Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008

Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008

This study investigated the teaching experiences of six elementary preservice teachers (EPTs), three with high mathematics anxiety and three with low mathematics anxiety, during their student teaching semester. The EPTs were selected from an initial pool of 121 EPTs who took the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale. The cases were compared in a cross case analysis to highlight mathematics teaching experiences among EPTs. Data sources included EPT and researcher journal entries, interview transcripts, pre-lesson surveys, field notes, lesson plans, and artifacts of observed lessons. Data were coded using Shulman’s content knowledge, Graeber’s mathematics pedagogical content knowledge, and mathematics anxiety characteristics. Findings revealed both similarities and differences across EPTs as related to four major categories: (a) planning and resources used, (b) role of the cooperating teacher, (c) content knowledge, and (d) pedagogical content knowledge. All EPTs used mostly direct instruction and relied on the course textbook and their respective cooperating teacher as their primary resources for planning. Additionally, across participants, the cooperating teacher influenced EPTs’ perceptions of students and teaching. Also, EPTs with high mathematics anxiety were weaker with respect to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Findings suggest a need to re-design methods courses to address improving the pedagogical content knowledge of EPTs with mathematics anxiety. Findings also suggest a need to develop content specific mathematics courses for EPTs to improve their content knowledge. Future studies could include a longitudinal study to follow highly anxious EPTs who take content specific elementary mathematics courses to observe their content knowledge and mathematics anxiety.

The failure rate in mathematics at school is high, not only in South Africa, but also internationally. Furthermore, learners with an apparently high general ability or aptitude for mathematics sometimes underachieve in the subject, while some learners with an apparently low general intellectual ability or aptitude for mathematics sometimes achieve well in the subject. Little attention is nonetheless given to learners' study orientation in mathematics, in spite of the fact that research has indicated that school mathematics is one of the best predictors of success in tertiary studies. An investigation into some epistemological approaches to the learning process in mathematics confirms that learners' achievement in mathematics is significantly affected by their study orientation in mathematics. The primary aim of this thesis was the development and evaluation of a study orientation questionnaire (SOM) in mathematics. Data processing procedures especially referred to the following two primary aims with the study: (a) Standardisation of the questionnaire. Steps carried out to evaluate the questionnaire psychometrically, include factor and item analysis. In the case of Grade 8 and 9, three fields (Study habits in mathematics, Mathematics anxiety and Study attitudes in mathematics) were identified. A fourth field, Locus of control regarding mathematics, was identified only in the case of learners in Grade 1 0 and ll. It was established that the SOM apparently has criterion related validity, as well as content and construct validity for the three language groups as a whole. Reliability coefficients for the SOM can in most cases be regarded as satisfactory. (b) Comparative studies to determine the applicability of the SOM. Analysis of variance techniques were used to determine where significant differences between groups (including grade-, mother tongue and sex groups) lay. Where MANOV AS showed significant differences, further investigation was carried out to determine in respect of which individual fields (single variables) groups differed significantly. By means of LSM it was determined which groups differed significantly in regard of the separate fields. Some of the findings include: * It seems that African language speakers in both grade groups are really trying to achieve in mathematics, but that their best efforts are not successful. * It would appear that girfs' level of Mathematics anxiety drops in Grade l 0 and ll. * Learners in Grade l 0 and ll show lower levels of Mathematics anxiety and more sufficient Study habits in mathematics than their counterparts in Grade 8 and9. * Perhaps the most significant finding is the phenomenon that African language learners in Grade l 0 and l l achieved much worse in regard of Locus of control than Afrikaans and English-speaking learners. A number of factors probably contribute towards this state of affairs, including language problems, teachers who are underqualified, African language learners' less than optimal socioeconomic status (SES) in general, a lack of facilities and text books and disruption which is still being experienced in rnnny traditionally black schools. It is recommended that these matters ·are attended to in an effort to create circumstances for more sufficient achievement in mathematics by learners from all language groups. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1997. / Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa) / Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie är att undersöka hur matematiklärare arbetar för att motverka matematikängslan hos elever i årskurs 4–6. Den valda datainsamlingsmetoden är semistrukturerad intervju. Resultatet visar att elever uttrycker sig negativt när de utför matematiska uppgifter eller är med på matematiklektioner. De intervjuade matematiklärarna beskriver olika orsaker bakom matematikängslan, en orsak är att elever har brister i grundläggande kunskaper i matematik. En slutsats som går att dra är att matematiklärare är medvetna om matematikängslan.

Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturstudie var att bidra med insikt i matematikångest i matematikundervisning i yngre åldrar genom att besvara frågeställningarna ”Vilka faktorer orsakar matematikångest hos elever i årskurs F-6?” och ”Vad kan lärare göra för att motverka matematikångest hos elever i årskurs F-6?”. Frågorna har besvarats med hjälp av Banduras teori om reciprok determinism. Resultatet visade att matematikångest ofta orsakades av flera faktorer samtidigt, såsom personliga faktorer, miljömässiga faktorer samt beteenderelaterade faktorer. För att motverka matematikångest behöver läraren göra någon förändring i den miljömässiga faktorn, för att i sin tur kunna påverka på elevernas personliga nivå. Lärare kan dock inte genomföra allt på egen hand, utan kan behöva ta hjälp av övrig personal på skolan, föräldrar samt av eleverna själva i kampen mot matematikångest. / The aim of this systematic literature study was to contribute with insight on mathematics anxiety in mathematics education in younger students by answering the research questions “Which factors causes mathematics anxiety in students in grade F-6?” and “What can teachers do to counteract mathematics anxiety in students in grade F-6?”. The questions were answered with help from Bandura’s theory on reciprocal determinism. The results showed that mathematics anxiety was often caused by several factors simultaneously, such as personal, environmental, and behavioral factors. To counteract mathematics anxiety, teachers need to make some form of change in the environmental factor, to be able to affect the students on the personal level. However, teachers are not able to do all of this by themselves, they need help from the school colleagues, parents, and the students themselves in the battle against mathematics anxiety

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The poor mathematics achievement of South African learners is a great shock and reason for concern in our country. The question is asked why the learners achieve so poorly and whether something can be done to improve learners’ mathematics achievement. Research has shown that the field of study orientation is a primary factor for learners’ mathematics achievement. A positive study orientation towards Mathematics has a great influence on the positive achievement of learners in Mathematics. The use of metacognition has also been found to improve learners’ mathematics achievement and their ability to solve problems. It has been decided to find the relationship between learners’ study orientation and metacognition and to determine what the influence of the relationship is on learner's mathematics achievement. Learners’ study orientation is identified as six fields that have an influence on learner's mathematics achievement. The fields are learners’ study attitude in Mathematics, Mathematics anxiety, study habits in Mathematics, problem solving behaviour in Mathematics, study milieu (social, physical well-being and classroom atmosphere) in Mathematics and information processing in Mathematics. Metacognition is described as the learners’ thoughts concerning their own thinking and is divided in two separate components: • Metacognitive knowledge: it addresses the questions of what you know, how you think, when and where to use certain strategies. Metacognitive knowledge consists of strategic knowledge, knowledge of cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. • Self-management: self-management is 'metacognition in action' and learners use it to effectively apply the metacognitive knowledge. Self-management consists of prediction, planning, monitoring and evaluation. The study population comprise of Grade 7-learners in the Potchefstroom district. The schools that participated in the study serve learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds (ex-Model C, multicultural, township, farm and learners living in the township but their school is in an affluent environment. The sample was chosen from an expedient sample. The study consists of a quantitative research as well as a qualitative research. The quantitative research was conducted by making use of the study orientation questionnaire in Mathematics, a metacognitive questionnaire and a mathematics achievement questionnaire for Grade 7. The average of the high achievement learners as well the low achievement learners were determine, intercorrelations between the variables and a regression analysis has been done to find out which fields is a good predictor for mathematics achievement. The qualitative research was conducted, using interviews. The Mathematics teachers (involved in the learner's teaching and learning), high achievement learners and low achievement learners where interviewed. The interviews were interpreted and combined with the qualitative research findings. The study found that both a positive study orientation and use of metacognition in Mathematics can enhance learners’ mathematics achievement. High achieving learners are better orientated towards Mathematics and make use of metacognition in a greater extent than learners that achieve poorly in mathematics. In general learners have a positive attitude towards Mathematics and their study milieu is positive. It has been found that learner's orientation toward study habits is weak and their problem solving behaviour is weak also, especially with solving non routine problems. Out of the correlations it was found that learners which experience a high level of mathematics anxiety and a negative study milieu make less use of metacognition than learners that experience less mathematics anxiety and have a positive study milieu. There is a relationship between metacognition and study-orientation and this relationship has an influence on learners’ mathematics achievement. Recommendations were made concerning metacognition and study orientation. In order to enhance learners’ mathematics achievement, it is necessary to improve their use of metacognition and study orientation towards mathematics / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.