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ERIC Number: EJ1157525
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1927-2677
EISSN: N/A
Enhancing Self-Efficacy of Elementary School Students to Learn Mathematics
Katz, Sara
Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, v4 n1 p42-55 2015
Mathematics is a key to all scientific subjects. Learning mathematics requires cognitive and meta-cognitive effort. Many students suffer from mathematics anxiety that very often leads to physiological symptoms. Self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that affect their lives. Regardless of previous ability achievement, high-efficacious students work harder, persist longer, persevere in the face of adversity, have lower anxiety, and achieve more than low-efficacious students. Therefore, very important in mathematical education is the nurturing of young people who will exercise control over learning mathematics. In this qualitative action research, we diagnosed and attempted to enhance eight 6th graders' efficacy beliefs to learn mathematics. Research tools were 22 interviews, six observations, and 10 field notes. We asked what constituted students' self-efficacy profile to learn mathematics. The constant comparative and grounded theory techniques were used for data analysis. Intervention included goal-setting, skill and strategy acquisition, and reflection. The theoretical contribution of this study is a very detailed diagnosis of self-efficacy resulting in a profile rather than in a single score. Practically, this profile enabled efficient intervention that resulted in students' high self-efficacy and achievement and improvement in teacher instruction.
Sciedu Press. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, ON., M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-479-0028; Fax: 416-642-8548; e-mail: jct@sciedupress.com; Web site: http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/jct
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A