CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Overview

Why do students and adults alike seem to dislike mathematics?

Some will roll their eyes or let out a sigh. They give many reasons,

such as “It's too hard,” “I'm not good at math,” or “why do I even need

math?” Where does this attitude come from? The National Council of

Teachers of Mathematics (1991) made this statement: “One of the

curious aspects of our society is that it is socially acceptable to take

pride in not being good in mathematics.” Is it something that can be

changed? First we need to know why.

This study will explore the reasons why students dislike

mathematics. There are many possible reasons for these attitudes.

There have been several studies on math anxiety (Ho, H., Senturk, D.,

Lam, A., Zimmer, J., Hong, S., Okamoto, S., Nakazawa, Y., Wang, C.,

2000; Ma 1999; Cates & Rymer, 2003) that have attempted to describe

the effect math anxiety has on math achievement. It may have

something to do with the classroom experience (Schefele &

Csikszentmihalyi, 1995). Some students may believe erroneously that

they are not “math people” (Anderson, 2007). Maybe the student fell

behind and was unable to catch up because of the sequential nature of

mathematics. It’s also possible that has to do with the difficulty of a

particular grade level (Cates & Rymer, 2003). Maybe the students

don’t understand why they will need mathematics and don’t see the

real world connections. This study will focus why some students have

such a negative attitude about mathematics.

Problem of the Study

Having a negative attitude toward mathematics may be related to

achievement of math students. If students don't like math, they may

be able to struggle through the classes and make good grades, but the

long-term effect will probably be that they will not pursue the subject

any more than they have to. They will certainly not pursue a career in

a math related field. If the reasons for this dislike can be determined,

then teachers can take steps to change the student’s attitude.

Purpose of the Study

This study will seek to determine what student attitudes are

about mathematics and in particular, if they dislike math, is there a

common reason.

Significance of the Study

Educators and government officials have been seeking to find ways

to increase student achievement in mathematics and science. With

many students having a dislike of mathematics, it will be difficult to

have meaningful change in achievement. If a particular reason can be

found for this dislike, then it may be possible to intervene in a timely

manner.

Definition of Terminology

Dislike of math in this study is defined as a negative attitude

toward math causing a desire to avoid mathematics classes.

Limitation

The survey used for this study was created by the researcher, and

was not validated. The students will take the survey during their math

class and may feel some pressure to respond positively. This may be

from their parents, the teacher or from their peers. Since the sample is

eighth grade students their maturity level may prevent them from

taking the survey seriously, or they may find it boring. In an attempt to

minimize this, the researcher will be present and administer the survey

and attempt to explain its importance and emphasize its

confidentiality.

Summary

This study consists of five chapters. Chapter I introduces the study

and defines the problem to be investigated. It also includes the

purpose, significance, limitations, and defines terms used in the study.

Chapter II will review related research. Chapter III describes the

methodology and procedures, which includes the population, sample,

data collection instruments, procedures, and research questions and

related hypothesis. Chapter IV will analyze and discuss the data

collected and chapter V will summarize the findings and give any

conclusions, recommendations, or implications of the study.