Critique of Development and Validation of 4-Factor Mathematics Anxiety Scale among Secondary School Students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Mathematics as a daily cultural activity of human in space and time; concretized into symbols to be computed using mental computer or activities, is a subject that puts people not only the learners into a feeling of phobia/ anxiety whenever the name is mentioned. This article from psychological perspective posits that, the masses general adoption of mathematics as a difficult and fearful subject is a cause from environmental factors. This is because prior scientific approach to mathematics, human beings have been solving daily issues, removing, adding, dividing and multiplying using available counters like fingers, toes, sticks, stones, grains, charcoal, seeds even human beings, animals, plants, buildings, cars  and others. Today, teaching and learning of mathematics is affected. Majority of the mathematics teachers teach mathematics in abstract; learners learn in abstract coupled with some psychological issues that may be opposing the mental ability as at the time of learning which also goes on to affect the retention, remembering and transferring. This article critiqued Development and Validation of 4-Factor Mathematics Anxiety Scale among Secondary School Students in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study adopted opinion research design. The population of the study comprised all aspect of humans that are educable or can learn, but 42 respondents (20 male and 22 female which comprised 8 teachers, 6 non-educators, 24 junior and senior students and 4 postgraduate students) was sampled. The instruments for data collection were interview and focus group. Two research questions guided the study. The main purpose of the critiquing is to counter the masses’ negative notion and the claim about math by this paper; to inculcate into the masses especially the younger learners /scholars that math is like every other subject; that mathematics anxiety is as a result of mathematics nature misconception and the negative verbalization influence from the teachers, parents and the society that, “math is difficult”; to expose the lapses in parents and teachers inadequacies in instilling mathematics self-efficacy into the learners and thereby encourage learners to learn with confidence built on constancy for “constant practice makes for perfection.  From the findings, it was discovered that the onset of mathematics anxiety centered around the teachers’ demonstrating incompetence, giving rigid approaches and personalities and employment of untrained math teachers in teaching mathematics. The study on mathematics anxiety was critiqued and recommendations made that would help educational development and management.