Students' mathematics performance and their attitude toward the learning of mathematics: an attempt to explore their relationship
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/nomad.v6i1.146498Abstract
The present study was an exploratory study aimed at investigating the relationship between Year 7 students' attitudes towards mathematics and their mathematics performance. Using random sampling 29 High Schools were selected from all over the country. The final sample comprised 714 Year 7 students. The research revealed that high performance in mathematics is associated with more positive students' attitudes toward mathematics learning. The most significant finding of the study is that Year 7 students in Greek High schools demonstrated a serious weakness in solving real life problems using the mathematics they have been taught.
References
Aiken, L. R. (1974). Two scales of attitude toward mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 5,67-71. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.5.2.0067
Aiken, L. R. (1976). Update on attitudes and other affective variables in learning mathematics, Review of Educational Research, 46(2), 293-311. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543046002293
Assessment of Performance Unit. (1982). A review of monitoring in mathematics 1978- 1982. London: Department of Education and Science.
Australian Education Council and Curriculum Corporation. (1991). A National Statement on Mathematics For Australian Schools. Carlton,Victoria: Curriculum Corporation.
Barkatsas, A. & Hunting, R. P. (1996). A review of recent research on cognitive, metacognitive and affective aspects of mathematical problem solving. Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education, 4(4), 7-30.
Bowling, J. M. (1976). Three scales of attitude toward mathematics. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Ohio State University.
Confrey, J. (1990). What constructivism implies for teaching. In R. B. Davis, C. A. Maher, and N. Noddings (Eds), Constructivist views on the teaching and learning of mathematics, pp. 107 -122. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.2307/749916
Corbitt, M. K. (1984). When students talk. Arithmetic Teacher, 31(8), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.5951/AT.31.8.0016
Department of Employment, Education and Training. (1989). Discipline review of teacher education in mathematics and science. Canberra, Australian Government Publishing Service.
Department of Education and Science and Welsh Office. (1989). Mathematics in the National curriculum. London: HMSO.
Dreyfus, T., & Eisenberg, T. (1986). On the aesthetics of mathematical thought. For the Learning of Mathematics, 6, 2-10.
Fennema, E., & Sherman, J. (1976). Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. Instruments Designed to Measure Attitudes Toward the Learning of Mathematics by Females and Males. Abstracted in the JSAS Catalogue of Selected Documents in Psychology, 6(1),31.(MsNo.1225) https://doi.org/10.2307/748467
Fennema, E., P. Wolleat & J. D. Pedro. (1979). Mathematics Attribution Scale. JSAS: Catalogue of selected Documents in psychology. 95(6), 26. (Ms. No. 1837)
Forgasz, H., Leder, G. and Gardner, P. L. (1996). The Fennema-Sherman "Mathematics as a male domain" scale: A re-examination. In L. Puig & A. Guitierez (Eds), Proceedings of the Twentieth PME Conference, (pp. 361-368). Durham, NH: University of New Hamsphire.
Gibbons, R. D. and Flay B. R. (1994). Random-effects regression models for clustered data. with an example from smoking prevention research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, pp. 757-765. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006X.62.4.757
Ginsburg, H. & Opper, S. (1979). Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development. (2nd Ed.), NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Glaserfeld, E. von (Ed.). (1991). Radical constructivism in mathematics education. Dortrecht: Kluwer.
Hedeker, D. and Gibbons R. D. MIXREG:A computerProgramfor Mixed-effectsRegression Analysis with auto correlated Errors.
Heifers, M. (1986). Children's attitudes to mathematics. Rhombus, 14, 17-23.
Hionidou, M. (1996). Gender differences in mathematics. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, (in Greek). School of Education, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Holden, C. (1987). Female maths anxiety on the wane. Science, 234, 660-661. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.236.4802.660
Hox, J. J. (1994). Hierarchical regression models for interviewer and respondent effects. Sociological Methods & Research, 22(3), 300-318. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124194022003002
Hunting, R. P. (1983). Emerging methodologies for understanding internal processes governing children's mathematical behaviour. The Australian Journal of Education, 27(1), 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494418302700104
Kasimati, K. (1994). Mathematics curricula in Greece (1961-1987) in relation to 12-15 year old students' performance. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, (in Greek). School of Education, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Kiryluk, S. (1980). What the pupils think. Mathematics Teacher, 91,42-44.
Klaoudatos, N. (1994). Modelling-orientated teaching: A theoretical development for teaching mathematics. International Journal for Mathematics Education, Science and Technology, 25, 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739940250109
Kulm, G. (1980). Research on mathematics attitude. In R. J. Shumway (Ed), Research in Mathematics education, Reston V.A: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 356-387.
Leder, G, C & Sampson, S. N. (Eds.). (1989).Educating girls -Practice and theory, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Leder, G. C. (1993). Reconciling affective and cognitive aspects of mathematical learning: Reality or a pious hope? In I. Hirabayashi, N. Nohda, K. Shigemathu & F-L, Lin. (Eds), Proceedings of the Seventeenth PME Conference (46-65). Tsukuba, Ibaraki: University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Leder, G. C. (1992). Measuring attitudes to mathematics. Fifteenth Annual Conference of the Mathematics Association of Australasia, Conference Proceedings, Richmond, N.S.W.
Lester, F. K. & Garofalo, J. (1987). The influence of affects, beliefs and metacognition on problem solving behaviour: some tentative speculations. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 281758.
Mandler, G. (1989). Affect and learning: Causes and consequences of emotional interactions', In D. B. McLeod & V. M. Adams (Eds), Affect and mathematical problem solving: A new perspective (3-19). New York: Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3614-6_1
McLeod, D. B. (1989). The role of affect in mathematical problem solving. In D. B. McLeod & V. M. Adams (Eds), Affect and mathematicalproblem solving: A newperspective (20- 36). New York: Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3614-6
McLeod, D. B. (1992). Research on affect in mathematics education: A reconceptualisation. In D. A. Grouws (Ed), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (575-596). New York: Macmillan.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1989). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.
Pekhonen & Safuanov (1996). Pupil's views of mathematics teaching in Finland and Tatarstan. Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education, 4(4), 31-59.
Poincare, H. (1946). Thefoundations of science. Lancaster, PA: Science Press (Original work published 1913).
Putt, I. J., & Isaacs, I. (1992). Research in mathematical problem solving. In B. Atweh & J. Watson (Eds), Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 1988-1991, pp. 208- 230. Kelvin Grove, Queensland: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1985a). Mathematical problem solving. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1985b). Understanding and teaching the nature of mathematical thinking', In I. Wirszup & R. Streit (Eds), Developments in School Mathematics Education Around the World, Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, pp. 362-368.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1989). Explorations of students' mathematical beliefs and behavior. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 20, 338-355. https://doi.org/10.2307/749440
Schoenfeld, A. H. (1992). Learning to think mathematically: Problem solving, metacognition, and sense making in mathematics. In D. A. Grouws (Ed), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning, pp. 334-370. New York: Macmillan.
Silver, E. A. (1994). On mathematical problem posing. For the Learning of Mathematics, 14(1), 19-28.
Steffe, L. P. (Ed.). (1991). Epistemologicalfoundations of mathematical experience. New York: Springer-Verlag,
Willis, S. (1989). Real girls don't do maths: Gender and instruction. Geelong: Deakin University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
