The whole thesis has been the view on the level of the understanding to the number among children at first grade of the elementary school. The beginning part focuses on the general summary of the points related to the main subject. This means the developing of cognitive functions at the time when children start attending school, summary of the technical terms connected with mathematical abilities and describing the development of the mathematical abilities at the first grade. The research applies to the topics in the field of mathematical abilities, which are relatively new in the Czech Republic. I tried to describe the number sense among children at the first grade, their strategies during solving the tasks and also to describe the measure of their math anxiety. Another outcome is finding out the dependence of results of the powers of intellect test, number knowledge test and the math anxiety measure. My research was realized under the patronage of the research realized at the Australian University, Sydney. The conclusion of the thesis focuses on the suggestions how to support the children's mathematical abilities development before they start attending school. The translation of two research methods is also the partial result. Key words: number sense, math anxiety, mathematical abilities

Den här studien utgår från livsberättelser baserad på såväl narrativ teori som metod där fyra vuxna personer som säger sig ha upplevt matematikångest har blivit intervjuade. Syftet med studien är att identifiera specifika episoder i matematiksammanhang som kan kopplas till matematikångest men även känslor som är knutna till dessa episoder samt om det förekommer likheter mellan de olika intervjupersonernas upplevelser. Resultatet visar att det finns en rad gemensamma drag i livsberättelserna som till exempel liknande känslor men även situationer. Möjliga orsaker som beskrivs i litteraturbakgrunden återfinns även i intervjupersonernas livsberättelser. Det som främst framkommit är att läraren och arbetssättet har en betydande roll för hur eleven påverkas av matematiken i skolan men även hur detta har påverkat framtida livsval. Livsberättelser är en intressant metod eftersom man i rollen som intervjuare kommer intervjupersonen nära och berättelsen upplevs därmed som genuin och ärlig. Utifrån analysen av resultatet är det viktigt att läraren är medveten om att dennes arbetssätt och bemötande kan påverka elevens upplevelse av matematik såväl negativt som positivt. Blir upplevelsen för negativ kan den i värsta fall leda till att eleven utvecklar matematikångest.

In the US, an estimated 25% of four-year college students and up to 80% of community college students suffer from a moderate to high degree of mathematics anxiety (MA) (Chang & Beilock, 2016). Many scholars have noted that mathematics anxiety can be regarded as a significant factor in determining a student's achievement and mathematics related jobs. In the existing literature body, many researchers noted that MA may stem from teaching methods that are more conventional and rule-bounded such as lecture-style classroom models. On the other hand, MA can be mitigated by inquiry-based learning classroom models where students construct knowledge through inquiry, communication, critical thinking, and group work. However, the current literature has not built the connection between different teaching styles and students' individual differences with respect to MA. The individual differences are associated with the personality of the learner, learning styles, learning speed, and needs and interests of the learner. Depending on a student's learning style and a compatible teaching style, the student may actively participate in their own learning with less mathematics anxiety. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the influence of different teaching styles on MA, when interacted with Kolb’s and Gregorc’s (1984) four different learning and thinking styles. The research questions investigated in this study are: 1) What is the difference between a lecture classroom model (LCM) and an inquiry-based learning classroom model (IBL) on students’ mathematics anxiety levels over a fifteen-week semester of a college-level remedial mathematics course?; 2) What is the difference between a lecture classroom model (LCM) and an inquiry-based learning classroom model (IBL) on mathematics anxiety levels for students with different learning and thinking styles (as defined by Kolb’s and Gregorc’s learning styles) over a fifteen-week semester?; and 3) What aspects of instructional approaches (LCM and IBL) do students with different learning and thinking styles report as being related to mathematics anxiety? The abbreviated version of the mathematics anxiety rating scale (A-MARS), Kolb’s learning styles inventory, Gregorc’s thinking styles, and Written questionnaire were used to measure students’ MA levels and identify their learning and thinking styles. The results provided evidence that IBL instruction is beneficial for the students with MA, especially with mathematics test anxiety and mathematics course anxiety. Only numerical task anxiety was not significant. Thus, student-centered learning pedagogies turned out to be an effective and engaging method for lowering MA. However, there was no evidence to support the overall relationship between the constructs of learning and thinking styles and MA levels, above and beyond the instructional approaches. Classifying students according to learning and thinking styles did not influence students’ MA levels in this study over the 15 academic weeks. Moreover, after a 15 academic weeks, students in both LCM and IBL classes responded positively to key components of LCM and IBL classroom models. This implies that both LCM and IBL approaches still are important models regardless of students’ MA levels.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 71-73.

The objective of this study was to bring further knowledge to the subject as to what influences students motivation and self-esteem. The study had focus on role that the teachers play in these aspects. The study was done by using both a qualitative and quantitative approach. The qualitative method was interviews based on six interviews with two teachers and four students from two different classes. The quantitative method was a questionnaire study that was done in both classes. Results from the study show that the students think that their high school teachers are promoting their mathematical self-esteem. The differences regarding students mathematical self-esteem are less than the differences found within the gender. One of the conclusions drawn from this study is that students mathematical self-esteem is considerably lower than their general self-esteem. It has also been noticed that student’s perceive that their mathematical self-esteem has increased from elementary school to high school which they claim is due to their high school teachers.

As learners progress through the educational system their interest in mathematics diminishes. Although mathematics is designed to challenge learners, it has produced a high number of failures. Mathematics is most often measured by speed and accuracy of learners’ computation with little emphasis on problem solving and pattern finding. Whilst there are not many opportunities for learners to work on rich mathematical tasks that require divergent thinking as well. Such an approach limits the use of creativity in the classroom and reduces mathematics to a set of skills to master and rules to memorise. In doing so, causes many learners to become anxious and apprehensive. Thus their curiosity and enthusiasm for mathematics disappear, as they get older. Keeping learners interested and engaged in mathematics by recognising and valuing their mathematical creativity may reverse this negative tendency. 97 learners from Riverview High School took part in the study. Three different instruments were used to collect data: Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS), Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) and a focus group interview. The MAS questionnaire was used to measure the level of mathematics anxiety experienced by the learners. The PRCA-24 questionnaire is a self-report measure of communication apprehension. The underlying factors were established that were influential in determining the levels of maths anxiety and communication apprehension in individual learners. The results of the study suggest that learner’ ability and attitude played an important role that would lead to the large failure rate in mathematics. Analysis and interpretation of the findings lead to the following conclusions being reached: (a) perceptions of mathematics as being a difficult subject (b) learners negative attitude in mathematics (c) fear for the subject, (d) learners self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics, (e) peer behaviour and (f) teacher behaviour. The research study findings suggest that learner’ ability and attitude played an important role. These attitudes contribute directly to the existence of maths anxiety and communication apprehension in learners which impacts on their academic performance. The results of the study suggest that learners experience varying levels of maths anxiety and communication apprehension that impacts on their performance in Mathematics, which are barriers to learning mathematics. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to further explore single case data related to the construct of math anxiety, as it applies to women. A triple mode analysis was used to identify critical variables and to establish patterns of synchrony, desynchrony and partial synchrony. A total of six women participated in two math tasks. While performing these two tasks, high threat and low threat, heart rate, self-reported anxiety and motoric performance were monitored. Data were collected before and after each specific task. Data were also collected at pre-selected points during the task performance. This continuous time series and interval data were utilized to provide clarification of the math anxiety construct, as it applies to women.Using visual inspection, there was not enough variance in the physical and motoric data to warrant a deferential determination of synchrony or desynchrony. The subjects responded differently than hypothesized. The heart rate measure varied only slightly over task and time. Self-reported anxiety, SUDS and STAI, was above average. The WAIS digit symbol results were sometimes opposite the hypotheses. Cognition, self-report and the standardized measure of state anxiety emerged as the dominant factors in assigning the construct of math anxiety. These are consistent with the findings of Hackett and Betz (1989) whose research theorized the existence of a model for math self-efficacy. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Mathematical literacy among the citizenry of a nation is considered indispensable to the economic welfare and global competitiveness of that nation (World Economic Forum, 2013a). In a world governed by technology, quantitative literacy is crucial (Colwell cited by Steen, 2002:8) and becomes a “most important professional and life skill” (Maloney et al., 2012:380). It is also seen as an individual’s ability to “manage situations or solve problems in practice” (Frith & Prince, 2006). Lastly, Jansen (2012) believes that sound mathematical literacy leads to an understanding of cause and effect and would guide citizens in their choices of actions. Yet, the belief that mathematical competence (or even just quantitative literacy) is the privilege of a small group of intellectually predisposed individuals is widely accepted in society, further entrenched by erroneous stereotyping (Eccles et al., 1990; Bonnot & Croizet, 2007; Mangels et al., 2011), as well as inadequate teaching methods in the Mathematics classroom/lecture theatre (Artigue, 1999; NSTF, 2009, 2010; Department of Basic Education, 2014). The consequences of this skewed view of Mathematics, and the emotional stress caused by regular failure at the subject, have resulted in wide-spread maths anxiety and maths avoidance among scholars and students. This dissertation examines an intervention programme which was designed to alter students’ negative perceptions of their intellectual ability to grasp mathematical concepts. Instead of attributing their past failures to internal, stable and uncontrollable causes, such as cognitive inability (Weiner, 1985), they were asked to consider factors which were internal or external, but certainly unstable and controllable, and which played a major role in their disappointing history in Mathematics. The interventions were aimed at bringing about a paradigm shift from a fixed mindset (entity theory) to a growth mindset (increment theory) as researched by Dweck since the 1980s. The intervention programme was implemented in the Foundation Course of a South African university of technology. It involved four interventions spread over roughly four months of the first semester and was comprised of the following lecture units and activities: a session of free-writing (Elbow, 1973), lectures on the plasticity of the brain (Hebb, 1949; Diamond 2001, Zull, 2002), the three memory systems (Eysenck & Calvo, 1992), a very basic version of Kolb’s experiential and reflective learning cycle (Atherton, 2009), and the notion of threshold concepts (Meyer & Land, 2003)

M.Ed. (Subject Didactics of Mathematics) / The phenomenon commonly known as 'mathematics anxiety' has been discovered by researchers endeavouring to determine the cause of problems with mathematics, the antagonism against it, and the deliberate avoidance of the subject. The way in which we view and experience mathematics has a radical influence on our decision-making. Mathematics anxiety is a dominant factor in the decisionmaking process of pupils in a wide spectrum of situations, and research has confirmed that mathematics anxiety invariably has a negative, hampering effect. The development of mathematics anxiety is a gradual process which can commence at any stage of a pupil's school career. By means of a questionnaire it has been established that the problem regarding mathematics anxiety stems primarily from the very nature and structure of the subject. Secondary factors such as the language of mathematics, textbooks, personality, society, the curriculum, evaluation, time limitation and problem solving have been identified empirically as variables in the development of mathematics anxiety. Since mathematics anxiety is an emotional and not an intellectual problem, it can be overcome. Early intervention can prevent the establishment of a negative attitude. Affordable individual tuition and more confidence are according to the responses received, the most important means by which mathematics anxiety can be reduced. It is essential to develop the mathematical reading skills of mathematics anxious pupils. Once skilled, pupils can fill the gaps in their pre-knowledge by using study manuals which are carefully structured for self-study purposes...

Att höra någon uttrycka att den ogillar matematik är inte ovanligt. I detta arbete undersöks vilka faktorer som påverkar personers negativa känslor inför matematik. Inledningsvis beskrivs fenomenet matematikångest samt olika perspektiv på lärande. Därefter presenteras studiens resultat. Data har insamlats genom systematiska litteraturstudier. Materialet har sedan analyserats med hjälp av en innehållsanalys. Denna studie är kartläggande, och resultatet presenteras både i tabellform och i löpande text. Upptäckta påverkansfaktorer har kategoriserats i sex olika grupper vilka är: kognitiva processer, lärare, föräldrar, genetik, socialt kön samt känslor kopplade till självbild. Resultatet pekar på att det inte går att bestämma en enskild faktor som ensam påverkar personers negativa känslor inför matematik. Snarare rör det sig om samverkan mellan flera faktorer. Avslutningsvis diskuteras vilka konsekvenser resultatet får för undervisning, och förslag ges på områden för vidare forskning. / To hear someone expressing their dislike for math isn’t uncommon. In this paper different factors influencing peoples’ negative emotions related to mathematics are examined. First, the phenomena math anxiety, and different perspectives on learning, is described. Then, this study’s results are presented. Data was collected through a systematic literature review. The material was then analysed by a content analysis. This study is a survey, and the results are presented both in a table and in textual form. The discovered affective factors were categorized into six different groups, which are: cognitive processes, teachers, parents, genetics, gender and emotions connected to self-image. The results show that it’s impossible to point out one single factor that alone affect people’s negative emotions related to mathematics. Rather, it’s a co-operation between many factors. To conclude, the consequences on teaching are discussed, and suggestions on areas for further studies are given.