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ERIC Number: EJ785739
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0268-3679
EISSN: N/A
Can't Do Maths--Understanding Students' Maths Anxiety
Metje, N.; Frank, H. L.; Croft, P.
Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, v26 n2 p79-88 2007
The number of students continuing with their mathematics education post GCSE level has declined in recent years and hence students entering Engineering degrees are reducing. The University of Birmingham recognized this problem and introduced the Suite of Technology programme (STP) which no longer requires students to have A-level mathematics. Therefore lecturers at university are now faced with teaching A-level mathematics in order to give the students the mathematical skills for their technology degree. With little experience of teaching at this level, lecturers frequently face the challenge of choosing the most appropriate level for a lecture that encourages students to engage with and learn a subject that they are novices in. It turned out that some students have a mathematics anxiety and hence the biggest challenge for a lecturer is supporting the students overcoming this fear of mathematics. Choosing the appropriate starting level for any lecture and the fear of mathematics was acknowledged during a peer learning group meeting as part of the Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE) at the University of Birmingham. In order to explore this further, a session of mathematics was taught by a Civil Engineering lecturer to fellow peers who do not have an engineering background. This article describes the mathematics teaching session, reflections from the lecturer and the learners, and the impact that this had on teaching mathematics to undergraduates. Further, the article explores the difficulties and challenges experienced by lecturers when teaching mathematics as a service subject.
Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://teamat.oxfordjournals.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A