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ERIC Number: ED299147
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986-Apr
Pages: 31
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Attitudes and Beliefs about Learning, about Mathematics, and about Self Which Most Seriously Undermine Performance in Mathematics Courses.
Bassarear, Tom
The purpose of this study was to address issues related to the kind and degree of relationship between mathematical achievement and attitude toward mathematics. Data were gathered on a number of attitudes from 145 college students in a basic mathematics course. Attitudinal data were gathered by means of a six-page questionnaire, essay questions, and interviews with selected students. To assess students' mathematical ability, two diagnostic tests were administered; a test of the students' conceptual skills in mathematics and a test of manipulative mathematics skills. The findings from this study support the conclusion that, in general, attitudes are not significant predictors of performance in a mathematics course. However, the study produced evidence that one cause for these generally low correlations between attitude and performance may be that attitudes interact differently for different groups of students--for example, males and females, and students of different ability. Finally, the study proposed a new framework for investigating the influence of attitude on performance by looking at different types of students and how their attitudes might be undermining their ability to do well in mathematics courses. (PK)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: EXXON Education Foundation, New York, NY.
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the New England Educational Research Organization (Rockport, ME, April 1986).