IJIET, e-ISSN 2548-8430, p-ISSN 2548-8422, Vol. 4, No.

2, July 2020

International Journal of Indonesian Education and Teaching

http://e-journal.usd.ac.id/index.php/IJIET
Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

ACTION RESEARCH ON MATHEMATICS PHOBIA

AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Kaushik Das and Madhurima Gupta

Gobardanga Hindu College, India
[email protected]; [email protected]
correspondence: [email protected]
https://doi.org/10.24071/ijiet.v4i2.2610
received 22 May 2020; accepted 3 July 2020

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to find out the causes of fear in the mathematics of
eleventh-grade students and to find a solution. Action research is a method that
has proven to be valuable as a problem-solving tool. It can provide opportunities
for reflection, improvement, transformation, and solutions to learning. The idea
for this project began as a discussion among the Mathematics Phobia at Secondary
school in West Bengal followed by WBCHSE Curriculum. The researchers
investigate several dimensions of Mathematics Phobia. Several research questions
stand out: a) Find out how much is an error in the curriculum? b) Finding students'
lack of interest in learning mathematics? c) Find out how students' attitudes
toward teaching methods and d) Find out Error in the learning process. The idea
for this project began as a discussion among the Mathematics Phobia at Secondary
school in West Bengal followed by WBCHSE Curriculum. The researchers
selected 50 students from the 11th-grade class, of which 32 were male and 18 are
female. Researchers formulated 12 questions and four Hypotheses. The
methodology of the study is a mixed type involving interpretative, analytical study
of documents, interview, survey questionnaire, observation, qualitative and
quantitative data analysis, and study secondary sources, like books, university
news, expert opinion, articles, journals, thesis and websites, etc. This study
researcher using statistical method percentage & bar-graph & finally, meaningful
suggestions are offered.

Keywords: action research, causes of mathematics phobia, innovative

approaches, mathematics phobia, mathematics education, remedies of
mathematics phobia

Introduction
The mathematical phobia is an obstacle to academic progress, whose reasons
are very important to inquire into but are not always possible to do. This fear is
expressed in the students of mathematics class and it is revealed in the standard of
improvement of the students. Depending on the Phobia of mathematics, the
teaching methods of teachers, teacher-student relationships, use of abusive words,
etc. (Nwoke, 2016). It can be said that the mathematics of the Basic Education

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Core curriculum is very important for the development of the human mind. It
enables a person to think logically and systematically, analyze various problems
or situations, anticipate, plan, make decisions, solve problems, and apply
mathematics in everyday life. Mathematics is the means of sharpening the
individual’s mind, shaping his reasoning ability and developing his personality,
hence, its immense contribution to the general and basic education of the people
of the world (Asiedu-Addo and Yidana, 2000). This classroom action study is a
very useful tool for teaching students to effectively overcome the fear of
mathematics and to teach teachers most effectively. Mathematics encourages the
practice of self-reliance and helps students think about their problems and solve
them (Adedayo; 1997). Mathematics has played an important role in the
development of society from pre-historic times until today and its role is more
important than ever and more important in the future (Makarfi, 2001). Negative
beliefs about mathematics affect the teachers' response to the helplessness they
have learned from the students, and on the other hand, which they believe can be
successful in mathematics as a result of successful mathematics experiences
(Karp, 1991). Teachers' beliefs play an important role in mathematics that has a
powerful impact on teaching practice (Charalambos, Philippou & Kyriakides,
2002; Ernest, 2000). Mathematics-anxiety is not a separate condition but it is-
“construct with multiple causes and multiple effects interacting in a tangle that
defies simple diagnosis and simplistic remedies” (Martinez & Martinez, 1996,
p.2; Bessant, 1995). Negative sources of faith and math anxiety can be divided
into three categories: The origins of negative beliefs and Mathematics-anxiety can
be classified into three categories: a) environmental, b) intellectual, and c)
personality factors (Trujillo & Hadfield, 1999). To help pre-service teachers
overcome their negative beliefs and concerns about mathematics, an intervention
is needed that helps pre-service teachers make radical changes in the nature of
mathematics and the beliefs and concepts about speech (Levine, 1996). Phobia in
mathematics is learned as a psychological response, and it often causes intense
anxiety (Tillfors, 2003). Mathematics-laboratory makes teaching and learning
activity-based and experimentation oriented from the elementary school stage to
higher studies & it exhibits relatedness of mathematics concepts with everyday
life in real situations (Das, 2019). This study influences the initiation of using
mathematics laboratory in teaching-learning and connect with the theoretical
parts. The mathematics laboratory uses a method other than the dialectic method
as a platform and to have a significant impact on the technique or knowledge
creation. Math lab makes teaching and learning activity-based and
experimentation oriented from the elementary school stage to higher studies. Math
teachers should use math lab for teaching purposes. It exhibits relatedness of
mathematics concepts with everyday life in real situations. Math teachers should
be trained for the use of a math lab in the class according to syllabi. The
Pedagogical Approaches in Mathematics Education explores the responsibility of
Mathematics Teachers & finds out the problems and challenges to integration
Mathematics and Pedagogical knowledge & it reduces the problems and
challenges to integration Mathematics and Pedagogical knowledge (Das, 2019).
Mathematical knowledge and mathematical usage are mentioned in the syllabus,

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students will get more importance in mathematics & it can connect mathematics
with the use of technology, mathematics will be more appealing to students (Das,
2019). Henceforth, this interview session was conducted to investigate three types
of disciplinary problems. First, it is to examine the causes of mathematics phobia.
Second, it is to find out the lack of interest of students in learning mathematics.
Third, it is to find out the error in the teaching process, learning process &
mathematics curriculum. Last, it is to present the remedy of mathematics phobia.

Statement of the Problem

This study was aimed at examining the causes & remedy of mathematics
phobia in Secondary School Students. This is an area that has been researched but
the tools and techniques needed to find the truth of the research have been used. It
is important to investigate and identify what affects students' phobia about
mathematics and the development of their attitude. The present study was
designed to search from each student the possible dislikes related to the most
important school determinants of mathematics. The results of student evaluations
and their impact have been considered as a consequence of the phobia of
mathematics. The environment and teaching methods suitable for mathematics
education are of particular importance. The appropriate curriculum in
mathematics emphasizes the necessary technology and the interest of students,
who fear math concepts.

Population and Sample

The population of interest for this study consisted of 11th standard students
from Bidhannagar Municipal School followed by WBCHSE Curriculum located
in Bidhannagar, Kolkata. This study areas of emphasis include teacher
preparation, coaching and mentoring in-service teachers, on-line learning among
practicing teachers, technology-supported classroom instruction, problem-based
learning, curriculum development, Student motivation, teaching-learning process,
teaching process & teacher quality for K-11 mathematics.

Purpose of the Study:

The importance of this study is that it will help to identify the causes &
remedy of mathematics phobia in Secondary School Students. Researchers
identify the causes of mathematics phobia. Finally, the researchers recommend a
remedy for those that will read and implement the work.

Method
The sources of data gathered in the present study are surveys, published
online action research work, and interviews. The current document-based
analytical approach is employed for data analysis. Historical and sociological
approaches have also been adopted for analyzing the collected data. The
methodology of the proposed study is based on the quantitative analytical
document-based & statistical analysis has been furnished.

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Methodology Employed
It is based on qualitative & quantitative research. It has the chief
characteristics of recent document & data based analytical research.

Research Materials
1. Questionnaires
2. Government documents
3. Peer reviewed Journals
4. Books
5. Magazines
6. On-line documents from some relevant and reliable internet sources.

Findings and Discussion

Findings
1. Research plan
Researchers have structured this action research into several steps:
Step: 1.The attitude of improving the mathematics of the school students has
been observed.
Step: 2. Identifying the research problem or question.
Step: 3.Select the probable causes of mathematics phobia among children.
Step: 4. Formulation of Hypothesis.
Step: 5. Formulation of Research Questions.
Step: 6. Gathering the necessary information.
Step: 7. Analyzing and interpreting the information.
Step: 8. Give meaningful suggestions.

2. The probable causes of mathematics phobia among children are as follows

a. Error in curriculum.
b. Poor economically status of students.
c. Lack of mental ability in comprehending the mathematical concepts.
d. Error in teaching process.
e. Lack of technologies.
f. Error in learning process.
g. Biased evaluation procedure.
h. Lack of interest of students in learning mathematics.
i. Ineligibility to demonstrate the lesson in an appropriate manner.
j. Lack of learning environment.

Among the aforesaid probable causes the following causes are considered for
research purpose. Researchers pickup four most causes for Mathematics Phobia &
these are:
a. Error in curriculum.
b. Lack of interest of students in learning mathematics.
c. Error in teaching process.

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d. Error in learning process.

The following hypothesis was formulated for the study.
H0: There is no significant difference between Mathematics Curriculum &
Learning.
H1: There is no significant difference between students’ interest & learning
mathematics.
H2: There is no significant relationship between teaching process & mathematics
phobia.
H3: There is no significant relationship between learning process & students’
achievement.

3. Sample of Data
For this research 50 students of Bidhannagar Municipal School are taken and
the research is conducted on them.

4. Tools of the Study

Based on the hypothesis formulated 12 questions are made. This information
is collected based on those questions. So, in this case, questionnaires are
considered as the tool of study. The questions based on hypothesis are as follows:
12 questions were created based on the Hypothesis made by the Researchers.
Data was collected from the students through this questionnaire. Thus, the
questionnaire has been used as a data collection tool. The following Hypothesis -
based questions are given in the following table:

Table 1. Formulation of Hypothesis and Research Questions

Formulation of Hypothesis. Questions. No. Of
Questions.
H0: There is no significant The syllabus of mathematics is huge.
difference between So, I fear studying mathematics. 2
Mathematics Curriculum & The procedures are not properly
Learning. explained in our Mathematics book.
H1: There is no significant I am not interested in understanding
difference between mathematical concepts and ideas. 2
students’ interest & I do not feel the urge to practice the
learning mathematics. sums which are done in school at
home.
Teacher cannot explain the concepts
properly.
Teacher does not use Black-board,
charts & other teachings Aids to
make the students understand the
mathematical concepts.
H2: There is no significant Teachers do not ask us any questions
relationship between while teaching. 6
teaching process & Teacher do not behave with us in a
mathematics phobia. friendly manner.

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I am afraid of my mathematics
teacher.
The teacher do not arrange any
quarries or enquiries.
H3: There is no significant I cannot remember the formulae.
relationship between I try to memorize all the sums 2
learning process & without understanding the concepts.
students’ achievement.

Table 2. Students’ opinion on the basis of questionnaire

Sl. Questions. Yes. No. No
No. (%) (%) reply.
(%)
1. The syllabus of mathematics is huge. So, I fear 10 88 02
studying mathematics.
2 The procedures are not properly explained in our 48 32 20
Mathematics book.
3 I am not interested in understanding 0 100 0
mathematical concepts and ideas.
4 I do not feel the urge to practice the sums which 20 80 0
are done in school at home.
5 Teacher cannot explain the concepts properly. 10 84 06
6 Teacher does not use Black-board, charts & 42 54 04
other teachings Aids to make the students
understand the mathematical concepts.
7 Teachers do not ask us any questions while 04 94 02
teaching.
8 Teacher do not behave with us in a friendly 06 90 04
manner.
9 I am afraid of my mathematics teacher. 30 60 10
1 The teacher do not arrange any quarries or 60 24 16
enquiries.
1 I cannot remember the formulae. 88 12 0
1 I try to memorize all the sums without 72 28 0
understanding the concepts.

Hypothesis H0:
Analysis of students’ opinion on the basis of hypothesis: H0: There is no
significant difference between Mathematics Curriculum & Learning.
Yes (%) No (%) Maybe (%)
Hypothesis:
H0

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Bar-graph 1: Analytical result with respect to Hypothesis H0.

Interpretation of Hypothesis H0:

From the above analysis, we can conclude that most of the students do not
think that mathematics phobia among them is due to errors in the curriculum. So
the hypothesis H0 is acceptable.

Hypothesis H1:
Analysis of students’ opinions based on hypothesis H1: There is no significant
difference between students’ interest & learning mathematics.

Yes (%) No (%) Maybe (%)

Hypothesis H1 0 + 20 20 100 + 80 180 0+0
= = 10 = = 90 =0
2 2 2 2 2

Bar-graph 2: Analytical result with respect to Hypothesis H1

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Interpretation of Hypothesis H1:

From the above analytical table researcher conclude that most of the students
do not feel that the students’ interest & learning mathematics is not the cause of
mathematics phobia among students’. So this particular hypothesis is acceptable.

Hypothesis H2:
Based on students’ opinion the hypothesis H2: There is no significant
relationship between teaching process & mathematics phobia.

Yes (%) No (%) Maybe (%)

Hypothesi 10 + 42 + 4 + 6 + 30 + 6 84 + 54 + 94 + 90 + 60 + 2 6 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 10 + 16 +
s H2: 6 6 6
152 406 42
= = 25.33 = = 67.67 = =7
6 6 6

Bar-graph 3: Analytical result with respect to Hypothesis H2

Interpretation of Hypothesis H2:

From the above results, the researcher concludes that most of the students do
not agree that teaching process & mathematics phobia are not related. So the
hypothesis H2 is acceptable.

Hypothesis H3:
Analysis of students’ opinions based on hypothesis H3: There is no significant
relationship between the learning process & students’ achievement.

Yes (%) No (%) Maybe (%)

Hypothesis H3: 88 + 72 160 12 + 28 40 0+0
= = 80 = = 20 =0
2 2 2 2 2

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Bar-graph 4: Analytical result with respect to Hypothesis H3

Interpretation of Hypothesis H3:

From the above analysis, the researcher concludes that most of the students
think that the learning process & students’ achievement is the cause of
mathematics phobia. So the hypothesis H3 is rejected.

Discussions
1. Students do not think about the curriculum as much as it creates fear among
them about mathematics. So students do not support this reason.
2. Lack of explanation for learning mathematics is felt by students in
mathematics books.
3. Students are keen enough to understand the concept of mathematics.
4. Although the teacher satisfactorily explains the concept of mathematics but
he does not use enough blackboards and teaching materials (TLM).
5. The teacher's friendly relationship with the students does not in any way scare
the teacher.
6. The teacher asks students subjective questions while teaching in the
classroom.
7. Students memorize formulae and theories without understanding
mathematics. Cannot use required formulae and cannot remember formulae
when applying mathematics.

Recommendations
1. Mathematics teachers must use the mathematics laboratory as well as the
organization.
2. The teacher will make the math subject easier by Math-game.
3. The necessary remedial classes will be arranged for the weaker students.
4. Needs to action research activity at school.

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5. Math teachers should try to make student active and motivated during
mathematics classes.
6. Teacher must use different ways all method of teaching.
7. Teacher should clear doubts in classroom itself.
8. Teacher should give daily life examples while teaching.
9. Teacher should take revision after teaching topics.
10. Students shoot habit of practicing sums and doing homework regularly.
11. Teacher should use appropriate teaching skills.
12. School should be arrange workshop.
13. The future researcher should conduct classroom action research for teaching
other subjects and other levels of education such as primary schools, college
and universities. Also, they should make an in-depth observation in a
classroom for obtaining more details. In the future, we shall extend our study
to higher education levels for mathematics education.

Conclusion
This study contextually specifies teaching and learning strategies for teachers
to develop a deep understanding of students' lessons. This study shows that
attitude towards mathematics phobia and its causes are significantly and positively
correlated, both for boys and girls. Behaviours that are friendly and concerned
about such students provide the positive emotional and motivational conditions
necessary for depth learning. Although the mathematics curriculum is high,
students are not worried about it but are not satisfied with the proper interpretation
of mathematical problems, formulae and theories in the book. For future
mathematicians and problem solvers in India, the school also needs to look at
mathematics education. The present study shows that mathematics phobia is due
to memorizing the formulae and lack of understanding of the concepts.

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