En fallstudie om fyra lärares möten med elever med matematikängslan i mellanstadiet / A case study of four teachers' encounters with students with mathematic anxiety in middle school
- Authors
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2024
- Source
- DiVA - Academic Archive On-line
- Keywords
- Language
- Swedish
- License
- Green
- External links
Abstract
The main purpose of this research is to develop knowledge about mathematics anxiety and working methods as countermeasures in middle school. To achieve this goal the work of four teachers who work with students with math anxiety in middle school was studied. The aim was to investigate the relationship with students' mathematics anxiety, self-efficacy and performance. The aim was also to identify strategies in the teachers' way of working in relation to self-efficacy and performance that reduce mathematics anxiety. To fulfill this purpose data was collected through semi-structured interviews which then formed the basis of the discussion, together with previous research audited by peer-review. The analysis was based on Bandura's theory about self-efficacy as well as Vroom’s theory about academic work related to motivation and performance. A theoretical definition of math anxiety and didactic work also worked as a theoretical framework for the study. The conclusions indicated that three of the teachers experienced that math anxiety had a negative impact on the students performance, with the exception of one who indicated that math anxiety increased the student’s math performance. Another conclusion was that self-efficacy has the biggest impact when it comes to math anxiety. By raising the students' self-efficacy, the math experience became more enjoyable thus improving the math achievement of the students.
