An Investigation of the Levels of Mathematics Anxiety in BA ISAGO Foundation Students
Abstract
This research attempts to investigate the levels of mathematics fear, popularly known as mathematics anxiety in BA ISAGO University College (BIUC) students. The students are registered for various modules that include financial mathematics and quantitative methods as well as other mathematics related subjects such as Economics and Accounting. In their first sitting in November 2013, the majority of the students, constituting about 95%, failed the financial mathematics module, some scoring as low as 5%. This trend repeated itself in 2014 with indications that the same would manifest again in 2015 and beyond. This has prompted the current research to be urgently undertaken in order to try and investigate the causes of this high failure rate. Preliminary and informal discussions with the affected students have revealed that they generally have a phobia for mathematics. They also indicate that their phobia for the subject developed way back in high school and even in primary and pre-schools. This research therefore asks the question What makes these students fear mathematics?
The methodology for this study involves soliciting information/data from students pertaining to mathematics anxiety inherent in them. 255, three-section questionnaires were administered during class time. The analysis of the results have shown that (1) the majority of students (79%) scored grades C and D at high school, a not too desirable result for students embarking on a Bachelors degree in Commerce; (2) most students (81%) attended Government High Schools and (3) there were mixed feelings on how mathematics was hard (48%) or easy (14%) as well as those who cannot tell (38%). The implications for further study are also discussed.
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