Presentation Title
P-11 An exploratory study of Mathematics anxiety in Caribbean Preservice teachers
Presenter Status
Ph.D Candidate, Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
Second Presenter Status
Professor Emeritus, Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
Third Presenter Status
Professor Emeritus, Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
Fourth Presenter Status
Professor, Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
Preferred Session
Poster Session
Location
Buller Hall Hallways
Start Date
22-10-2021 2:00 PM
End Date
22-10-2021 3:00 PM
Presentation Abstract
Correlational studies suggest that gender, attitudes to mathematics, mathematics performance, the number of college mathematics courses taken, and mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs may be related to mathematics anxiety among preservice teachers. There are exploratory studies of mathematics anxiety and teacher self-efficacy among elementary teachers in Trinidad and Tobago. However, no studies have found which combination of variables is influential in predicting mathematics anxiety among preservice teachers in the Caribbean. This exploratory study attempted to determine whether mathematics anxiety in preservice teachers in the Caribbean could be explained by a combination of gender, mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs (personal mathematics teaching skill beliefs, mathematics teaching outcome beliefs), attitudes to mathematics (motivation to do mathematics, interest in mathematics), the number of mathematics courses taken, and prior mathematics performance. Independent samples t-test, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and categorical regression were conducted to identify the characteristics of mathematics anxiety in Caribbean preservice teachers. 56% of Caribbean preservice teachers experience moderate or severe mathematics anxiety. Mean mathematics anxiety reported by male preservice teachers was significantly higher than mean mathematics anxiety reported by female preservice teachers. Additionally, motivation to do mathematics and personal mathematics teaching skill beliefs were significant predictors of mathematics anxiety among Caribbean preservice teachers. This study demonstrated that modified surveys for mathematics anxiety, attitudes to mathematics, and mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs can effectively measure those concepts among a Caribbean preservice teacher population. The predictors of mathematics anxiety, mathematics performance anxiety and mathematics testing anxiety among the Caribbean preservice teacher population are also presented.
P-11 An exploratory study of Mathematics anxiety in Caribbean Preservice teachers
Buller Hall Hallways
Correlational studies suggest that gender, attitudes to mathematics, mathematics performance, the number of college mathematics courses taken, and mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs may be related to mathematics anxiety among preservice teachers. There are exploratory studies of mathematics anxiety and teacher self-efficacy among elementary teachers in Trinidad and Tobago. However, no studies have found which combination of variables is influential in predicting mathematics anxiety among preservice teachers in the Caribbean. This exploratory study attempted to determine whether mathematics anxiety in preservice teachers in the Caribbean could be explained by a combination of gender, mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs (personal mathematics teaching skill beliefs, mathematics teaching outcome beliefs), attitudes to mathematics (motivation to do mathematics, interest in mathematics), the number of mathematics courses taken, and prior mathematics performance. Independent samples t-test, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and categorical regression were conducted to identify the characteristics of mathematics anxiety in Caribbean preservice teachers. 56% of Caribbean preservice teachers experience moderate or severe mathematics anxiety. Mean mathematics anxiety reported by male preservice teachers was significantly higher than mean mathematics anxiety reported by female preservice teachers. Additionally, motivation to do mathematics and personal mathematics teaching skill beliefs were significant predictors of mathematics anxiety among Caribbean preservice teachers. This study demonstrated that modified surveys for mathematics anxiety, attitudes to mathematics, and mathematics teacher efficacy beliefs can effectively measure those concepts among a Caribbean preservice teacher population. The predictors of mathematics anxiety, mathematics performance anxiety and mathematics testing anxiety among the Caribbean preservice teacher population are also presented.