Relationships among mathematics anxiety, beliefs about the nature of mathematics and the learning of mathematics, and students' learning approaches in non-traditional aged students at the community college

This study examined the relationships among five components of mathematics anxiety, six beliefs about the nature and the learning of mathematics, and three learning approaches. Survey data were gathered from 129 nontraditional (age 25 and over) students enrolled in elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, college algebra, trigonometry, and introductory statistics courses at three community colleges. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants selected for varying age ranges, learning approaches, and levels of mathematics anxiety. The interviews served the purposes of exploring the educational experiences contributing to the development of mathematics anxiety, beliefs, and learning approaches, and of confirming and better interpreting the results of the quantitative analyses. A phenomenological/phenomenographic methodology was used in analyzing the interview data.; Although there was some variation among the different components of mathematics anxiety, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that the greatest contributing factors to mathematics anxiety, in order of decreasing magnitude were, a lack of confidence in ability to solve difficult problems, adopting a surface approach to learning, and having less background in mathematics. The regression of gender, age, mathematics course, beliefs, and learning approaches on the components of mathematics anxiety was most effective at accounting for the variability in mathematics anxiety for the negative affect towards mathematics component.; Students predominantly adopted both the deep and achieving approaches to learning. They exhibited highest levels of anxiety for the worry component of mathematics anxiety. Generally, students believed understanding concepts was important, but also believed most mathematics problems could be solved primarily by memorizing and following an appropriate sequence of steps.; Interview data indicated that critical experiences negatively affecting mathematics anxiety, confidence, and avoidance of mathematics occurred predominantly during early high school. Interview data also revealed a good correspondence between the beliefs measured by the survey and the themes that arose during the interviews. A major theme needing further study was the relationship between memorizing and understanding. Though memorizing is typically characteristic of a surface approach to learning and understanding characteristic of a deep approach to learning, it seemed that these students used memorization as a strategy along the road to developing a deeper understanding.