EFFECT OF STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF MATHEMATICS ANXIETY IN MATHEMATICS STUDENTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT
This study investigated effect of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety in mathematics. The research was carried out on Students from which three junior secondary schools were randomly selected as sample for the study from forty students per school were selected as a representative of population through simple random sampling technique. Effect of Students’ Perception of Mathematics Anxiety in Mathematics questionnaire developed by the researcher was the main instruments used for data collection with the test – retest reliability method used to determine the reliability of the instrument. The statistic used was Pearson Product Moment Coefficient analysis for testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The result from findings shown that there will be significant relationship between students’ perception of mathematics anxiety and students’ performance in mathematics, there is significant relationship between male students’ perception and mathematics anxiety of senior secondary students in mathematics in Ojo Local Government of Lagos State and there will be significant relationship between female perceptions of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics.
it was recommended that the Parents, from school age of a child, should endeavor to jointly educate their wards on “importance of Mathematics” to a good and meaningful life later in the future; Parents should, as a matter of compulsion, disabuse the impression that Mathematics is both difficult to learn and comprehend; and teachers’ attitude as it relates to mystification of teaching of Mathematics should be discouraged at all levels of education;
Keys words: Effect, Students, Perception, Mathematics anxiety and Mathematics
INTRODUCTION
The place of mathematics in man’s way of life and development cannot be over emphasized. Generally, mathematics is a very desirable tool in virtually all spheres of human endeavour, be it science, engineering, industry, technology and even the arts. No nation can develop scientifically if it neglects mathematics.
Many aspects of daily life require some knowledge and knowledge is critical to the pursuit of many existing and newly emerging occupational fields. Moreover, all undergraduate students are required to take some level of Mathematics. If students suffer from Mathematics anxiety, their willingness to enroll and succeed in Mathematics courses diminished (Stubblefield, 2016).
Mathematics anxiety is a problem for many people. It can have detrimental effects for college students including feeling of nervous tension, fear of rejection, and stress (Truttschel, 2017).
Reported consequences of being anxious toward Mathematics include the avoidance of Mathematics and the decline in Mathematics achievement. This kind of “anxiety” is first detected in the late 1950s. Dredger and Aiken (2017), noticed undergraduate college student reacting emotionally to arithmetic and Mathematics. Although the reaction is appeared to be similar to test anxiety in general, they found that Mathematics anxiety is a potential factor prose. They have labeled it “number anxiety”, which is often assumed to be a high level of anxiety impairs performance.
Perception is the way people judge others with whom they are in contact. A person’s attitude to an idea or object determines what the person thinks, feels and how the person would like to behave towards that idea or object. A teacher who is rated high on these indices in the perception of the students is likely to enjoy the confidence, respect and admiration of his/her students and vice versa. The way students perceive a subject determines their success or failure in that subject. Some students perceive mathematics as no go area because of the negative impression passed down to them by the past generations who had bad experience with unqualified mathematics teachers; that mathematics is the most difficult subject in the school, it is not meant for everybody, not everybody passes it, it is meant for those with special talent, some were born to do mathematics while others were not (Audu, 2015).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Mathematics anxiety has created anxiety in students and strengthens the perception that they are weak in mathematics. It is a common problem among students which lead to a decline in the performance in mathematics. Much anxiety is experienced in classrooms due to number of reasons. Lack of teachers’ consideration of different learning styles among students is identifying as one of the major causes of math anxiety.
Some students perceive mathematics as no go area because of the negative impression passed down to them by the past generations who had bad experience with unqualified mathematics teachers; that mathematics is the most difficult subject in the school, it is not meant for everybody, not everybody passes it, it is meant for those with special talent, some were born to do mathematics while others were not (Audu, 2015).
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics. In specific terms, the study sought:
- To find out the significance of effect of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics
- To determine the significance of effect of male students perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics
- To investigate the significance of effect of female students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in Mathematics
The researcher came up with the following research questions which will go a long way in the study.
- Is there any significant effect of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics?
- Will there be any significant effect of male students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics?
- Will there be any relationship between mathematics anxiety and female students’ perception in mathematics?
The following research hypotheses formulated guided this study
Ho1: There will be no significant effect of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics
Ho2: There will be no significant effect of male student’s perception of mathematics anxiety on student’s performance in mathematics
Ho3: There will be no significant relationship between female perceptions of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in mathematics
Firstly, by examining the perception and anxiety of mathematics that students hold, there is a potential for such images, attitudes, beliefs to be challenged, promoted or discouraged.
Secondly, the information obtained through this study will enhance better strategies and measures for promoting student understanding and participation in mathematics related fields. The results of this study might inform the extent of the influences of parents and teachers in shaping students’ perceptions of mathematics.
Thirdly, this information from this study can be used to promote positive effect while attempting to avoid the negative effect of these sources. It will help to understand better the roles of parents and teachers in the shaping of students’ images of mathematics.
Also, the findings will reflect possible implication for mathematics education and mathematics teacher education. Knowing how students perceive mathematics learning experiences in school and how this could influence their images of mathematics will help us to understand better how mathematics should be presented in the classroom.
Finally, this study may also help to enhance better curriculum planning and teacher development programmes. Students’ views of mathematics are important as they can shape the way in which they learn mathematics. Such views and perceptions may have more influence and knowledge in determining how students define problems in mathematics. Perceptions of what mathematics is and is not, may affect perception and anxiety in mathematics.
This study would focus on effect of students’ perception of mathematics anxiety in mathematics the study is limited to Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos. This is because the researcher resides in the local government area and as such had the opportunity of having a comprehensive knowledge of the area and its environs. Besides, the study involves only the J.S.S2 mathematics students of the junior secondary schools in Ojo local government area of Lagos State.
Sourcing of good materials for literature review, other logistics and the uncooperative attitude of the respondents will pose hindrance to the study.
1.9 Operation Definition of Terms
Student: A person formally engaged in learning mathematics especially students enrolled in a school.
Perception: it is the attitude and feeling of students in mathematics class which determines their success or failure in mathematics.
Anxiety: it is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by
Physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it. (Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 2013, p. 53)
Mathematics: mathematics is a very desirable tool in virtually all spheres of human endeavour, be it science, engineering, industry, technology and even the arts
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