Research Article Open Access

Mathematics Anxiety and Achievement Among Secondary School Students

Effandi Zakaria1, Normalizam Mohd Zain1, Nur Amalina Ahmad1 and Ayu Erlina1
  • 1 Department of Educational Methodology and Practice, Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

Abstract

Research has shown that mathematics achievement in students is influenced by psychological factors such as mathematics anxiety. Weaknesses among students in learning mathematics in particular will affect the efforts of various sectors in making Malaysia a fully developed nation by 2020. The purpose of this study was to determine mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement among secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia. The research examined the differences in mathematics anxiety according to gender as well as the differences in mathematics achievement of students based on the level of mathematics anxiety. The study involved195 Form Four students (86 male and 109 female). The instrument used to measure differences was adapted from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scale. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to determine the mean, frequency, t-test and one-way ANOVA. The findings of the study indicated that there is mathematics anxiety among secondary school students. The t-test showed that the mean difference between mathematics anxiety and gender is not significant. The ANOVA test showed that there were significant differences in achievement based on the level of mathematics anxiety. Thus, math anxiety is one factor that affects student achievement. Therefore, teachers should strive to understand mathematics anxiety and implement teaching and learning strategies so that students can overcome their anxiety.

American Journal of Applied Sciences
Volume 9 No. 11, 2012, 1828-1832

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajassp.2012.1828.1832

Submitted On: 24 July 2012 Published On: 1 September 2012

How to Cite: Zakaria, E., Zain, N. M., Ahmad, N. A. & Erlina, A. (2012). Mathematics Anxiety and Achievement Among Secondary School Students. American Journal of Applied Sciences, 9(11), 1828-1832. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajassp.2012.1828.1832

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Keywords

  • Mathematics Anxiety
  • Mathematics Achievement
  • Gender