Mathematics Anxiety and Learning Styles: What Is the Relationship in Elementary Preservice Teachers?

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between elementary preservice teachers' mathematics anxiety levels and learning style preferences. Subjects included 72 preservice teachers at a midsized southeastern U.S. university who were at the end of their third year of study. The subjects completed the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale and the Style Analysis Survey (SAS). Scores obtained on the two instruments were analyzed using Pearson product‐moment correlations. Eleven of the SAS subscales were examined. The global subscale was the only one related to mathematics anxiety at the p < .05 level of significance. Findings revealed a low (r= .28) but significant (p < .05) positive correlation between mathematics anxiety and a global (right‐brain dominant) learning style. As global orientation scores increased, mathematics anxiety scores increased as well. This study indicated that there is tendency for global learners to possess higher levels of mathematics anxiety.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Teaching Anxiety about Mathematics and Their Learning Styles

“…The study also found that while the divergent learners showed the highest level of mathematics teaching anxiety, the convergent learners showed the lowest level of mathematics teaching anxiety. Sloan, Daane, and Giesen (2002) reported that there were many variables affecting mathematics anxiety, such as learning styles, instructional methods, mathematics achievement levels, and confidence in doing mathematics. This study indicated that learning style preference may affect the pre-service teachers' mathematics teaching anxiety.…”

“…For example, Hadfield and Maddux (1988) found that field-dependent learners experienced more mathematics anxiety than did field-independent learners. Sloan, Daane, and Giesen (2002) reported that there was a relationship between mathematics anxiety and global learning style. They determined that a higher level of global learning was related to higher levels of mathematics anxiety.…”

“…Peker and Mirasyedioğlu (2008) found significant differences in attitudes towards mathematics among pre-service elementary school teachers with different learning styles. Besides, Hadfield and Maddux (1988), Hadfield, Martin, and Wooden (1992), and Sloan, Daane, and Giesen (2002) claimed that learning styles were related to mathematics anxiety. For example, Hadfield and Maddux (1988) found that field-dependent learners experienced more mathematics anxiety than did field-independent learners.…”

“…There are many variables, such as mathematics anxiety (Baloğlu, 1999(Baloğlu, /2001, learning styles (Sloan, Daane, & Giesen, 2002;Peker, 2005), instruction (Vinson, 2001;Iossi, 2007), lack of self-confidence (Uusimaki & Nason, 2004;Brady & Bowd, 2005), teacher beliefs, environment (Uusimaki & Nason, 2004), lack of parental support (Engelhard, 1990;Uusimaki & Nason 2004), and gender (Altermatt & Kim, 2004), that appeared to affect students' mathematics learning abilities. It seems that mathematics anxiety is an important factor that affects student achievement and attitude towards mathematics (Hembree, 1990).…”

Mathematics Anxiety

“…Thus, my research provided evidence that strategies for coping with mathematics anxiety may be reused by individuals because at times, these strategies may work to temper the anxiety. Prior research has presented experiences of mathematics anxiety as momentary states rather than as recurring experiences (Brady & Bowd, 2005;Bursal & Paznokas, 2006;Harper & Daane, 1998;Hembree, 1990;Sloan, Daane, & Giesen, 2002). What has not been considered is the coping strategies that individuals develop in response to experiences of mathematics anxiety or examined how these strategies may be used repeatedly over time.…”