Gender Differences, Mathematics Anxiety, and First-Year College Students’ Mathematical Achievement

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 06, JUNE 2019 ISSN 2277-8616 Gender Differences, Mathematics Anxiety, And First-Year College Students’ Mathematical Achievement

Ellenita G. Manalaysay

Abstract: Mathematics plays a vital role in science and technology development. Its usefulness cannot be denied but most of the Filipino students perform poorly in the subject. Several factors were identified to influence student’s achievement in mathematics and one of the identified factors in the student’s attitude towards it. This study examines the influence of gender, mathematics anxiety which has to have attitudinal component, and the interaction of these two variables on the mathematical achievement of the student. 390 freshmen college students were surveyed to determine their anxiety scores when grouped according to grade, future, in-class and assignment factors. Independent sample t-test result showed that no statistically significant difference in the mathematics achievement between the male and female respondents can be concluded. Regression analysis reveals that mathematics anxiety is a predictor of achievement in mathematics and Analysis of covariance result implies that the influence of gender and mathematics anxiety when taken together on the mathematical achievement of the students is not significant.

Index Terms: gender differences, math anxiety, mathematics achievement, predictors of math achievement ————————————————————

1 INTRODUCTION Shifting from negative to positive view towards mathematics MATHEMATICS plays a vital role in the development of entails a collective effort and support from the parents, science and technology. It is useful in variety of field including teachers, and peers. This attitude towards the subject may measurement in fashion, algorithm in computer programs, influence student’s performance, grade, and career choice in technology, and economics. However, studies on the the future [8]. Acknowledging that mathematics anxiety exists achievement of the students based on international standards among the students, the educators should be aware of its showed an alarming result for the participating countries, causes and scaffold activities that would support the students including the Philippines. The Filipino students perform poorly to overcome this condition [9]. Several studies were conducted in mathematics as evidenced by TIMMS 2003 data, where the relating mathematics anxiety and student’s academic country is third from the bottom out of 38 participating performance. Some argue that mathematics anxiety can have countries. This condition causes distress in the educational damaging effects for college students in terms of their sector. The educators are examining closely the factors engagement and grade achievement [10], [11], [12]. In a associated with this problem to come up with concrete plans of mathematics class, students feel an anxiety especially during improving achievement in mathematics. For several years, examination, recitation and grade distribution. However, factors influencing students’ mathematical achievement were students who are anxious can also be beneficial. They tend to pointed out. John Hattie’s [1], [2] meta-synthesis of more than improve their metacognition when solving a mathematical 800 research articles pointed out six factors relating to problem [13], which could lead them to deeper understanding student’s achievement. These factors include teacher, home, of the lesson. Gender is also considered to be predictor of curriculum, teaching, learning, and student. The latter factor achievement in mathematics. Several studies asserted that includes students’ motivation and attitude in mathematics and males have better mathematical achievement as compared to were considered to be significant predictors of learner’s females [14]. Moreover, students perform the same in algebra academic achievement [3], [4]. Mathematics anxiety, being when grouped according to gender but males perform better in considered to have an attitudinal component, is also geometry than female [15]. While gender is found to be related considered to be one dimension of attitude to mathematics. It to mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement, [16], is a problem for many students to of mathematics course. the impact of gender on mathematics achievement remains to Many students do not understand why they experience be an interest for many researchers. The objective of this mathematics anxiety. It is usually connected to negative study is to determine whether gender, mathematics anxiety, experience from a student’s math class [5]. Tests given under and the interaction between these two variables influence time-pressure and the fear of being embarrassed in front of freshmen college students’ mathematics achievement. the class were among the conditions that contributes to math Particularly, the study will analyze the extent of anxiety of the anxiety [6]. In addition, this type of anxiety could be a result of college students when viewed based on grade, future, in- a student’s negative experiences in learning mathematics. It class, and assignment factors. This study was conducted with could also be attributed to the experience or pressure felt by the hope that the result of the study will give substantial the learner from his teacher, parents or guardians [7]. information about mathematics anxiety of the freshmen BS Mathematics students when analyzed by sex, influence their ———————————————— mathematics achievement. Moreover, the result of this study  Ellenita G. Manalaysay is currently pursuing Ph.D. in may be a basis to design projects and activities to scaffold Science Education with specialization in Mathematics learning tasks that will promote positive attitude towards program in De La Salle University, Philippines and a mathematics. mathematics instructor in Bulacan State University, Philippines. E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]

2. METHODOLOGY gender. Lastly, analysis of co-variance was made to determine The study used the descriptive survey type of research design. the interaction effect of gender and mathematics anxiety to the A total of 390 out of 471 first year BS Mathematics students of mathematics achievement of the respondent. All of the data Bulacan State University who were enrolled during the first were processed in SPSS v22. semester of School Year 2016-2017 were the subjects of this study. The researcher intended to use the total population of 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION the first year BS Mathematics students, however, those who A total of 390 respondents out of 471 freshmen college were not included were the students who were absent during students who are enrolled in the BS Mathematics program and the conduct of the survey or those who dropped the course are taking Pre-Calculus 2 during the conduct of the study. Of Pre-Calculus II before the conduct of the survey. A short these respondents, 59.5% (n = 158) are female while 40.5% (n orientation on the purpose of the study was conducted and = 158) are male. The student’s mathematical achievement, as their participation is voluntary. Moreover, they were informed indicated by their final grade in Pre-Calculus II is summarized that they can stop and withdraw their participation even during in table 1. the conduct of the survey. The Mathematics Self-efficacy and Anxiety Questionnaire developed and validated by May [17] Table 1. Grade distribution of the respondents was the main survey instrument used in this study. This Cumulative instrument is used to explore how the students conceptualize Frequency Percent their ability and fear towards mathematics. However, since this Percent current study would only focus on exploring the influence of 1.00 4 1.0 1.0 mathematics anxiety on student’s academic achievement, the 1.25 6 1.5 2.6 researcher chose the items relating to student’s mathematics anxiety. A total of 16 out of 29 items were retained. Each items 1.50 13 3.3 5.9 describes student’s fear relating to math class and the 1.75 31 7.9 13.8 respondents need to rate how frequent they experience that 2.00 34 8.7 22.6 feeling. Moreover, four factors were identified when analyzing student’s mathematics anxiety: grade factor, future factor, in- 2.25 39 10.0 32.6 class factor, and assignment factor. The first factor reflected 2.50 58 14.9 47.4 the students’ apprehensions their ability to get good grade in 2.75 61 15.6 63.1 math. The Future factor includes students’ worries about using mathematics in their future careers, including with their 3.00 96 24.6 87.7 apprehensions about their ability to use mathematics in their 5.00 48 12.3 100.0 future courses. Items that comprise the In-Class factor Total 390 100.0 involved the students’ distresses and about asking questions of being called to answer questions in class. The Assignment factor elaborate students’ mathematics anxiety regarding Most of the students (87.7%) obtained a grade of not greater completing assignments for their mathematics course. A than 3.0, which is a credit grade in Pre-Calculus II. Of the Cronbach alpha of 0.85 suggests that the instrument is good students, 22.6% obtained a grade between 1.0 and 2.0, and reliable. When answering the research instrument, the inclusive, which suggests that they may qualified for academic students rated their fears using a five-point Likert-scale, having awards at the end of the semester. Moreover, there are 48 five as the highest. The mean scores of the items under each students who did not get a credit grade. Some of these factor was considered their anxiety score under that factor students who were interviewed narrated how they struggle while the mean score of all the items was their mathematics during the duration of the course and that the program is not anxiety score. The achievement of the students in their first choice but their relatives influenced them to enroll in mathematics was based on their final grade in Pre-Calculus II. the program. One student supported this and argues that their The grade is from 1.0 to 5.0 with 0.25 interval and 1 being the family income is a consideration on the choice pursuing the highest grade. A grade of 5.0 implies that the student did not program since mathematics does is not financially demanding obtain a grade a credit on the course. Record of the student’s course. This is supported by Pascual [18] when she affirmed grade was obtained from the instructor of Pre-Calculus II and that family income is a factor affecting student’s career was certified by the university registrar. Ten students (five from preference. To determine whether the mathematical lower performing and five from highest performing students) achievement of the students differ when grouped by gender, were invited for interview to validate the results of the independent sample t-set was performed and the summary quantitative data. After the collection of the necessary data, result is presented in table 1. several statistical tests were made in analyzing the respondents’ mathematical anxiety and the influence of Table 2. Students’ grade difference by gender. anxiety and gender on mathematical achievement. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the weight of each anxiety factor to the mathematics anxiety score. This was done to determine which of the four identified factors has a greatest impact on the over-all mathematics anxiety of the students. In addition, linear regression was used to predict the effect of mathematics anxiety on the mathematics achievement. On the other hand, t-test was used to determine the difference in mathematics achievement when grouped by

students towards mathematics is predisposed by their fear of getting failing grade. Thus, mathematics anxiety is related to the student’s expectation on their performance in class [21], with their grade as the main indicator. Furthermore, the influence of anxiety on the mathematics achievement was determined using regression analysis and the summary result is presented in the following tables.

Based on the result above, this study found that the mathematical achievement of male college students is statistically the same as the achievement of the female students, t(388) = 279.849, p = 0.159. This result supported the findings of Ajai and Imoto [19], Arhin and Office [20] and implies that female and male students have the same chances of achieving good grades in mathematics. The next table Simple linear regression was conducted to investigate the summarizes the data on students’ mathematical anxiety. influence of mathematics anxiety on students’ mathematical achievement. There was a weak positive correlation between Table 3. Students’ mathematics anxiety the two variables, which was an implication of the Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.297. Simple regression showed a significant relationship between anxiety and achievement in mathematics (P<0.05). The r2 value is 0.088 thus, 8.8% of the variation in the mathematics achievement can be explained by the model containing mathematics anxiety. The linear relationship between the two variables is defined as

The study reveals that the students were moderately anxious (2) or they have a moderate level of fear of discomfort towards mathematics. Results showed that they are most anxious their From this regression equation, it can be noted that as the ability to use mathematics in the future. A student during the anxiety score increases, the student’s grade, indicated as his interview pointed out that he is worried if what he knows in achievement in mathematics, decreases. As explained earlier, mathematics will be enough for him to say that he is prepared as this value moves closer to one implies that the student’s for the mathematics courses in the BS Mathematics program. grade is going closer to the highest grade. Thus, it can be He worries since he is having difficulty staring with the predicted that a more anxious student will get better grade program and that he is uncertain if he is ready for the than a less anxious student. This was explained in the study of challenges of the mathematics courses ahead of him. It can LaiY, ZhuX, ChenY, and LiY [13]. They asserted that the also be noted that of the four factors in mathematics anxiety, anxiety influences metacognition which leads student to think grade factor has the least score. Another student made an and understand their thinking process. This is important in argument admitting that he worries about his grade, whether higher education mathematics courses because deeper he will pass or not but he is more worried about being called in understanding is necessary to understand the mathematical class to recite. Some students also supported this argument concepts. Hence, this results into better performance and and that they are not after the high rating in the course, and higher grade in mathematics. A one-way ANCOVA was they are after getting a passing grade. To gain deeper conducted to compare the influence of gender while controlling understanding on student’s mathematics anxiety, the the mathematics anxiety score on student’s mathematics researcher determined how each anxiety factor influence the achievement. Levene’s test and normality tests were over-all mathematics anxiety score of the students. performed and the assumptions were met. The gender is Regression analysis was performed and the result is considered to be the factor and the math anxiety as the summarized in the table below. To present mathematics covariate. The ANCOVA result is summarized in the table anxiety in terms of grade, future, in-class and assignment below. factors, we have

(1)

It can be noted that of the four factors, grade factor has greatest influence on the overall mathematics anxiety of the students. This implies that in general, the anxiety of the

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