Mathematics anxiety and its relationship to students' perceived teacher and parent attitudes toward mathematics

The study examines the relationship between students' levels of mathematics anxiety and those students' perceived attitudes toward mathematics of their parents and teachers. The study also examines the relationship between mathematics anxiety and achievement and the relationship between mathematics anxiety and gender. The subjects were 133 college freshmen from the fall of 1995 and 124 college freshmen from the fall of 1996. In 1995 there were 52 males and 81 females and in 1996 there were 61 males and 63 females. Subjects completed the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) prior to the start of their first college classes. Approximately one week later the subjects completed a questionnaire concerning the subjects' perceived attitudes toward mathematics of their fathers, mothers, and teachers. The mathematics sub-score on the ACT was used to represent mathematics achievement.;Pearson correlation coefficients reveal no differences (.05 level) between levels of mathematics anxiety and perceived attitudes of fathers, mothers, or teachers. The Pearson correlation coefficient is significant (with a negative correlation) between achievement and mathematics anxiety. Analysis of variance procedures reveal no differences (.05 level) between males and females as to mathematics anxiety. Suggestions for future research include duplication of the study at a large university and rewording of the questionnaire concerning perceived attitudes to insure a higher percentage of complete data.