| Many quantitative and a few qualitative studies have been performed to identify the nature, causes and treatment of math anxiety, yet none has fully explored and investigated the meaning, process, and relationship between causal factors and student experience. The focus of this study was to explore, using grounded theory, the experience of the community college student with math anxiety.; Advertising and soliciting of volunteers was conducted campus-wide at a community college in the northwestern U.S. and were invited for an interview. Seven female participants (ranging in age between 21 and 60), all scoring one standard deviation above the mean on the Math Anxiety Rating Scale, were interviewed. Each interview was conducted in-person, audio taped, and lasted one to two and-a-half hours. A transcription of the interview and interview summary was given to each participant for her comment, validation and approval.; Each transcript was open- and axial coded; and an additional researcher familiar with the coding process provided additional validation support. Selective coding gave rise to eight phenomena or themes: Disrespecting/Humiliation and Fear Based Instruction (Math Authority Fear); Disbelieving or Abusive Parents (Primarily Fathers); Turbulent Home Life and Parental Conflict; Major Life Transition (Moves, Divorce, Death); Math-Me Inadequacy---Negative Self-Appraisal; Perfectionism (Control/Fear of Failure); Cultural and Gender Acceptance to Hate/Fail Math; and Respectful and Supportive Instruction (Corrective Emotional Experience). |
