Attitudes toward mathematics of elementary school students and their parents

Brekalo, Katarina. (2012). Attitudes toward mathematics of elementary school students and their parents. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Pavlin-Bernardić, Nina].

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Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine correlation between students' attitudes toward mathematics,students' math anxiety, students' self-esteem, students' math grade at the end of the first semester, parental attitudes toward mathematics and parental education. The participants were 80 elementary school students in grades 7 and 8, and their mothers and fathers. Three instruments were used: Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Mathematics Scale – Subscale of Attitude Toward Mathematics (Vlahović-Štetić, Rovan i Arambašić, 2005), Math Anxiety Scale (Vlahović-Štetić, Rovan i Arambašić, 2005), and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (Lacković-Grgin, 2002). The results, using hierarchical regression analyses, showed statistically significant contribution of mothers' attitudes toward mathematics and students' math anxiety in prediction of students' attitudes toward mathematics: students whose mothers had positive attitude toward mathematics, and students whose math anxiety was low, had more positive attitude toward mathematics. Predictive variables explained total 37,9% variance of students' attitudes toward mathematics. Also, results showed statistically significant contribution of fathers' education and students'attitude toward mathematics in prediction of students math grade at the end of the firt semester: students whose fathers had higher educational level, and students who had positive attitudes toward mathematics, had higher math grades at the end of the first semester. Predictive variables explain total 46,3% variance of students math grade at the end of the first semester

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