A dissertation completed at
The Center for Education, Widener University,
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013 		 
THE LINKS AMONG MATHEMATICS TEXT, STUDENTS'ACHIEVEMENT, AND STUDENTS' MATHEMATICS ANXIETY: A COMPARISON OF THE INCREMENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRADITIONAL TEXTS
Joseph F. Lafferty, Ed. D.
November 1994

RETURN
edited 01/20/01

 


ABSTRACT

This study compared the mathematics achievement and mathematics anxiety of sixth graders instructed with an incremental development text with another group of students taught using a traditional text during the 1993-94 school year. The dependent variables for this study were mathematics achievement measured by the Metropolitan Achievement Test NIAT 7 and mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety was measured by a revision of the FennemaSherman Nlathematics Anxiety Scale. The independent variables were the type of text (incremental development vs. traditional) and gender.

The Metropolitan Achievement Test NlAT 6 and the revised Fennema- Sherman Nlathematics Anxiety Scale were administered in the fall to establish base lines and to serve as covariates. The sixth grade students instructed with the incremental development textbook were from a middle school in suburban Philadelphia. The students who were instructed using the traditional textbook were from another middle school in suburban Philadelphia. All students were grouped heterogeneously for mathematics instruction. A total of 454 students participated in the mathematics achievement phase of the study, and 430 students participated in the mathematics anxiety segment of the study.

To control for initial differences in the subgroups studied, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilized on measures of mathematics achievement and mathematics anxietN7. The results of the study indicated that students who were instructed with the incremental development text had significantly lower levels of mathematics anxiety and significantly higher levels of mathematics achievement. There was no significant difference in tested levels of mathematics achievement between boys and girls; however, girls had slight, but significantly higher levels of mathematics anxiety. There was no significant interaction between gender and type of textbook in terms of mathematics achievement and mathematics anxiety.

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