Investigation of the Effects of Mathematical Thinking States of Form Teachers on Their Mathematics Teaching Anxieties

Abstract

The state of mathematical thinking is considered to have an effect on the formation of anxiety regarding teaching mathematics. It is hypothesized that with the formation of mathematical thinking, the anxiety in teachers regarding teaching mathematics will be reduced. Since mathematical thinking is a skill acquired starting from the early years of education, the anxiety in form teachers in primary school regarding teaching mathematics is important. Within this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of mathematical thinking states of form teachers on their anxieties regarding mathematics teaching. The sample group comprises 194 form teachers working in state schools of Bagcilar district, Istanbul province in the spring term of 2015-2016 academic year. As data collection tools, mathematical thinking scale and anxiety scale for the mathematics teaching anxiety of form teachers were used. To test the predictive power of mathematical thinking regarding the mathematics teaching anxiety, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used. It was found that the form teachers had high mathematical thinking scores and had low anxiety scores. A low degree, negative and significant correlation was found between the mathematical thinking and anxiety of form teachers regarding mathematics teaching. Moreover, it was found that mathematical thinking had an effect on the anxiety in form teachers regarding mathematics teaching

Keywords

• Form teacher, mathematics, mathematical thinking, mathematics teaching

References

1. Aljaberi, N.M. (2014). Pre-service elementary school teachers' level of mathematical thinking and their attitudes toward mathematics. Journal of Education and Human Development. 3(3), 181-195.
2. Alkan, V. (2011). Etkili matematik ogretiminin gerceklestirilmesindeki engellerden biri: kaygi ve nedenleri. [One of the barriers to providing effective mathematics teaching: anxiety and its causes] Pamukkale University Journal of Education, 29 (1), 89-107.
3. Alkan, H. & Bukova Guzel, E. (2005). Ogretmen adaylarinda matematiksel dusunmenin gelisimi. [Development of mathematical thinking in the student teachers] Gazi University Journal of Education Faculty, 25(3), 221-236.
4. Argyle, S. F. (2012). Mathematical thinking: From cacophony to consensus. Kent State University.
5. Ashcraft, M. H. & Moore, A. M. (2009). Math anxiety and the affective drop in performance. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27, 197–205.
6. Ashcraft, M. H. & Ridley, K. (2005). Math anxiety and its cognitive consequences: A tutorial review. In J. I. D. Campbell (Ed.), Handbook of mathematical cognition (pp. 315–325). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
7. Attridge, N. & Inglis, M. (2015). Increasing cognitive inhibition with a difficult prior task: Implications for mathematical thinking. ZDM Mathematics Education, 47(5), 723-734.
8. Baloglu, M. (2001). Matematik korkusunu yenmek. Kuram ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 1(1), 59-76.

9. Bekdemir, M. (2007). The causes of mathematics anxiety in elementary preservice teachers and proposals for decreasing mathematics anxiety (The example of faculty of Erzincan education). Journal of Erzincan Education Faculty, 9(2), 131–144.
10. Brown, A. B., Westenskow, A. & Moyer-Packenham, P. S. (2011). Elementary pre-service teachers: Can they experience mathematics teaching anxiety without having mathematics anxiety? Issues in the Undergraduate Mathematics Preparation of School Teachers: The Journal, 5(1), 1-29.
11. Bursal, M. & Paznokas, L. (2006). Mathematics anxiety and preservice elementary teachers’ confidence to teach mathematics and science. School Science and Mathematics, 106(4), 173–180.
12. Buyukozturk, S. (2011). Sosyal bilimler icin veri analizi el kitabı. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
13. Ersoy, E. & Baser, N. (2013). Matematiksel dusunme olceginin gelistirilmesi. [The development of mathematical thinking scale] Kastamonu Education Journal, 21(4), 1471-1486.
14. Fernández, C., Llinares, S. & Valls, J. (2013). Primary school teachers' noticing of students' mathematical thinking in problem solving. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 10, 441-468.
15. Haciomeroglu, G. (2014). Elementary pre-service teachers’ mathematics anxiety and mathematics teaching anxiety. International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.cimt.org.uk/journal/haciomeroglu.pdf
16. Hossirin Elmas, S. (2010). Sinif ogretmeni adaylarinin matematik ogretmeye yonelik kaygi duzeyleri ve bu kaygiya neden olan faktorler. [The pre-service primary school teachers’ mathematics teaching anxiety levels and the reasons which cause this anxiety](Unpublished Master’s Dissertation), Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon. Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi
17. Hudson, B., Henderson, S. & Hudson, A. (2015). Developing mathematical thinking in the primary classroom: Liberating students and teachers as learners of mathematics. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 47(3), 374-398.
18. Karasar, N. (2014). Bilimsel arastirma yontemi. (26.baski). Ankara: Nobel Yayinevi.
19. Katagiri, S. (2004). Mathematical thinking and how to teach it. CRICED, University of Tsukuba.
20. Hayes, S.L. (2016). A synthesis of the methods to reduce mathematics anxiety in pre-service elementary school teachers through a meta-analysis. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1830810675?accountid=12251
21. Kargar, M., Tarmizi, R.A. & Bayat, S. (2010). Relationship between mathematical thinking, mathematics anxiety and mathematics attitudes among university students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 8, 537-542.
22. Keith, D. (2000). Finding your inner mathematician. Chronicle Of Higher Education. 47(5), 5-6.
23. Levine, G. (1996). Variability in anxiety for teaching mathematics among pre-service elementary school teachers enrolled in a mathematics methods course. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED398067.pdf
24. Maazs, J. & Schloglmann, W. (2006). New mathematics education research and practice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
25. Ma, X. & Xu, J. (2004). The causal ordering of mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement: A longitudinal panel analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 165-179.
26. Mizala, A., Martinez, F. & Martinez, S. (2015). Pre-service elementary school teachers’ expectations about student performance: How their beliefs are affected by their mathematics anxiety and student’s gender. Teaching and Teacher Education, 50, 70-78.
27. Nolting, P.D. (2010). Math study skills workbook. (Fourth Edition). USA: Brooks/Cole.
28. Peker, M. (2006). Matematik ogretmeye yonelik kaygi olceginin gelistirilmesi. Journal of Educational Sciences and Practices, 5 (9), 73-92.
29. Peker, M. (2009a). The use of expanded microteaching for reducing preservice teachers’ teaching anxiety about mathematics. Scientific Research and Essay 4 (9), 872-880.
30. Peker, M. (2009b). Pre-service teachers’ teaching anxiety about mathematics and their learning styles. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 5(4), 335-345.
31. Peker, M. & Ertekin, E. (2011). The relationship between mathematics teaching anxiety and mathematics anxiety. The New Educational Review, 23 (1), 213-226.
32. Pekrun, R. (1992). The impact of emotions on learning and achievement: Towards a theory of cognitive motivational mediators. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 41(4), 359-376.
33. Ramirez, G., Chang, H., Maloney, E.A., Levine, S.C., & Beilock, S.L. (2016). On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 83-100.
34. Rollins, J. (2016). A Phenomenological study of Florida elementary pre-service teachers with mathematics anxiety. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1837434191
35. Sari, M.H. (2014). Sinif ogretmenlerine yonelik matematik ogretimi kaygi olcegi gelistirme. [Developing a mathematics teaching anxiety scale for classroom teachers] Ilkogretim Online, 13(4), 1296-1310.
36. Sevgen, B. (2002). Matematiksel düşünce yapısı ve gelisimi. V. Ulusal Fen Bilimleri ve Matematik Egitimi kongresi, 16-18 Eylul 2002, Ortadogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara.
37. Stoerh, K.J. (2017). Matematics anxiety: One size does not fir all. Journal of Teacher Education, 68(1), 69-84.
38. Suzuki, K. (1998). Measuring “To Think Mathematically”: Cognitive characterization of achievement levels in performance-based assessment. University of Illinois at Urbana-Chanpaign The Graduate College. Doctor of Philosophy.
39. Swars, S. L., Daane, C. J. & Giesen, J. (2006). Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy: What is the relationship in elementary preservice teachers? School Science and Mathematics, 106(7), 306-315.
40. Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (sixth ed.) Boston: Pearson.
41. Tall, D. (1995). Cognitive growth in elementary and advenced mathematical thinking. Proceedings of the International Conference for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Recife, Brazil: I, 161-175.
42. Tasdemir, A. & Salman, S. (2016). Ilkogretim fen bilimleri dersi problemlerinde ogrencilerin matematiksel dusunme becerilerinin incelenmesi. [Investigation of the mathematical thinking skills of the students in primary school science course problems] Ahi Evran University Journal of Kırşehir Education Faculty, 17(3), 785-809.
43. Tatar, E., Zengin, Y. & Kagizmanli, T. B. (2015). What is the relationship between technology and mathematics teaching anxiety? Educational Technology & Society,18(1), 67-76.
44. Trujillo, K. & Hadfield, O. (1999). Tracing the roots of mathematics anxiety through in-depth interviews with preservice elementary teachers. College Student Journal, 33(2), 219-233.
45. Yildirim, C. (2004). Matematiksel düşünme. Istanbul: Remzi.