Anxious Times Call for Additional Goal Setting Measures: A Look at How Math Anxiety is Impacted by Setting Goals in an Algebra I Class

Author

Raegan PalacioFollow

Campus Location

Abilene Campus

Date of Award

Spring 5-12-2023

Document Type

Manuscript

Department

Teacher Education

Degree Name

Master of Education in Teaching and Learning

First Advisor

Dana Mayhall

Second Advisor

Andrew Huddleston

Abstract

This study examined the impact that goal setting would have on Algebra I students’ math anxiety by comparing a control group to a treatment group. Students took the Math Anxiety Survey (Godbey, 1997) as a pre- and post-assessment. The researcher taught a goal setting mini lesson at the beginning of the data collection period to the treatment group (Class B), and students set weekly goals for themselves in relation to Algebra I class. Students in Class B journaled weekly, and some students participated in focus groups depending on their levels of math anxiety. The qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method to find themes, and the quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The researcher found that while the quantitative data showed an overall decrease in students’ math anxiety, students said that they did not feel that setting goals for themselves impacted their math anxiety at all.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Palacio, Raegan, "Anxious Times Call for Additional Goal Setting Measures: A Look at How Math Anxiety is Impacted by Setting Goals in an Algebra I Class" (2023). Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning. 61.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/metl/61