INVESTIGATION OF PRE-SERVICE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TEACHERS? MATHEMATICS ANXIETY LEVELS AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT MATHEMATICS ANXIETY SOURCES

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the mathematics anxiety levels of pre-service elementary education teachers and to investigate the sources of their mathematics anxiety. This study was conducted with 150 pre-service elementary school teachers. In order to gather data, ?Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale: Short Form? (Baloglu, 2010) was applied to the pre-service teachers. Additionally, interviews were carried out five pre-service teachers. In the analysis of gained quantitative data, descriptive statistics were used. Furthermore, the interview data were analysed by conducting qualitative analytic methods. Results demonstrate that, pre-service teachers? mathematical anxiety level average was between ?never feel anxious? and ?very rarely feel anxious?. However, six pre-service teachers? anxiety level were at ?feel anxious?. Five of them were voluntary for conducting semi-structured interviews. According to interviews, the sources of these teachers? mathematical anxiety was determined by parent-teacher attitudes, inadequate study on mathematics, examination of their mathematical knowledge, lack of confidence, and the importance of mathematics in education system.