Introduction
In previous research, a substantial emphasis has been placed on the necessity of statistical understanding in today’s intellectual, as well as common community (Wallman, 1993). Due to this, there has been a recent increase in the number of statistics courses, made mandatory at a university level (Gould, 2010). Unfortunately, as Statistics is often received badly, an extensive collection of research has been created on statistical anxiety/attitude (Cruise, Cash & Bolton, 1985). With the goal of building on this knowledge, the aim of this study is to determine if gender plays a role on Statistics anxiety and/or attitude towards statistics.
Statistics anxiety is understood “as the feelings of anxiety encountered when taking a statistics course, or doing statistical analysis” (Cruise, Cash & Bolton 1985). As such it is closely related to, but separate from mathematical anxiety, making the results found about gender differences in mathematical anxiety ungeneralizable, due to literacy and mathematical intelligence both having an effect on attitude as well as statistics anxiety (Amy, Kayleigh, Dénes, & Ann, 2012; Lalonde & Gardner, 1993).
It has been shown that although attitude and anxiety are two separate things, a lack of distinction between them within the scientific community, has led the two terms to be almost interchangeable (Nasser, 2004). Even when a clear distinction between anxiety and attitude is made, different groups of researchers have opposing
There is anxiety that is only situational, state anxiety, and anxiety that is general, trait anxiety. Researchers in this study wanted to know if state and trait anxiety could calculate a correlation coefficient with the emotional stroop. They also wanted to identify whether trait or state anxiety would have a stronger association with performance on the emotional stroop. Researchers hypothesized that both state and trait anxiety would be able to be calculated with a strong, positive correlation coefficient and that state anxiety would have a stronger association with performance on the emotional stroop.
According to Onwuegbuzie (2004), there are estimates that as much as 80% of graduate students experience statistics anxiety. He defines statistics anxiety as the apprehension occurring when a person encounters statistics in any form and at any level. The research topic is the correlation between statistics anxiety and academic procrastination.
Statistics is important in understanding the information and communicating findings to one another (Healey, 2015). I never paid much attention to statistics before because math has always been my least favorite subject. I was very hesitant in taking this course but many people assured me that I could succeed and that statistics is far more interesting than any mathematical course I will ever take. Statistics is so relevant; the more I am noticing it because of knowledge I have obtained from this course. For example, the article I will be discussing defines the differences of gender and race within advertising (Plous & Neptune, 1997). Statistics can be used to analyze the amount of advertisements printed, the different gender and race of models, the year and percentage amount of gender and race bias occurs, the percentages of the exposure different gender and race models etc. I can’t say that I completely understand statistics but I very much enjoyed this course and when I read statistical information, I at least can analyze the information given rather than just passing off random numbers. We often need a strong proof and thoughtfully analyzed data to build and enhance our theory and understanding of something, which is what statistics provides to make sense of the data (Healey, 2015).
Adams & Elliot (2012) conclude that many students express a fear of mathematics. Given that many students potentially share a common fear of mathematics, reducing this and increasing confidence is a vital part of teaching mathematics. Muijs & Reynolds (2011) as cited in Adams & Elliot (2012) suggest that teachers can and should begin lessons or topics with realistic examples of real-world situations
Scovel (1978) defined anxiety as “apprehension, a vague fear that is only indirectly associated with an object” (p.134). According to Scovel’s definition, anxiety is an inexplicable inner feeling that someone have toward somebody or something which constitute a condition of breakdown in actions. Darwin (1872) defined anxiety as a person’s internal feeling which are triggered whenever physical risks or danger exists. In his definition, the feeling of distress or discomfort exists when a physical harm occurs and thereby intellectual threats are rolled out of the equation. Beck et al (1985) stated that the inner feeling would launch a reaction toward the fears of something or somebody in his or her environment. May (1977) viewed anxiety as “an
Elementary school students across the nation have encountered a statistical situation in one form or another without ever realizing it. Many students in elementary grades, as well as upper-level students, tend to avoid questions dealing with statistics. In the article, “Statistics in the Elementary Grades: Exploring Distributions of Data” authors Christine A. Franklin and Denise S. Mewborn provide teachers with a four step process to help students have a better understanding of statistics.
There are cases in which math anxiety was linked into poorer academic performances among women than in male. Although, there are findings that anxiety is greater in girls than boys as it’s showing its evidence as it was twice as powerful in women and there are concepts in where the girls are failing when it comes to academic matters because of their anxiety based from other studies. Anxiety findings gave a significant negative correlation on male with accuracy on tasks and academic matters. There are girls who identified themselves having big worries based on their high brain activity especially when they are making mistakes during the task or in vice versa, they are worrying on future events and thinking about negative possibilities on the certain circumstances. However, these females performed performance in line with the same as others on simple tasks but need to work hard and harder. As the occasion became harder, these women tend to perform worst and failing to do the task
The purpose of this study is to measure the different effects math anxiety has on female and male undergraduate college students. Such research is imperative and can help show the correlation between math anxiety and the different ways in which it can effect important decisions made by undergraduate college students. Such decisions include which courses to take, major declaration, and which career path to pursue. Math Anxiety can be defined as the feeling of fear, tension or anxiety that can get in the way of completing mathematical problems (). Math anxiety can discourage many students from taking math-based courses and pursuing a career within the field of mathematics.
Anxiety for this particular experiment is measured utilizing the German version of the Test Anxiety Inventory which contains 15 questions to assess the subjects interference, confidence issues, worry and excitement. Half of the subjects were briefed prior to taking the test on how adaptive testing operates; specifically for each correct answer given, the next question will increase in difficulty. Results of the study indicated that individuals who had higher test anxiety prior to the start of the experiment faired poorer than those who had lower anxiety scores. Alternatively, individuals with high anxiety levels who were given a traditional fixed item test faired similarly to their low test anxiety counterparts. One potential limitation of the experiment is that the results did not take into account the potential cause of the anxiety, such as stereotype
Math classes in college should not be required and will not help to shape a student’s future in any way. Many people know that math can be a factoring cause of stress and anxiety. Ashcraft M.H. and Kirk E.P. have discovered that interference of negative emotions caused by math anxiety can have a negative effect on the cognitive process, leading to poor performances by a semester’s end. (1) A student’s anxiety can disrupt his or her ability to control attention, making it easier to distract them from the lesson at hand.
Math anxiety levels and performance outcomes were compared for bilingual and monolingual community college Intermediate Algebra students attending a culturally diverse urban commuter college. Participants (N = 618, 250 men, 368 women; 361 monolingual, 257 bilingual) completed the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) and a demographics instrument. Bilingual and monolingual students reported comparable mean AMAS scores (20.6 and 20.7, respectively) and comparable proportions of math anxious individuals (50% and 48%, respectively). Factor analysis of AMAS scores, using principal component analysis by varimax rotation, yielded
A certain website stated that many students have a hard time to cope with solving and analyzing mathematical problems, wherein they develop a so-called math anxiety that builds hindrance for students to perform well in math. Math anxiety doesn't just make students unproductive but also gives a negative impact on their
In a large study of 692 elementary school teachers, Hadley and Dorward (2011) found that higher anxiety about teaching mathematics was related to lower student achievement. They also found that teachers with high levels of anxiety about teaching mathematics were more likely to teach in a manner that was less consistent with standards-based reform. Similarly, Karp (1991) found that teachers whose attitudes toward mathematics were more negative were more likely to use instructional methods that involved following rules given by the teacher rather than exploring mathematical relationships and developing conceptual
Statistics is a mathematical and scientific process based on the analysis, interpretation, collection, or explanation, and presentation of a data set. It is applied to an enormous variety of academic disciplines, from the natural and social sciences to the humanities, and to government and business. Data analysis is applied when information needs to be converted into the raw data which is more purposeful information. Statistics is mainly all about the data analysis of a set of data. Before actually began working on data analysis in real world and on paper, it is important that the basic knowledge is
Mathematics is a type of reasoning. Thinking mathematically includes thinking in a rational way, developing and checking conjectures, understanding things, and forming and validating judgments, reasoning, and conclusions. We show mathematical habits when we acknowledge and explain patterns, build physical and theoretical models of sensations, develop sign systems to assist us stand for, control, and review concepts, and create treatments to address issues (Battista, 1999).