Attitudes, Confidence, and Achievement of High-Ability Fifth Grade Math Students

In this action research study of my fifth grade high-ability mathematics class, I investigated student attitudes of mathematics and their confidence in mathematics. Student achievement was compared to two different confidence scales to identify a relationship between confidence and achievement. Six boys and eleven girls gave their consent to the study. I discovered there seems to be a connection between confidence and achievement and that boys are generally more confident than girls. Most students liked math and were comfortable sharing answers and methods of solving problems with other students. As a result of this study I plan to use my survey and interview questions at the beginning of the school year with my new class in order to assess their attitudes and confidence in math. I can use this information to identify potential struggles and better plan for student instruction.

Increasing Student Confidence and Knowledge through Student Presentations

In this action research study of a 9th grade Algebra classroom, I investigated the influence of having students present homework solutions and what effect it had on student learning and student confidence. Students were asked to present solutions to homework problems each day and were rated on how well they did. The students were also surveyed about their confidence and feelings about mathematics. Students were also observed for information about who they asked questions of when presented with a math problem they did not understand. In this classroom, two teachers were involved in instruction and this study examines what affect this had on student learning and who was asked for help. As a result of presentations, students’ confidence increased and students reacted positively to both the presentations and their own mathematical learning. The students felt the presentations were a benefit to the class and watching their peers solve mathematical equations helped them to better understand the mathematics.

Strategies and Precise Vocabulary Knowledge: Exploring the Relationships Among Mathematics Vocabulary, Problem Solving, and Confidence

In this action research study I focused on my eighth grade pre-algebra students’ abilities to attack problems with enthusiasm and self confidence whether they completely understand the concepts or not. I wanted to teach them specific strategies and introduce and use precise vocabulary as a part of the problem solving process in hopes that I would see students’ confidence improve as they worked with mathematics. I used non-routine problems and concept-related open-ended problems to teach and model problem solving strategies. I introduced and practiced communication with specific and precise vocabulary with the goal of increasing student confidence and lowering student anxiety when they were faced with mathematics problem solving. I discovered that although students were working more willingly on problem solving and more inclined to attempt word problems using the strategies introduced in class, they were still reluctant to use specific vocabulary as they communicated to solve problems. As a result of this research, my style of teaching problem solving will evolve so that I focus more specifically on strategies and use precise vocabulary. I will spend more time introducing strategies and necessary vocabulary at the beginning of the year and continue to focus on strategies and process in order to lower my students’ anxiety and thus increase their self confidence when it comes to doing mathematics, especially problem solving.

Development of an interview version of the Native American Cultural Involvement and Detachment Anxiety Questionnaire

The present study sought to develop and validate an interview version of the Native American Cultural Involvement and Detachment Anxiety Questionnaire (CIDAQ; McNeil, Porter, Zvolensky, Chaney, & Kee, 2000) in an effort to construct a more culturally appropriate means of obtaining anxiety-related information from a tribally homogenous sample of Native Americans. Five pilot subjects (60% women; M age = 35.8 years) and 50 Native American participants (46% women; M age = 40.32 years) residing on a Northern Plains reservation were administered the CIDAQ - Interview, designed specifically for this study, the Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ; Tallis, Eysenck, & Mathews, 1992), a measure of non-pathological worry, the CIDAQ (McNeil et al., 2000), a self-report measure of culturally-related anxiety, and a demographics form. Using a mixed design method of analysis, interviews were audio taped and data was both qualitatively and quantitatively compared for convergence and discrepancies across measures. As hypothesized, CIDAQ-Interview subscales corresponded with subscales from the CIDAQ self-report and included worries and anxiety in three content areas: (1) social involvement with Native Americans and cultural knowledge, (2) economic issues, and (3) social involvement with the majority culture. Results further revealed similarities between CIDAQ-Interview items and those on the CIDAQ self-report, indicating reliability for the Interview. Findings also confirmed the Interview's validity (r 's range = .349-.754), as well as a high level of internal consistency for the CIDAQ self-report (Cronbach alpha = .931). Data suggest the CIDAQ-Interview is a more culturally appropriate method of assessment and may be capable of assessing anxiety at a higher level of specificity then the self-report version. Results of the study are discussed in relation to the assessment of anxiety for homogenous reservation Native Americans, study limitations and directions for future research with the CIDAQ-Interview are also discussed.