Project cooperative learning and peer tutoring in overcoming mathematics anxiety

SME 6044

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

SESSION 2011/2012 SEMESTER II

ISSUE: MATHEMATICS ANXIETY

Cooperative Learning and Peer Tutoring in Overcoming Mathematics Anxiety

LECTURER: PROF DR MARZITA BINTI PUTEH

GROUP 1
TAW MEI YOKE M20111000335

WONG WANG YUEN M20111000734

TABLE OF CONTENTS

No. Title Page

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-6

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

1.2 PURPOSE

1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1.4 LIMITATION

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 7-8

3.0 METHODOLOGY 9-11

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

3.2 SAMPLE OF THE STUDY

3.3 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

3.4 PROCEDURES

3.5 CONSTRUCTION OF THE INSTRUMENT

4.0 DATA ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION 12-15

4.1 ANALYSIS

4.2 DISCUSSION

5.0 REFLECTION 16

REFERENCES 17-18

APPENDIX A – QUESTIONNAIRE 19

SME 6044 COMTEMPORARY ISSUE IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION


1.0 INTRODUCTION

Mathematics anxiety has become an issue on students’ effort in learning

mathematics. Research has confirmed that many students experiencing mathematics

anxiety in the traditional classroom where, teacher should design classroom that will

make children feel more successful. Spikell (1993) also think that students learn best

when they are active rather than passive learner (Marilyn Curtin – Phillips, 2012). In

learning mathematics, students are encouraged to think and cooperating the system by

modifying their understanding into the reality life to apply as one among their

knowledge.

Teaching mathematics has become something challenging that appropriateness

of teaching will end up with relatively result which can observe by the level of

understanding, how well they perform tasks and the duration of the memories take

parts. As we know that mathematics is an on-going process and what they have learn

during lower grades will imprinted towards how well they can do in upper grades of

study.

In other words, it is depend on how well they can remember and properly apply

into new challenges especially in problem solving, which require higher order thinking

skills. When talk about thinking skills, there are nothing better than thinking out from

1
TAW MEI YOKE (M20111000335) & WONG WANG YUEN (M20111000734)


one brain where this research are going to test about in cooperative learning and peer

learning.

Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into

academic and social learning experiences (Wikipedia, 2012). By having cooperative

learning activities, students learn from discussion among each other and they would

indirectly adopting new or suitable learning behaviour from the others within the same

group as reference on how ones can overcoming mathematics questioning statement.

Peer tutoring is an instructional strategy that consists of pairing students

together to learn or practice an academic task. The pairs of students can be of the same

or differing ability and/or age range (K-8, n.d). Peer tutoring are more saving time

than cooperative learning where it only consist of two students in a small group and

result of discussion will produce immediately every time of an activity.

Most of the time peer tutoring also consists of translating ones understanding

into another by using their same level of communication bridge, in other words,

students know students better than teacher to the students. Which as additional, they

might have common problem that they can well understand how to solve it together.

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Teaching creatively such as using cooperative learning and peer tutoring helps

in improving the confidence of students in learning mathematics, but some of the

research found that there was no significant differences between the use of traditional

and creative teaching – learning process. Even some claim that the kind of collaborative

learning is kind of teaching, and according to the critics, dividing class into small

groups allows the teacher to escape responsibility. (Thirteen ed. online, 2004)

Four researches have been conducted by WWC to investigate the effectiveness

of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies but unfortunately only one study met either WWC

evidence standards or eligibility screens. More evidences were needed to support and

that was the purposes of this study which first getting way to lower down mathematics

anxiety. An effective teaching and learning process can be called successful being

observed if the anxiety can be first removed from the major course which influences

motivation of students to learn mathematics.

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

After my Mathematics teaching and learning lesson, I expected my pupils to

understand the concepts I was teaching. However, it seemed not happen to the pupils

who had the high mathematics anxiety. They were afraid and avoid from my

mathematics lesson. So, I had to find different ways to overcome their mathematics

anxiety and make them enjoy in learning mathematics. The issue here was the pupils

avoid from my lesson and they like to ask and talk with their friend. Thus, I would like

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to introduce the cooperative learning and peer tutoring and organise some suitable

mathematics tasks for its’ to enhance their learning.

1.2 PURPOSE

This research will determine the creative teaching through cooperative

learning and peer tutoring can well overcoming or for this research purpose, to

reducing students’ in mathematics anxiety and in opposite mean, increase the

success in mathematics educational. Thus, the research was design first

indicating what is the mean level of anxiety among students when learning

mathematics? Will students be willing to continue in this way of learning

activities as a promising attaining every mathematics classes? Are the

decreasing of anxiety have increase the performance of students in solving

mathematical problems?

1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The main concerns of this study are:

1. To decrease the level of anxiety of students while facing mathematics.

2. The build up their confidence level when working with mathematics through

cooperative learning and peer tutoring.

4


1.4 LIMITATION

The limitations of the study are those characteristics of design or methodology

that impacted or influenced the application or interpretation of the results of your study.

They are the constraints on generalize ability and utility of findings that are the result

of the ways in which you chose to design the study and/or the method used to establish

internal and external validity. (USC Libraries, 2012)

Most of the research no matter how well it is conducted will also suffer from

limitation and most commonly known or understand was the limitation on time. This

research was done under the terms of action research which is define as is a reflective

process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in

teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues

and solve problems (Wikipedia, 2012). With almost as same as how Eileen (2000)

defining action research as a collaborative activity among colleagues searching for

solutions to everyday, real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to

improve instruction and increase student achievement.

Therefore, it is impossible an observation can well be done in a giving short

period of three weeks’ time. Observation was done by following the pace of teaching

and learning progress where teacher using creativity to teach at the same time

observing the ability of students’ absorption on what they have learn, and at the end

responding to the questions given by teacher. Hence, consequentially the availability

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in choosing sample has limited to one school as it is the most reasonable afford to

collect data for this study.

Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scales (MARS) was developed by Richardson

and Suinn (1972) as a 98- item tool to diagnose and recommend treatments for

mathematics anxiety (Yucedag-Ozcan & Brewer, 2011). The availability to obtain

high validity of MARS was also become one of the limitation in increasing the validity

of this study where the cost of purchasing MARS, which has commonly use in rating

subject relating to mathematical anxiety, are out of budget while doing the research.

Therefore, the use of Mathematics Anxiety Scale can only be evaluate through

modifying the part that previous researchers who published their study, which can are

freely accessed by publics.

6


2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

A negative relationship between math anxiety and math achievement has

been found across all grade levels, k-college. In fact, math anxiety is often associated

with relatively low performance in mathematical activity (Saeed & Hassan, 2012). It is

to be believes that individual low performance may overcome by associating with the

other in peer study or cooperative learning to build up the confidence in dealing with

mathematics dilemmas.

Anxiety about mathematics is tied to low mathematics grades and

standardized test scores, yet not all math-anxious individuals perform equally poorly

in mathematics. (Ian & Sian, 2011) but having anxiety will cause failure to the

performance in doing math. Tobias (1993) said that experience of failure becomes a

block to furthering their study of mathematics. (Catherine, 2006)

Ferrari (2004) mentioned that peer mentoring challenges the traditional

assumption that the mentor knows more and knows best (Robert Townsend, Melinda

Delves, Tracy Kidd and Bev Figg, 2011), but Keith Topping and Shirley Hill defining

that peer tutoring as people from similar social groupings who are not professional

teachers are helping each other to learn and learning themselves by teaching. (Agnes G,

Agnes T, Howard D. and Margaret O., n.d) The learning process was in term of

complementary each weak section among different individual. Peer tutoring take place

where, normally two students, helping each other or having discussion to study same

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topic or subject together.

Nillsen (2004), Ball and Pelco (2006) mentioned that participation in team

activities whereby through discussion of content, students may gain ‘new ideas,

insights, connections and interactions’ which may aid better student engagement with

the content and better recall of content (Farrell B.J & Farrell H.M, 2008)

Paula Maria Barrett (2000) believes that the anxiety can be treat as children

are heavily dependent upon their immediate family and peer environment. Therefore it

has to be an effect from the cooperative learning or peer group learning which each

member of the group are actually come from different background and cultural, that

are to be expected may affecting each other in the behaviour of learning to overcoming

mathematics anxiety.

Sometimes the students who could most benefit from the positive effects of

peer learning are the ones least likely to participate due to fear of exposing their

academic weaknesses to others or even to themselves (Arendale, 2007). This happen

to nearly most of the school that there will be certain categories of students facing the

difficulties of participating in the learning activities. Constructing peer group studying

would be necessary to overcome or lower down the intend of avoidance such as

playing mathematics games in a group, sharing understanding of mind of thought

regarding to mathematics course, or receiving assist from their friends.

8


3.0 METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

Since the purpose of my study was to help students overcome their math

anxiety through cooperative learning and peer tutoring and to help them build

up their confidence levels when working with math, thus this study discussed on

the interview of mathematic anxiety- Mathitude Survey and observation on the

sample groups.

3.2 SAMPLE OF THE STUDY

Subjects of this mini research are the pupils of Standard 3K from SJK(C)

Khing Ming, Kuala Kubu Baru. To select the participants for the focus group in

this mini research, a simple structured interview was carried out to all the pupils

of Standard 3K. Then, the participants who had the high mathematics anxiety

were selected based on the responses from the interview about mathematics

anxiety.

3.2 PROCEDURES

Data will be collected from the 6 participants in the focus group. All

these participants are diagnosed with mathematics anxiety. Hence, they will be

given the same kind of treatment. Data are collected from the four sessions

below:

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Session 1: Peer Tutoring Model

Each participant chose a peer tutor on their own. The concept and definition of

tutoring were first discussed and examples on how the tutors help their friends will be

provided. The tutors who selected need to play the following roles: the tutor had to give

suggestions and provide explanations, and check and report the pupils’ works. During

the tutoring session, the teacher must always be available to assist the tutors when they

have problems and also to supervise the whole tutoring session. Then, the teacher as the

researcher facilitated and moderated the tutoring session, creating a good relationship

between the participants of the focus group with their tutors. This was to make the

pupils less anxious and allows the sharing of the proposed objectives.

Session 2: Cooperative Learning Model

The teacher prepared a task which is to be accomplished in cooperative groups.

Three pairs of tutors with their pupils grouped together to complete the task. In the

Cooperative Learning model, the students assume roles which are different at the social

level. The good pupils oriented to the task and be the speaker whereas the other pupils

be the observer and checked the result of works. However, they were involved in the

same way in facing the problem posed.

Session 3: Observation

Teacher as the researcher listened, observed and analysed the focus groups

throughout the 3 weeks of peer tutoring and cooperative learning activities. Then the

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researcher recorded observations of the focus group by making notes of what has been

observed.

Session 4: The interview

The interviews were carried out again after the treatment (peer tutoring and

cooperative learning).

a) Structured interviews

The teacher asked each respondent the same questions in the same way with

tightly structured schedule of questions are used - Mathitude Survey. There were only 6

items in the questionnaire. However, it limited range of responses can be elicited.

b) Unstructured interviews

This type of interview aimed to discuss on the questions on the basis of the

interviewee’s previous response. Interviews should be fairly informal. Interviewees

should feel as though they are participating in a conversation or discussion rather than

in a formal question and answer situation.

3.3 CONSTRUCTION OF THE INSTRUMENT

There were six items only on the simple Mathitude Survey to assess the pupils’

attitudes toward mathematics. Responses on the items are either Yes or No. However,

there was also a comment space for the responses to give their opinions. This activity

can serve as a lead-in to prompt students to discuss their own feelings about

mathematics.

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4.0 ANALYSIS

Below is a summary of results obtained from interview procedures in answering

the research questions - Mathitude Survey. Students’ responses on mathematic anxiety

are illustrated in Chart 1 and 2.

Responses to Item 1 to 3
6

5
Number of responses

4

3

2
No
1 Yes

0
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 1 Item 2 Item 3
Before the treatment After the treatment

Item 1: I enjoy math.
Item 2: Mathematics is very interesting.
Item 3: I never get tired of working with numbers.

Chart 1 the positive attitudes toward mathematics.

My data showed that there was a positive change in the students’ attitudes

towards mathematics after the treatment. Before the students assigned into the peer

tutoring and cooperative learning, they did not show their much interest on

mathematics. However, their perception changed after they actively involved in the

peer tutoring and cooperative learning. Five out of six students enjoyed mathematics

and 4 students felt never get tired of working with numbers. The most surprising was

all the six students mentioned that mathematics became interesting for them.
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Responses to Item 4 to 6
6

5
Number of responses

4

3

2
No
1 Yes

0
Item 4 Item 5 Item 6 Item 4 Item 5 Item 6
Before the treatment After the treatment

Item 4: I am nervous about this upcoming semester test in math.
Item 5: I avoid math because I am not very good at it.
Item 6: I am afraid of doing problem solving.

Chart 2 the negative attitudes toward mathematics.

My second data showed that there was a positive change in the students’

mathematics anxiety after the treatment. Most of the students were nervous about the

upcoming test and afraid of doing mathematics especially problem solving. All of them

had the same thought which was tried to avoid mathematics because they admitted that

they were not good at it. Their mathematics anxieties seem to be overcome after they

actively involved in the peer tutoring and cooperative learning. Five out of six students

became not nervous about the upcoming test and willing to for the problem solving.

There was only one students still wanted to avoid the mathematics because he think that

his still not good in mathematics.

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4.1 DISCUSSION

The result of this small study has revealed relationship between the

learning activities (peer tutoring and cooperative learning) and mathematics anxiety. It

could happen because when pupils with the guidance and help from their friends have

positive attitude toward mathematics. When they confronted with this new type of

learning activities, they feel less anxious and less tension. One of the pupils said that

he felt be more motivated to learn mathematic with such positive attitudes. The

motivation made them felt that mathematics was something interesting to learn and

they would enjoy learning it.

Sometimes the teacher could not identify the difficulties of the pupils in order

to understand a very simple mathematics concept. However, this could easily

overcome through the peer tutoring because their friends understand more about their

weaknesses and abilities. When I asked pupil why she became never get tired of

working with numbers. Then, she mentioned that she had better understanding on the

mathematics concept after the explanation by her tutor. Thus, she could work with

numbers easily with the help and guidance from her tutor. As the result, she enjoyed

the mathematics. Meanwhile, the tutors strengthen competence in mathematics after

they explained the concept to their friends. From the social aspects, the tutors’

language ability and skills in interpersonal communication also been improved and

their relation with the pupils became closer.

I felt that the pupils easily to give up in solving the task when unable to solve

the problem alone whereas their friends can solve the problem easily. However, the

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situation changed when the sharing of their conceptual knowledge support their better

understanding in solving the mathematics problems. The pupils felt more successful

when they encouraged discussion in the mathematics tasks. When I observed the way

of pupils to solve a task, the pupils reflected on what they did and discussed how they

could do better. This meaningful discussion was able to reduce their tension and stress

and develop their collaboration.

The most important result was that the pupils’ mathematics anxiety had

reduced when they working together with their friends. When I look at the pupils’

work, pupils paid more attention and concentration on mathematics concept when they

working in their friendly group. This situation showed that the cooperative learning

produced the meaningful learning compared with the pupils working individually. The

pupils seem not to avoid in mathematics although they knew that they were not good

in mathematics. They tried to face and challenge it because they really learnt to

become better in mathematics in the cooperative learning.

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5.0 REFLECTION

As a result of my research, I found that teacher should encourages pupils work

in cooperative and peer tutoring because collaboration is useful and it able to reduce

stress and tension in mathematics learning. All pupils participate in the construction

and exploration of knowledge through these learning activities. It makes the pupils

understand on their responsibilities for their own and as well as their friends learning

process. It is also able to raise the awareness of the positive attitude for a meaningful

learning. Meanwhile, the pupils have high self esteem and confidence in achievement

of mathematics learning since their anxiety have been overcome and reduce the chances

of failure.

However, the creating of peer tutoring and cooperative learning environment for

pupils does not mean that it allow the teacher escape from their responsibility. The

teachers play very important role as the facilitator and coordinator for the tutoring and

cooperative discussing learning activities. There is necessary for teacher to aware on

the choices of suitable mathematics tasks for the peer tutoring and group discussion. It

is more fruitful prepare a task to accomplish in peer tutoring and cooperative learning

rather than asking directly to the pupils work in individually. As we know, when the

pupils work in their friendly group, their mathematics anxiety will be reducing.

When a teacher able to intertwine both activities (peer tutoring and cooperative

learning) in the educational process, all the pupils can have the better positive attitude

towards mathematics and improve their interpersonal relationships.

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Reference:

Agnes Gardner, Agnes Tiwari, Howard Davies & Margaret O’ Donoghue. (n.d) Peer
tutoring. Learning and Teaching Resource Center. Retrieve from
http://ltrc.edc.polyu.edu.hk/student02_1.html

Arendale, David R. (2007). Postsecondary Peer Cooperative Learning Programs:
Annotated Bibliography. College of Education and Human Development.
University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN. Retrieve from
http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/129371/Postsecondary-
Peer-Cooperative-Learning.pdf

Farrell, B. J. & Farrell, H. M. (2008). Student satisfaction with cooperative learning in
an Accounting curriculum, Journal of University Teaching & Learning
Practice, 5, 2. Retreive from http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol5/iss2/4

Ferrance, Eileen. (2000). Action Research. Northeast and Islands Regional Educational

Laboratory At Brown University. Retrieve from
http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

Ian M. Lynos & Sian L. Beilock (2011). Mathematics Anxiety: Separating the Math
from the Anxiety. Oxford University Press. Retrieve from
http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/10/19/cercor.bhr289.short?rss
=1

Johnson, Catherine Erin (2006). Attitude or Anxiety: Mathematics Disposition of High
School Algebra I Students. Wichita State University. Retrieve from
http://www.dl-
provider.com/search/attitude%20or%20anxiety%20mathematics%20disposition%
20of%20high%20school%20.pdf.html?aff.id=1376

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Marilyn Curtin – Phillips (2012). The Causes and Prevention of Math Anxiety. Math
Goodies – Your Destination for Math Education. Retrieve from
http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/math_anxiety.html

Paula Maria Barrett (2000). Treatment of Childhood Anxiety: Developmental Aspects.
Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 4, 479 – 494.

Saeed Daneshamooz & Hassan Alamolhodaei (2012). Cooperative learning and
academic hardiness on students’ mathematical performance with different levels
of mathematics anxiety. International Research Journal, 3, 3, 270 – 276.

Thirteen Ed. Online, Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004). What are some
critical perspectives?. Retrieve from
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index_sub4.html

USC Libraries, University of Southern California. (2012) Organizing Your Social
Sciences Research Paper: Limitation of the study. Retrieve from
http://libguides.usc.edu/content.php?pid=83009&sid=616083

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2012). Cooperative learning. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cooperative_learning&oldid=4852735
31

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2012). Action research. Retrieved from 2012,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Action_research&oldid=487314269

Yucedag-Ozcan, Arfe & Brewer, Susan. (2011). Adaptation of Mathematics Anxiety
Rating Scale-Revised (MARS-R) for Adult Online Students. The Board of
Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Retrieve from
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/45335_2
011.pdf

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Instrument:

Mathitude Survey

Please tick () for each questions. If you would like there is room for you to leave

additional comments.

Question Yes No Comment /

Opinion
 

1. I enjoy math.

2. Mathematics is very

interesting.

3. I never get tired of working

with numbers.

4. I am nervous about this

upcoming semester test in

math.

5. I avoid math because I am not

very good at it.

6. I am afraid of doing problem

solving.

19

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