Discusses factors leading to mathematics anxiety, including personality factors, pressure from authority figures, time pressure, public failure, the right/wrong dichotomy, constructive criticism, and competition. Suggests a number of specific ways that parents and teachers can help reduce students' anxiety. (MKR)

Proposes offering college students an optional performance contract that requires full class participation and resubmission of incorrect test items to alleviate mathematics anxiety. A comparison of students opting or not opting for the contract indicated that contracted students outperformed their counterparts in the latter stages of the course.…

Presents and discusses three instruments to evaluate: (1) student self-assessment; (2) assessment of cooperative learning tasks; and (3) student assessment of their teacher's effectiveness. Examples of the instruments are provided. (MDH)

Describes a comprehensive program developed at the University of Minnesota to help adult students who suffer from mathematics anxiety. The three components of the program--a diagnostic clinic, individualized tutoring, and content courses--are designed to analyze student needs, both mathematical and emotional, and to address those needs in a…

This kit is designed to develop the adult numeracy skills of literacy and mathematics trained teachers in Australia using a participatory workshop approach. The kit is divided into five chapters. Each chapter contains theoretical and background information, a sequence of structured activities in which participating teachers actively engage, and…

This curriculum guide, developed by an adult basic education program for disadvantaged women, provides methods for teaching mathematical concepts and operations including whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents. The curriculum illustrates methods and activities that bridge the gap between numerals (the symbols of mathematical…

This Australian document is a guide to teaching mathematics as it relates to specific work situations. After a brief introduction, chapter 1 looks at problem solving, advises teachers to lower the reading level and thus raise the understandability of written math problems, and describes a four-step problem-solving process. Chapter 2 outlines a…

Discusses the behavioral indicators as well as the long range effects of mathematics anxiety in elementary school teachers and students and suggests ways of improving the situation. (CM)

Examines teacher mathematics anxiety as it relates to changes in student mathematics anxiety and achievement, teaching practices, and teacher characteristics. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale was used for 31 teachers. Teacher mathematics anxiety correlated positively with whole-class instruction time and negatively with the number of students'…

Discussed are two practices that can affect the confidence and attitude of students toward mathematics. The first is a questioning technique that allows students to verbalize their progress up to a perceived impasse. The second discusses the possible negative results of sending students to the blackboard and provides suggestions to improve the…

This document consists of the two numbers of "The AMATYC Review" issued during publication year 1991-1992. The following articles are featured: (1) "Educational Reflections" (D. A. Crocker); (2) "Mathematics: An International View" (I. Malyshev, J. R. Becker, editors); (3) "Pandora's Rectangular Parallelepiped" (L. R. Tanner, editor); (4) "The…

In an attempt to explore the prevalence, intensity and effects of mathematics anxiety at Salisbury State College (Maryland) approximately 350 student volunteers from two diverse introductory mathematics courses participated in this survey. The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Anxiety and Confidence Scales and a portion of the Test Anxiety Profile were…

Describes a study of the use of certain curriculum materials (SMP 11-16) with a third-year class of low attainers in mathematics. The study involved classroom observation and a student questionnaire. It was concluded that the materials were at least partially successful. (PK)

Describes a remedial college course in intermediate algebra designed to improve student success rate. Suggests that the course was easy and inexpensive to implement and required a minimum of reorganization. (PK)

This document is a "methodological annex" to volume I of the Women in Science and Technology in Australia (WISTA) final research report. The 10 discussion papers that make up this document deal with the 10 core factors of influence that formed one main axis of the study's theoretical framework for inquiry. A diagram illustrates this…