B, Mathematics Anxiety among Secondary School Students of Dhaka City
Keywords:
Mathematics Anxiety; Secondary Education; Secondary School Students; Dhaka City; Gender Differences; Parental Education; School Category.Abstract
Mathematics is an important compulsory subject at the secondary level and plays a significant role in developing scientific knowledge and technological advancement. This study aimed to measure and analyze the level of mathematics anxiety among secondary school students in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. The study employed a descriptive research design and a quantitative approach. A total of 479 Class Nine students, comprising 256 boys and 223 girls from 12 secondary schools, participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire incorporating the Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS) developed by Khatoon and Mahmud. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and t-tests were used to analyze the data.
The findings indicated that 17.1% of the students experienced low mathematics anxiety, 63.9% experienced moderate anxiety, and 19% experienced high anxiety. Although girls demonstrated higher mathematics anxiety scores than boys, the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, mathematics anxiety did not differ significantly across school categories or according to mothers’ educational qualifications. However, a statistically significant relationship was observed between fathers’ educational qualifications and students’ mathematics anxiety. The study highlights the need to identify the underlying causes of mathematics anxiety and develop appropriate strategies to improve students’ learning experiences and confidence in mathematics.
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