ANXIETY AND MATHEMATICS LEARNINGStudies reviewed by Iossi (2009) suggested that approximately nine in ten studentsexperience some maths anxiety in their lifetime, most frequently when at universitylevel of study. For many students, word problems contributed most to maths anxiety.Bursal and Paznokas (2006) found teachers with lower maths anxiety were moreconfident than those with higher maths anxiety in their ability to teach maths (r = -.638).Bessant’s (1995) study showed that maths enjoyment and general evaluation anxietyshared a statistically significant strong negative correlation (r = -.52, p <.05). Weak tomoderate negative correlations were found between maths anxiety and achievement inmathematics (r = -.31, -.27) in studies by Ma (1999) and Hembree (1990).We can infer that students will have a greater chance at success in a content area likemaths if they are instructed in their native language. Numerous studies suggest thatlearning maths in a second language results in maths difficulties which are greater thanthose experienced while learning maths in a first language (Abedi, 2003; Moschkovich,2007; Yushau & Bokhari, 2005). Word problems have been shown to pose significantlygreater difficulties for L2 learners who do not inherently understand the mathematicscontent or the vocabulary (Bernardo & Calleja, 2005).Bernardo (2002) discovered, as most studies on the subject do, that maths studentsperform better in their first language than in their second. However, Bernardo’s (2005)revised study of Filipino bilinguals found no relationship between language andmodelling of maths problems. Riordain and O’Donoghue’s (2009) study of bilingualGaeilge-English speakers in Ireland found a moderate, statistically significant positivePearson correlation between English language proficiency and performance on Englishmathsword problems among primary students (r = .41, p < .05). Pearson’s correlationsgrew to strong levels in the secondary group (r = .65, p < .01).Constructing multiple meanings for words and developing multiple language registersfor various content areas are thought to be core obstacles to L2 maths learning(Moschkovich, 2007). Some studies suggest improved L2 comprehension can helpbridge the language gap, which improves content-area performance, but still questionsremain regarding the precise relationship between language and maths performance, andpotential to overcome maths learning issues by improving L2 skills. Lack of research onpossible correlations between FLCA and L2 maths learning leaves further questionsopen.
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