Impact of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge on Students Mathematics Anxiety

Impact of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge on Students Mathematics Anxiety

The study investigated the relationship between conceptual knowledge and mathematics anxiety of remedial mathematics students in an urban community college. The study sample consisted of 105 remedial mathematics students from four elementary algebra sections. Two of these four sections were under Conceptual treatment. The other two sections were under procedural treatment and served as the control group. Students’ mathematics anxiety was measured using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised (Fennema and Sherman, 1976). To measure subjects’ conceptual and procedural knowledge, the participants completed two quizzes (a conceptual quiz and a procedural quiz) a week before the final exam. The study found that the conceptual treatment had more positive impact on students’ mathematics anxiety as compared to the procedural treatment.

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