Math Attitudes: A Holistic View of What Has Been Studied

• In Event: Divergent Methods to Study Topics in Mathematics Education

Abstract

There is an urgent need to improve math attitudes as they can result in low mathematics performance. However, there is no clear construct of math attitudes and this ambiguity prevents researchers from making solid conclusions on how to improve them. In response, this study applied the tripartite model as a theoretical framework to conduct a systematic review (n = 93) of math attitudes research and proposes a new praxis construct of math attitudes. This praxis construct suggests that math attitudes includes cognitive components (value, gender role beliefs, confidence, self-concept), affective components (enjoyment, anxiety), and behaviourial components (time on task). It provides researchers with a holistic picture of what math attitudes are and how they have been studied.

Authors

• Run Wen, McGill University

• Adam Kenneth Dubé, McGill University