"                                      An Investigation of  Students' Aversion to Mathematics

                                            Tabitha Smith, Ed.D. and Grace Kibbe, Ph.D.

                                                         Alcorn State University

                                                           Lorman, Mississippi

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 Abstract

" The majority of the population often struggles with learning mathematics. There are many reasons why students struggle with mathematics, including a general dislike of mathematics s. If a student enrolls in a mathematics course with preconditioned judgments, it will likely affect their confidence and success ra e. Teachers must learn to eliminate these preconditioned judgments once students arrive in cleans. There was a total of twenty people that have earned their high school diploma voluntarily answered a four-question open-response research survey. This research was done to investigate when, where, and why the aversion to mathematics begins for students and provided techniques for teachers and Students trying to get their students to want to learn math again.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                            Introduction

The word “mama ics” brings forth fear and anxiety in most students le. Widespread thoughts imply that mathematics is primeval, needed, and necessary, yet, it remains unapproachable and inaccessible to the masses. Teaching mathematics and learning mathematics are two very separate operations. Every student learns differently; therefore, we must teach them in multiple ways. Education is unique in that there is no correct method of instruction for any content area, including mathematics cs. Only some learn spatially, so members of the mathematics teaching community must take responsibility for continuously diversifying their methods of instruction. Methods of mathematical instruction have seen many changes throughout the years. Teachers can only expect some students to react differently to our preferred method.

 It is safe to say that we are not all born with the same natural mathematics abilities. Still, it is also safe to say that we are not born with hatred or fear of mathematics ts' this ike, or fear of mathematics will never be fully known, but some questions beg for at least a somewhat analyzed answer.

                                                    Review of the Literature  

In elementary school, students decide that mathematics may not be their best class. Students receive instr actions not designed for their ability level, and they get more frustrated with mathematics because it becomes increasingly more difficult. Elementary and middle school ts’ math anxiety begins to. Kindergarten students experience math anxiety that can affect initial learning, resulting in poor math skills and negatively affecting long-term academic success and career choices (Ruff & Boes, 2013). So, what can we do at the secondary level to help these students overcome their anxiety and give math another try? J. W. A. Young published   The Teaching of Mathematics in  1906. He highlighted teacher knowledge and instructional presentation as the keys to successfully learning mathematics. Educators must also pay attention to student effort. Understanding the teacher will form a t’s perspective about mathematics, whether intended or unintended. According to Young (1906), mathematics teachers must own up to An adage that says the possibility that their instruction method may contribute to their aversion to the subject.

Hadamard (1945) believes one should refrain from pondering errors in mathematics. When a good mathematician makes an error, they soon realize and correct it. Errors are part of our answers. Students have to overcome their inadequate cy to learn from their mistakesinstructor. Our job is to notice them and how hard they are while encouraging them to explore and learn from their mistakes. Wrong answers open the doors to questions, which will open the doors to discovery. Psychology can be interwoven with the teachings of mathematics. G into t try minds and changing their perceptions and stereotypes regarding mathematics and their abilities to do mathematics.

Young (1906) believes school mathematics can be understood by any neurotypical mind if adequately presented. He adds that life has far more complex problems than any math book could offer. Young puts a lot of responsibility on learning mathematics. The first step is getting. In contrast, researchers may not wholly agree with Young here and must argue that students must consciously try to.  , "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drive k.” In this case, we can lead students to mathematics but not force them to think.

                                                  Review of the Literature 

Even in elementary school, students decide that mathematics is their least favorite class. Students receive instruction that is not developed for them,  and they slowly get more frustrated with math as it increasingly becomes more difficult. Elementary and middle school is where mo ts’ math anxiety develops. Kindergarten s   experience math anxiety that can affect initial learning, resulting in poor math skills and negatively affecting long-term academic success and career choices (Ruff & Boes, 2013). So, what can we do at the secondary level to help these students overcome their anxiety and give math another try? J. W. A. Young published The Teaching of Mathematics in 1906. He highlighted teacher know edge and instructional presentation as the keys to successful y learning of mathematics. Educators must also pay attention to student effort. A math teacher will form the t’s perspective about mathematics, whether intended or unintended. According to Young (1906), mathematics teachers must own up to the possibility that their instructor ion method may contribute to its aversion to the subject.

Hadamard (1945) believes one should refrain from pondering errors in mathematics. When a good mathematician makes an error, they soon realize and correct it. Errors are part of our answer. Students have to overcome their inadequacy to learn from their mistakes. Your job is to notice and honor their efforts while encouraging them to explore and learn from their mistakes. Wrong answers open the doors to questions, which will open the doors to discovery. Psychology can be developed woven with the teachings of mathematics. Getting into t ts' minds and changing their perceptions and stereotypes regarding mathematics and The first step is getting their abilities to do mathematics.

Young (1906) believes school mathematics can be understood by any neurotypical mind if adequately presented. He adds that life has far more complex problems than any math book could offer. Young puts much of the responsibility of learning mathematics on the instructor. In contrast, researchers may not wholly agree with Young here and must argue that students must consciously try to understand. There is an adage that says, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.” In this case,  e can lead students to mathematics but not force them to think.

                                                                   Method                                                  

Purpose

Young (1906) wanted people to see mathematics as an invention of the human mind. It is not something that comes naturally but a process that is worked on over time. With so many students n editing help to learn mathematics, studies need to be done to discover where students start having trouble. This research will continue investigating where, when, and why students acquire an adverse n toward math.

Participants

Twenty high school graduates voluntarily answered the questionnaire. They were a very diverse group of volunteers regarding age and gender, but they had all graduated from high school for at least five years. Some of them have earned one or more degrees.

Instrumentation and Procedure

Three open-ended questions were developed to allow participants to express their feelings and opinions without restrictions. The questions are designed to elicit strong reactions and opinionated responses. Through these qualitative In questions, the researchers will interpret s truth regarding negative feelings mod outlooks toward mathematics. By converting the student responses separately for the three open-response questions, categories were formed, and themes were brought forth from each subgroup and each question. 

                                                             Results 

Sample

Question 1: Have the teacher(s) you have had for mathematics affected your fondness or dislike of mathematics? (Please give as much detail as possible.)

How s s' answers were categorized in three ways. They were no, yes-positive, and

Yes-negative. The responses were recorded verbatim from what the participants emailed. 

Question 1: Category; No

This group generalized that they needed to care about how the teacher gave instruction.

They felt that either one could do math or they did not. The learning of mathematics is more about them than the teachers. Several responses mentioned that Students'teaching they were not motivated to do math because they felt it"served no purpose to know.

 Question 1: Category; Yes - Positive

 A significant amount of  research shows that teachers play a significant role in how students effectively learn any subject. The “teacher” category revolved more around what the respondents felt were essential characteristics the instructor should possess. Some of these included communicating effectively with students, providing clear explanations, and presenting the material in multiple ways to accommodate each student.

Question 2: Category; Memory

Respondents in the “memo” category stressed the importance of how capable a person is at memorizing information, knowing all the basics, and being able to stay concentrated.

Question 2: Category; Confidence

  “The single most important factor to me is confidence. Suppose you are confident in your instructor and your ability to answer the problems. In that case, students will not freeze up and be able to execute the problems effectively.”  The “confidence” group of respondents felt confident and unafraid, and approaching mathematics with a more positive attitude was essential in learning mathematics.

Question 3: If you find yourself liking or disliking mathematics, can you pinpoint where, when, and why the like or dislike started? Please give as much detail as possible regarding grade levstudent'sl, teacher (s) styles, comments, and subject matter (arithmetic, algebra geometry.)

Question three was divided into groups of respondents who liked mathematics, those who did not like mathematics, those who have liked and disliked mathematics at different periods, and others who liked it at first but now dislike it. These students that claim to like math say they have never experienced problems with teachers, and math always seemed to come naturally to them. They think it is just another class where they are exhausted trying to understand. There were also a few instances where teachers played an important role in the s fondness for math.

Question 3: Category; Dislike

  “My dislike for math came in high school. Algebra 1 was the start of it, and then I struggled from  th"n on. Geometry was easy, but not because I knew how to do it. I students a teacher in high school. If you asked for the student's help, she just gave you the answer instead of showing you how to get it. That most respondents who fell into this category of students  “like/dislike” had some issue with a class instructor. Teachers can cause students to feel like they hate math, but once that student has a better teacher, they start liking math again.

Question 3: Category; Like then dislike

 The “liked now dislike” category is the most upsetting. These respondents started hating mathematics because of the lack of help teachers would give when they were confused. This resulted in students los" ng confidence in their ability to do the math. Teacher strictness, “. . . teachers only wanted us to do it the way he taught . . . ” changed some respondents from “likers” of mathematics to “haters” of mathematics. When math isn't "fun" Respondents'or relating to everyday life, either because of the subject or the instructor, respondents went from liking mathematics to disliking it.

                                             Discussion and Implications

When qualitatively analyzing the three open-response questions, themes were formed because similar responses prevailed in multiple questions. Teacher "influence appeared in responses to all of the open-response questions. Through "the qualitative analysis, it became evident that lasting damage or interest can be caused by teachers when it comes to their attitudes regarding mathematics. The researchers have always been taught that teachers model what they want from their students. As many "respondents called it, teachers' "I do not care" attitude molded their student's outlook on math. Young (1"06) believed mathematics is beautiful and felt teachers are responsible for spreading this message. Students,"  especially ones who are already opposed to doing mathematics, have to see their teachers enjoy their jobs and have fun instructing. Through t"e responses, it is apparent that these former students have attached themselves to the attitudes of their old instructors.  Mathematics"s educators also need to be made aware of the success and flexibility of students' alternative reasoning strategies. Teachers respondent must be self-reflective, self-examining, and aware of students' perspectives" Putting forth an effort to understand students' minds and get to know the students' perspective is the key to successful mathematics teaching" Borko and Shavelson (1990) back this up with a study that revealed that teachers generally report that information about students is the most critical factor in their instructional planning" Teachers consider students' ability to be the character.

                                                                             References

Borko, H., & Shavelon, R. (1990). Teacher decision-making" In B. F. Jones & L. Idol (Eds.), Dimensions of thinking and cognitive instruction (pp. 311-346)" Elmhurst, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Hadamard, J. (1945)" The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field" New York: Princeton University Press.

Nathan, M. J., & Koedinger, K. R. (2000)" Teachers' and researchers' beliefs about the development of algebraic reasoning" Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 31(2), 168–190.

Ruff, s. & Boes, S. (2013)" The Sum of All Fears: The Effects of Math Anxiety on Math Achievement in Fifth Grade Students and the Implications for School Counselors. 

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1084441.pdf

Young, J. W. A. (1906). The teaching of mathematics. Cambridge: The University Press.