Phenomenology of Statistics Anxiety

• In Event: 60.085 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: 60.085-9 - Research in Mathematics Education SIG Poster Session 2

Abstract

In this qualitative study, undergraduates’ perceptions of statistics anxiety were explored, as were the factors that they believe contribute to and reduce their statistics anxiety. The participants were enrolled in an introductory statistics course. Six students participated in this study. A modified version of the Mathematics Attitudes Scale (Fennema & Sherman, 1976) was used to measure students’ statistics anxiety scores. Students with higher statistics anxiety scores on the surveys were interviewed. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results revealed that undergraduates from a non-math background, having high statistics anxiety, feel challenged solving statistical problems, taking tests, or speaking in front of their peers in statistics class. These undergraduates noted that tests in isolation alleviated their statistics anxiety.

Author

• Soofia Malik, University of Wyoming