şeker, 2017). When this result is evaluated in terms of mathematics anxiety, it can be attributed to the fact that many programs in higher education offer basic mathematics lessons to students in the first years and the anxiety is at the level of damped behavior for advanced grade levels (Levere & Kahlon, 2019;Wahid et al, 2014;Yenilmez et al, 2004). According to published studies on the connection between mathematics anxiety and mathematical achievement, there is a poor connection between students' academic performance and their level of anxiety (Ashcraft & Faust, 1994;Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001;Buelow & Frakey, 2013;Hembree, 1990;Ma, 1999;Nunez-Pena.…”

Development of Instruments to Measure Mathematical Anxiety of Elementary School Students

“…One of the biggest constraints in mathematics learning is when students cannot understand the materials that are presented abstractly. In line with that, the word "abstract" in a question may also have encouraged slightly higher anxiety scores (Levere & Kahlon, 2019). Handling student's anxiety is one of the mental health rehabilitation efforts that can overcome various obstacles in learning (Ardi et al, 2019).…”