An analysis of mathematics anxiety and mathematics interest

ntroduction Mathematics anxiety is defined as a feeling of tension, apprehension or fear that interferes with math performance. Richardson and Suinn (1972) stated mathematical anxiety as, “feeling of tension and anxiety that interfere with manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations”. According to Ashcraft (2002), Mathematics anxiety is present in many learners regardless of age, level of mathematical knowledge, gender and ability. According to Luo (2009), Mathematics anxiety is a kind of disease which refers to such an unhealthy mood responses which occur when some students come upon mathematics problems and manifest themselves as being panicky and losing one’s head depressed and helpless, nervous and fearful, and so on. This certain disease is often accompanied by some physiological reactions like perspiration of palms, tightening the fists, vomiting, dry lips and pale face. With these symptoms, students experience a feeling of self threat in mathematics learning, resulting in the loss of interest and confidence in mathematics learning. Literature Review Many students who suffer from mathematics anxiety have little confidence in their ability to do mathematics and tend to avoid mathematics course (Garry, 2005). Mathematics anxiety is the out come of low self esteem and the fear of failure, which causes problem for processing the incoming information as well as the previously learned information for problem solving. Such students avoid mathematics whenever and wherever possible. Mathematics anxiety has been found to have a negative relationship with mathematics performance (Hambree, 1990). According to Ashcraft and Kirk (2001), the correlation between mathematics anxiety and academic performance is inversely significant. Karimi (2009) found that mathematics anxiety has significant negative correlation with mathematics performance but no significant correlation is detected with academic hardness. His sample size comprised of 284 10 th grade high school students. Ho et al. (2000) found that the affective factor of mathematics anxiety is significantly related to mathematics achievement in the opposite direction. Their study focused on mathematics anxiety, comparing its dimensions, levels and relationship with mathematics achievements across samples of 6 grade students from China, Taiwan and United States. According to Betz (1978), mathematics anxiety is prevalent among college students. Lazarus (1974) suggested that the roots of mathematics anxiety are in the elementary and secondary levels. A high level of anxiety is associated with a lower level of performance. Tapia (2004) found that students having little mathematics anxiety scored significantly higher than the students with high mathematics anxiety A lack of confidence when working in mathematical situations is the cause of math anxiety (Stuart, 2000). According to Ashcraft & Faust (1994), highly math anxious students will be less fluent in computation, less knowledgeable about mathematics and less likely to have discovered special strategies and relationship within the mathematics domain. Several studies (Hembree 1990; Ashcraft 2001; Luo; 2009) have been done so far related to mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance at school level but there is need to study the Mathematics anxiety at undergraduate level as well. In the present study, the researcher is intends to find out the relation between mathematics anxiety, mathematics interest and mathematics achievement. Hypothesis The hypotheses of this study are as follows: 1. There is a significant relationship between mathematics anxiety, mathematics interest and mathematics achievement. 2. There is a significant difference between male and female students in mathematics anxiety, mathematics interest and mathematics achievement. Objectives The objectives of the study are: