TITLE:
A Study of Math Anxiety in Male and Female Students at BA ISAGO University: Empirical Evidence
AUTHORS:
Morvyn Ngoni Nyakudya, Unity Nyadzisayi Nyakudya
KEYWORDS:
BA ISAGO University, Math Anxiety, Mathematics
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.8 No.10,
October
29,
2020
ABSTRACT: This study attempts to investigate whether there is any statistically significant difference in math anxiety for male and female students at BA ISAGO University. To assess the students’ feelings towards Mathematics, two short instruments were used. The first questionnaire had fifteen math anxiety constructs. The other instrument captured nine questions based on math anxiety constructs in which students were to respond “yes” or “no” to the questions. The population of the study consisted of all BA ISAGO University students across all programmes from which two samples were taken at different stages. The first sample had 254 while the other one was made up of 232 students. The sampling methods used were mixed: random, convenience and purposive. Descriptive, ANOVA and Chi Square analyses were used. Three sets of results came out clearly in this study. Firstly, using a sample of 254 students, the study concluded that there were statistically significant differences between the means for male and female students in respect of “fearing mathematics”, “getting worried with mathematics”, “avoiding math in their modules” and “avoiding math all together”. In the second test, using a sample of 232 students, the study found that there were statistically significant differences between students who said “yes” and those who indicated “no” to “fearing mathematics”, “feeling uneasy”, “getting worried”, “experience a mind block” and “getting bored” with regards mathematics were rejected. Lastly, using the same sample of 232, it was found that there were no statistically significant differences between students who said “yes” and “no” to “fearing to ask”, “liking mathematics modules”, “liking mathematics in general”, and “sweating”.