Mitigating mathematical anxiety: Mitigating mathematical anxiety: Using alterative algorithms with elementary preservice teachers Betty Wood, Ph. D. Betty Wood, Ph. D. James Fetterly, Ph. D. James Fetterly, Ph. D.

Introduction For several decades, anxiety has been studied within the content domain of mathematics. Within the mathematical domain, it appears that students not only possess a phobia for the discipline but some of its teachers do as well. Although teachers may not be the only catalyst for mathematics anxiety, it seems likely that they are an important factor.

Introduction In this study using the one-group pretest- posttest design, elementary preservice teachers are examined by evaluating their anxiety of mathematics. The goal of this study was to explore how the use of alternative algorithms influenced mathematical anxiety with elementary preservice teachers.

 Mathematics anxiety is reported to be no more than subject-specific test anxiety a general dread of mathematics, and of tests in particular (Hembree, 1990) dislikes, worries, and fears towards mathematics (Ma, 1999) What is anxiety?

 Some researchers, however, have acknowledged the complex nature of describing mathematics anxiety, because as a construct it possesses both affective and cognitive aspects (Sloan, Daane, & Giesien, 2003) What is anxiety?

 Mathematics anxiety has also been defined contextually apprehension and arousal concerning the manipulation of numbers in academic, private, and social environments (Hopko, 2003) avoidance behaviors to mathematics as a stimulus (Ashcraft, 2002; Hopko, Hahadevan, Bare, & Hunt, 2003)

What is anxiety?  Mathematics anxiety is an intricately complex and multidimensional construct that causes state of discomfort that occurs when an individual is required to perform mathematically the feeling of tension, helplessness, or mental disorganization an individual has when required to manipulate numbers and shapes (Sloan et al., 2003; Ma, 1999; Swars, Daane, & Giesien, 2006)

 Environmental, intellectual (or cognitive), and personality factors cause mathematics anxiety (Trujillo & Hadfield, 1999) Who or what is responsible?

 Another framework proposed three causes to produce anxious reactions (Cemen, 1987) First, there are environmental precursors, which tend to be negative experiences at home or in the classroom with mathematics Next, there are dispositional precursors, which may entail negative attitudes towards mathematics or a lack of confidence in it Finally, there are situational precursors, which are factors or formats of the classroom or its instruction. It is suggested by some that teachers who have high mathematics anxiety are likely to convey mathematics anxiety to their students (Sloan, et al., 2003) Who or what is responsible?

 Yet another proposed a theoretical model for the causes of mathematics anxiety for pre-service teachers negative classroom experiences in mathematics and lack of support at home combined with an anxiety toward telling will yield a mathematically anxious individual (Trujillo & Hadfield 1999) Who or what is responsible?

Design  In this study using the one-group pretest-posttest design, elementary preservice teachers are examined by evaluating their anxiety of mathematics.

Sample  Thirty-two preservice teachers were pre- and post-tested in an undergraduate elementary education program.

Instrument  To measure mathematical anxiety, the preservice teachers were pre- and post-tested using the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) at the beginning and the end of the semester.  The survey contained nine items. Each item was on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (low anxiety) to 5 (high anxiety).  The internal consistency was reported to possess Cronbach’s alpha of.90 with a mean and standard deviation of 21.1 and 7.0 respectively (Hopko et al, 2003).

 A paired-sampled t test was conducted on the mathematical anxiety scores to evaluate whether the means of the pre-test was significantly different from the post-test.  The pre-test sample mean (SD = 4.85) was significantly different from the post-test sample mean (SD = 5.78), t(31) = 25.12, p =.01.  The 99% confidence interval for mathematical anxiety mean ranged from to on the pre-test and to on the post-test.  The effect size of d was  The results suggest that encounter with alternative algorithms decreases elementary preservice teachers’ mathematical anxiety. Results

Intervention  Alternative algorithms were used as an intervention to these preservice teachers.  The data from the pre- and post-test surveys and the artistic artifacts of the preservice teachers suggest several findings.  Although mathematical anxiety appears to be pandemic for nearly all levels of mathematics classes, the use of alternative algorithms may, in part, lower mathematical anxiety for teachers which translates into reducing mathematical anxiety in their classes.

Alternative Algorithms algorithms/id ?mt=10&ign-mpt=uo%3D2