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1 Introduction
Education is described by Kirk and Gallagher (1983: 34) as the mirror of the
society, showing its strengths, weaknesses, hopes, biases and key values of its culture.
Thus, education has a definite role to play in the development of people and countries.
Education plays a significant role in the development of people because people are the
wealth of any nation; therefore, people are viewed as a focus for development. It plays a
vital role in the development of the country because education is the source of growth of
any country. This may be one of the reasons why United Nations Educational Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2001:9) declare education a vehicle for and
indicator of development.
Education and training play a vital role in assisting individuals and societies to
adjust to social, economic and cultural changes and promote the development of the
human capital essential for economic growth. Modern education, schooling in particular,
aims at imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the young ones to become
functional in their respective societies. Schools are therefore intended to serve as agents
for developing individual citizens within a country (Pandey 1996 : 77). In essence,
schools are institutions where children are groomed to appreciate what the society in
which they live stands for and are equipped in order for them to contribute to the
desirable change towards the social and economic betterment and cultural transformation
of a society in the status of human being and the country as a whole. It broadens the
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mental horizon of the human being. In one hand, education develops the total personality
of the individual and on the other hand education contributes to the growth and
development of society. It is only through education that the moral ideas, spiritual values,
the aspiration of the nation and its cultural heritage are transformed from one generation
to another for preservation, purification and sublimation into higher culture. Humphrys,
Traxler et al. (1960) have very correctly remarked "our future material and cultural
welfare and progress, even our survival as a nation depends upon the wise use of abilities
The nation that fails to make a genuine assessment of his human energy available
in its bound to lag behind others in the era of great competition in the national and
international fields. An ideal system of education should enable individuals to know and
develop to the fullest their physical and intellectual potentialities and promote their
awareness of social and human values so that can develop a strong character and live
development. Catalytic action of education in this complex and dynamic growth process
and spiritual. It refines sensibility and perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, a
scientific temperament and independence of mind and spirit. Thus furthering goal of
manpower for different levels of economy and empower the poor masses to become self-
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reliant enough to participate in the process of national development. Education is thus an
instrument for developing an economically prosperous society and for ensuring equity
In India, an attempt to take a holistic view was made in 1986. The NPE-1986
(Govt. of India, 1986) is a landmark in the history of Indian education. The NPE-1986
improvement in the quality and relevance of education at all levels. The NPE-1986 also
emphasized that education must play a positive and interventionist role in correcting
Subjects like science and mathematics have found a significant place in the
substantial and integral part of an organized society. In today's world no one can live
because of its wide ranging applications in our life. The present society requires the use
of the skills such as estimating, problem solving, interpreting data, measuring, predicting
and applying mathematics in everyday life situations. The National Policy on Education
(NPE) 1986 has rightly visualized mathematics as the vehicle to train a child to think,
reason, analyze and articulate logically. Moreover, the national Curriculum Framework
for School Education (NCFSE) 2000 has reiterated that the study of mathematics
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contributes to the development of precision, rational and analytical thinking, reasoning
doing so, it has also made itself essential for the existence and progress of modern world.
In modern world we have to be more and more exact, we make larger use of quantitative
terms. We have to be accurate to a split of second. All this requires large calculation and
habit of mind for its use in the work place, business and finance; and for personal
Mathematics equips pupils with uniquely powerful ways to describe, analyze and
change the world. It can stimulate moments of pleasure and wonder for all pupils when
they solve a problem for the first time, discover a more elegant solution or notice hidden
connections. Pupils who are functional in mathematics and financially capable are able to
think independently in applied and abstract ways and can reasons, solve problem and
assess risk.
The subject transcends cultural boundaries and its important is universally recognized.
Mathematics has developed over time as a means of solving problems and also for its
own sake.
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In the present social set-up, mathematics is more important for the common man.
In this age of taxes, insurance premium savings and interests, rents and propaganda, a
person only with good mathematical background can be reasonably sure that he is getting
his due.
A little reflection will show what predominant role mathematics plays in our
everyday life and how it has become an indispensable factor for the progress of our
present day world. It is the pivot of all civilization. Each individual is required to
compute his or her income and balance, his family budget irrespective of having any
formal education of mathematics. This is the subject which undisputed forms the very
human race. There is no science, no art and no profession, where mathematics does not
held a key position. The accuracy and exactness of a science is determined to a major
extent by the amount of mathematics utilized in it. Even social sciences like economics,
psychology, geography etc. make abundant use of mathematics. The gigantic work of
construction of dams, bridges, building of ships, airplanes, bombs etc. are possible only
measure the doses, the blood pressure, the rate of the pulse, the body temperature etc.
Most of the natural sciences and philosophy are to be studied on mathematical lines and
Even nature also embraces mathematics completely. The sun rises and sets at
specified moment. The stars appear at fixed time. Mathematics runs in the veins of
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natural sciences like Physics and Astronomy. This subject is inextricably incorporated
functional dependence and generalization, geometry teaches logical thinking and natural
design. All these combine to produce a very valuable literature of interpretation, control
construction in banking and business, in protection of life and property in painting and
for higher study in the fields of science and technology. Mathematics holds a unique
place in every society today. People accept the fact that mathematics is vital to the
continued growth of the nation, both for expanding internal advancement and
maintenance of leading role in the world community. Mathematics aids man in his
understanding of the world, he lives and in turn, modifies the world and his need as he
mathematics is crucial for many career and job opportunities in today's increasingly
quantification of experiences around the learners towards this carrying out experiments
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with numbers and forms of geometry, framing hypotheses, verifying these with further
process of decision making through its application to real life situations in familiar as
and analytical thinking, reasoning, positive attitudes and aesthetic sense. Apart from
mathematics also provides ample opportunities for making conjectures, testing and
building arguments about their validity and also in asking new questions, understanding
of the basic structure of mathematics leads to a much better appreciation of the scope and
power of mathematics.
Let us find out the position of mathematics in our school curriculum in the last
two or three decades. Most of the boards of secondary education in India prescribed two
types of mathematics syllabuses for the students of 10-years schools, one being
elementary or general mathematics which was an additional mathematics course for the
student having special aptitude and interest in mathematics. The Central Board of
level and other at B level. The student should choose any one of the two syllabuses. The
Central Board has dispensed with the dual syllabus from the examination year 1986 and
has prescribed only one syllabus irrespective of attitude, ability and aptitude of the
students.
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So far as the new contents were concerned, the syllabuses were to an extent new
but in almost all the cases same methods of teaching were followed and same old
recommended some sort of general education for all children up to the age of 16+ with
1966 were accepted by many of the state Governments in 1974. The Central Board of
Secondary Education introduced the new pattern from the examination year 1977.
Welfare constituted an Experts Group in 1973 to develop the curriculum for the 10+2
administrators and educationists produced a framework of the curriculum for the ten year
Mathematics remains an important today. Many life stages and skills require a
applying for a home loan or assessing a possible business opportunity. When children
eventually leave education and seek out a career, they will inevitable need to call upon
the mathematical skill and strategies they have learnt at school. They will soon realize
thinking, reasoning, positive attitude and aesthetics sense. But children often feel
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They have a sense of stress and anxiety in learning mathematics. Mathematics anxiety
The world is becoming more and more competitive and quality of performance
has become the key factor for personal progress. Parents desire that their children climb
the ladder of performance to as high level as possible. The desire of a high level of
achievement put a lot of pressure and anxiety on students in mathematics. Student often
areas.
about their ability to understand and do mathematics. People who suffer from
mathematics anxiety feel that they are incapable of doing activities and classes that
among college students has risen significantly over the last decay. Many students have
even chosen their college major in the basis of how little mathematics is required for the
degree.
However, mathematics anxiety interferes with a person's ability to learn mathematics and
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Mathematics anxiety is a feeling of tension and anxiety that interfere with the
academic life (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). It can also be explained as a sense of
1999; Ma, 2003) and is associated with fear and apprehension to specific mathematics
related situation (D'Ailly & Bergering, 1992). It is found among elementary school
students (Jackson & Leffinwell, 1999, Steele & Arth, 1998); high school students
(Hembree, 1990) and in college students (Tobias, 1990, Bitner et. al. 1994).
experience it. Often students who are anxious, bored and fearful towards mathematics or
who do not comprehend the importance of mathematics in professional and personal life
are the once most likely to avoid the study of mathematics. It cannot be stressed more
forcefully the fact that mathematics is truly the gateway to engineering, scientific,
technological fields. Mathematics anxiety in students has become a concern for our
Indian society. Evidence of student's poor attitude and high levels of anxiety towards
scores in 'Scholastic Aptitude Test' as well as poor mathematics scores had been
published in the third 'International mathematics and Science Study'. The other notable
limitation in selecting majors and future careers and the negative feeling of guilt and
shame (Betz, 1978; Donady & Tobias, 1977; Hendel, 1980; Rechardson & Suinn, 1972).
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Hence, the professional and economic gains that will result from changing
mathematics anxiety into mathematics confidence cannot be overstated. Not only that the
important for students and other alike (National Research Council, 1989).
The first year of secondary school have also been identified as a key period in the
researchers. What factors promote anxiety in students? How far do the different factors
contribute towards anxiety? Therefore many factors have been hypothesized and
researched upon and researchers have come out with different results, at time,
researchers. The search therefore continues and educational researchers all over the
research has come to our aid by looking into what variables promote mathematics
function of many interrelated variables like students abilities, attitude, perception, socio
economic values, parental education and occupation, family size, peer gourps, size of the
school, types of management, resources, salaries of the teachers and tuition fees and so
forth. Many of these variables are home and families related and thus are difficult to
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change and also out of control of the education. However, the school related variables
interventions.
Norwood (1994) emphasized that mathematics anxiety did not appear to have
single cause, but was infact, the result of many different factors such as truancy, poor
coping skills, teacher attitude and emphasis on learning math through drill without
factors such as myth and attitude of teachers and parents and attitude of student;
intellectual factors such as learning styles and dyslexia; personality factors such as low
mathematics anxiety shows, there are gender differences in mathematics anxiety among
younger students, though it appears that during the elementary and junior high school
years, boys express slightly more positive affect about math than do girls (Aiken 1970).
During the high school and college years female students report more anxiety about math
Due to the fact that gender differences do not appear until around puberty. Boys and girls
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have similar mathematics and science proficiency scores on tests at the age of 9, but a
gap begins to appear at around age 13, early findings showed that children (boys and
girls) did not differ in their mathematics performance during elementary school but that
differences began to appear in middle school and increased with time and schooling
ability as a result, girls often have low confidence in their mathematics capabilities.
These gender sterotypes can reinforce low confidence in girls and can cause mathematics
anxiety. However, a note of cautious has to be added while describing gender as a major
variable effecting mathematics anxiety. For example, Gierl and Bisanz (1995) found no
significant gender difference for mathematics anxiety, on the other hand Campbell and
Evans (1997) found that females exhibit more mathematics anxiety in secondary school
and in college. Jordan and nettles (1999),who analyzed data from the National
Educational Longitudinal study of 1988 (NELS), reported that girls had lowest scores
than boys on math in the 12th grade. Research has shown that females do not enjoy math
and often see it as having little relationship to their lives or their futhures (Fennema and
Sherman, 1978). Females display more mathematics anxiety than males in secondary
correlation between the two has been observed by many researchers (Adams and
Holcomb, 1986,Betz, 1978; Suninn, Edie, Nicoletti and Spinelli, 1972, Wigfield and
Meece, 1988). This negative relationship also appears at the elementary and secondary
school levels (Chiu and Henry, 1990;Lee,1991 and 1992). A review of current research
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suggests that low achievers in mathematics frequently accompany the incidence of
mathematics anxiety. Ma (1999) found that the relationship between mathematics anxiety
and mathematics achievement is significant. It was also found that once mathematics
anxiety takes shape, its relationship with mathematics achievement is consistent across
grade levels. Stake and Amato (1995) and Hadfield et tal (1992) also reported similar
findings. A high level of anxiety is associated with a lower level of achievement (Harper,
1988).
mathematics has intersted researchers for several years. Richardson and Woolfolk
(1980)discussed how certain features of math, such as its precision, logic and emphasis
on problem solving, make it particularly anxiety provoking for some individuals. Studies
have documented the negative effects of mathematics anxiety on math performance and
achievement (Richardon and Suinn, 1972). Several researchers also have proposed that
and course enrollment patterns (e.g. Fennema, 1977;Fox,1975, Tobias and Wissbrod
1980,) Hembree (1990) reports an average correlation of 0.34 for school students,
achievement.
However, it should be noted that the observation of Hensley (1987) uses multiple
regression and those of Hadfield and Maddux (1988) using analysis of variance did not
indicate a significant relationship between the two. Frary and Ling (1983) suggest that
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higher levels of mathematics anxiety are related to lower mathematics achievement
countinue to attract the attention of researches because of their association with students
mathematics, you will most likely enjoy performing the task and you have low level of
anxiety. A negative attitude towards mathematics will cuases you to dislike the task and
you have high level of mathematics anxiety. Thus attitude, part of a student’s disposition,
influence the level of mathematics anxiety. Students who suffer mathematics anxiety
have accepted that they fail in any mathematics situation. Furthermore, the student
cannot cope with the frustration of not being able to keep up with the class and student’s
negative (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Hadfield, Martin and Wooden (1992) found a
strong correlation between the variable of persistence and degree of mathematics anxiety,
thus concluding that a student's attitude may be a a more important factor than previously
thought. It has similarly been noted that more positive attitudes accompany lower levels
of anxiety and are conducive to increased gains in the future (Genshaft, 1982).
determine success or failure despite the student’s ability. Students attitude towards
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mathematics that are not necessarily positive even though they continue to study it.
These students see mathematics as services subject or something that must be endured to
confidence will improve the student’s anxiety. Fiore (1999) referring to students who
have had very damaging mathematics related experiences states that with the
mathematics anxious student it is important to help the student realize that mathematics
anxiety is common and to reassure the student that he or she is not alone in his or her
Overall, mathematics anxiety will be reduced due to positive attention that helps
Parents play a vital role in their children’s education. Students whose parents
were university educated performed about two thirds of a proficiency level higher than
those whose parents had no more than a high school education. Parents higher in
mathemathics, this reduces the level of anxiety in them but if the parents are uneducated,
they cannot help the students in their study and this effect mathemathics anxiety directly.
Thus parents play an import role in supporting their children and reducing their
mathemathics anxiety.
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Educated parents supported their children’s course taking and career choices.
They can learnt the effect of mathematics anxiety in students and encourage them to
Parents have the most influence on adolescent course-taking and career choices,
with the mother being the most influential of all this was the finding in a 2001 report in
the social psychology of education. Parental encouragement in math has been found to
Infact, students grades in mathematics were higher when students perceived that their
Higher educated parents, aside from being actively involved in their children
education, they provide a home environment that can affect learning. Parents serve as a
model for learning determine the educational resources available in the home and hold
The average math scores of students whose parents had high school or less were
significantly lower than the average scores of students whose parents has college or
university. Thus there is a strong relationship between the educational level of the parents
Dave and Dave (1971) investigated the relationship of parental education on cast with
the academic achievement . They found that higher percentages of rank holder belong to
homes with higher parental education where as a higher percentages of failed students
belong to those who have lower parental education. Bridge et al (1979), and Glasman
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and Binyamin (1981) concluded that the achievement level of a student in mathematics is
anxiety among student is the type of schools. India at present is on the fast track of
changes in our economic policies. A shift from government sector to private sector is
gaining momentum day by day. So, in the field of education also, private sector seems to
flourish due to its quality as perceived by most of the parents. Geeta (1994) was
conducted Private unaided junior school were significantly more effective either than
Varghese (1994) found that schools managed by private sector show marginally
better performance than government schools. Duraisamy (1999) results indicate that
students from private unaided schools do significantly better than public school
counterports and private aided school students in language and mathematics. Coleman et
al (1982) provide strong evidence that there is, in vocabulary and math, higher
achievement for comparable students in catholic and other private schools than in public
white,1992, Estalls et al, 1997, Goldhabar, 1996, Singh Satvir, 1996 provide in their
factors (like gender, attitude, parental education, mathematics achievement and school
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type) need no longer be neglected in research efforts directed towards a study of
influence the mathematics anxiety but their influence has not yet been empirically
studied adequately. This being the reason, the investigator undertook the present study
anxiety.
Every research study deals with the solution of some problems of human interest.
That is why the researcher has a definite purpose, he has certain specific aims and goals
to achieve through his research work. Such specific goals or purposes of research are
technically termed as objectives. Every research work must have some objectives to
achieve without which no research work can be conducted. The entire research process is
guided by objectives. Which have been explicitly and presently spelled out by the
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investigator in advance ? The present study is aimed at achieving the following
objectives :
basis.
formulate certain hypotheses which may be tested in this study. The investigator was
guided by the results of previous researches in their areas, theoretical view points
available in related literature and investigator's intuitive understanding and insight. For
the present study, the hypotheses have desirably to be stated in the null form. The reason
is obvious when they conceived as research hypothesis they are generally stated in the
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form of statements but when they are conceived as statistical hypothesis usually they
experimental research and desirable in case of other kinds of researches. The reason is
that there is no statistical method or technique, which can directly test the research
hypothesis. All statistical tests are tests of null hypotheses. Only, indirectly, by rejecting
or accepting the null hypothesis one arrives at the conclusion about the research
hypothesis.
The following null-hypotheses have been constructed for testing through the
study. The confidence interval set-up for the purpose of accepting or rejecting the
hypothesis in the study is 0.05 to 0.01 levels. The reason for fixing the rigorous limit is
discussed elsewhere. Common practice in this regard, is to set-up a range of 0.05 to 0.01
students.
levels of achievement.
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5. There is no significant difference among the different categories of mother's
Some terms and concepts have been repeatedly used in this study. In view of the
references has not yet attained a standardized form, it appears necessary that their
definitions as accepted for this study are given so that any term may not means different
things to different readers of the dissertations. It is obvious that the investigator has not
coined her own definitions, but has for each term selected the one from those given in
standard text books which was found to have best served the purposes of the present
study. In case of each term or concept the accepted definition is preceded by a brief
The term mathematics anxiety here refers the feeling of fear, worry and dislike of
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anxiety for the present study shall mean the total score obtained by the sample groups on
education serves a step towards preparation for higher and professional education. It is
the stage where a proper understanding of work ethos and values of a human and
composite culture is provided to future citizens of the country. "Secondary School is the
division following the elementary school, comprising most often grades from 9 to 10 or
grades 7 to 12". (Good, 1973) "A school more advanced in grade than an elementary
Any significant difference in mental, physical, social and emotional traits that
Researchers often assume different definitions of ATM (Mc Leod, 1992) for
example Leder (1987) and Reyes (1984) used ATM as a general concept that includes
beliefs about self and about Mathematics. The multiplicity of meaning given to the
concept of ATM is the primary culprit of the inconsistencies in the ATM (Anderson,.
activities rather than a generalized attitude towards Mathematics (Aiken, 1970b). Hence,
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and enjoyment when learning Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry. This
important, difficult and enjoyable causally linked with one another, and with ATM, in
similar way across the four mathematical areas. The Mathematics attitude has therefore
parent's education. Parent's education has been Categorized into four groups i.e. illiterate,
Father’s and mother’s occupation were considered as parent’s occupation of the student.
The father’s occupation has been categorized into three groups, i.e. others (farmer, peon,
Four types of schools have been considered for this study (1) government school
(2) government aided school (3) private managed school (4) minority managed school.
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1.6.8 Government Schools
supported and administered by local and state government i.e. Uttar Pradesh Government
Minority managed school means any secondary school financed by state govt. but
trusts without any financial support and administrative control of State or Central
Government and based on curriculum of Central Board Secondary Education, New Delhi
gender, attitude, parental education, mathematics achievement and school type has taken
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in behavior to investigate the effect of gender, attitude, mathematics achievement,
In most of the earlier studies the relationship of just one or two variables with
anxiety in mathematics has been worked out. To have an idea about the relative
may be included and by working out their relationship with mathematics anxiety the ones
having positive relationship with anxiety may be identified and then through appropriate
be found out. Most of the work in this area has been done in the more developed
countries. Because of the popularity of the social set-up and economic conditions in
India, the findings of these studies may be fully applicable here. There is thus, need to
have the Indian data to see how the different factors are at work in various situations in
this country.
Mathematics anxiety deserve attentions in present study because of the important part
that mathematics plays in much high school and technological education. Mathematics
anxiety can cause students to avoid challenging math course and may limit their career
choices. So it is important for teachers, parents and students to be aware of the effects of
mathematics anxiety and if the student is affected, they provide them remediation. For
this reason, mathematics anxiety and the factors affecting it like gender, attitude,
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mathematics achievement, parental education and school type has become a important
The present study was, therefore, designed to fulfill these needs and it aimed at
Through appropriate statistical techniques an attempt was made to work out the relative
education system is to provide equal access to school for all, it requires reliable
information about the cause of anxiety in mathematics among secondary school students.
Several studies have been made to investigate the relationship between anxiety in
mathematics and personal and institutional factors and conflicting results were obtained.
secondary schools students in relation to their personal and institutional factors like
general, there was only a few studies directly related to the mathematics anxiety in math.
Secondly in the opinion of the investigator most of research studies suffered from
as follows:
(a) Most of the researchers studied the relationship between attitude and
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(b) Some of the researchers studied the attitude of students, their socio-
(c) Some researchers studies the relationship of gender, SES and attitude
On the basis of these gaps the investigator felt that there was need to conduct a
study of the influence of personal and intuitional factors like gender, attitude, parental
students in mathematics.
anxiety?
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1.10 Delimitation
associated with the problem under investigation. Although the problem is very natural
and is prevalent everywhere yet due to shortage of time and resources all the aspects of
The researcher selected the sample mainly from Lucknow district of U.P. India.
The sample was limited to class 9th grade secondary school students only due to
mathematic anxiety but only selected personal and institutional factors have been
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