ERIC Number: ED660300
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 126
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3840-2607-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Adult Student Experiences and Strategies for Overcoming Math Anxiety: A Qualitative Study
Lori Hobbs
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Capella University
The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nontraditional students' experiences and strategies used to overcome math anxiety. It addressed two research questions; how adult students developed their beliefs about math anxiety, and how they described the strategies used to change their beliefs and become successful in completing an undergraduate-level math class. The chosen methodology for this study was a basic qualitative structure which is predominantly used to interpret the meaning of experiences within the context in which they transpire. For this study, a nontraditional student was a learner who was over 24 years of age, who did not attend college directly from high school, and had life circumstances that may have interfered with their academic success. Thirteen participants were purposively selected from a population limited to nontraditional students who self-identified as experiencing math anxiety prior to or while taking an undergraduate math class. Data were collected using a systematic inquiry method and analyzed using a thematic tool and the constant comparative analysis method. Although no new strategies or solutions to overcoming math anxiety were discovered, the findings from this study supported the concept that nontraditional students are self-driven and use this drive to overcome math anxiety as they transform their negative beliefs to accomplish a goal. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Student Experience, Mathematics Anxiety, Nontraditional Students, Adult Students, Student Attitudes, Beliefs, Undergraduate Study, Mathematics Education, Learning Strategies
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Adult Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A