Primary school students’ mathematics motivation and anxieties

Abstract

Mathematics is necessary to enable children to gain the knowledge and skills required for daily life, it teaches them how to solve a problem, enables them to gain ways of thinking and prepares them for the future. The prejudice developed towards mathematics affects the students’ perceptions related to the mentioned course. The students’ low motivation and high anxiety concerning mathematics are among the most important problems encountered. This research was conducted with students in the third and fourth grades in primary schools in Istanbul province to examine their mathematics motivation and anxieties. It was concluded that students’ mathematics motivation was at a medium level and their mathematics anxieties were very low and there were no differences according to gender. Mathematics motivations among fourth grade students were higher than that of third grade students. It can be recommended that classroom teachers should prepare the environment in which they can introduce the entertaining world of mathematics to students.

Keywords: Primary school student, mathematics, mathematics motivation and mathematics anxiety