Abstract:
This study sought to explore and analyse the phenomenon of maths anxiety within a real-life context, and to identify if levels of maths anxiety can be reduced through participation in a reciprocal teaching process. This poster presents a small element of the larger study, which investigated how to reduce maths anxiety in teacher candidates. Maths anxiety is a well-researched phenomenon that is known to impede the successful mathematics teaching and learning experiences of some teacher candidates. The maths anxiety these students bring to their mathematics education courses results in poor quality mathematics teaching (Biddulph 1999; Frankcom 2006; Sloan 2010). Mathematics education lecturers have become increasingly aware of how some students become visibly anxious when they walk into the mathematics classroom, and/or are asked to collaborate to solve mathematical problems. These observations are supported by the level of maths anxiety reported by these students. The model developed for this study was informed by the work of Palinscar and Brown (1984) and complemented by problem-solving models from Mullis, et al. (2008), Reilly, Parsons and Bortolot (2009), and Polya (1945). The Revised Reciprocal Teaching Model (RRTM) was designed is to facilitate teacher candidates’ access to mathematical practices used in schools, and simultaneously develop their personal mathematical knowledge and understanding. Cognisant of the problem solving and peer mentoring literature, researchers provided opportunities for graduates to develop adaptive expertise. While peer mentoring is thoroughly established in literacy education it is under-researched within mathematics education. Reciprocal teaching falls within this area of research and provides a framework for individuals to mutually support each other while learning. The RRTM was developed to promote discourse within mathematical communities in an attempt to reduce maths anxiety. The implementation of the RRTM was through a two-phased structured framework, designed to take place over a university calendar year. The framework began with specific training of peer mentors who in turn worked with assigned mentees. The second phase promoted less reliance on the peer mentors and resulted in the students forming their own peer mentoring groups outside of class time. Results suggest that the model has a positive effect on students’ ability to confidently talk about and solve mathematical problems. This is evidenced by the decrease in maths anxiety levels self-reported by teacher candidates. This research indicates the RRTM has the potential to reduce maths anxiety levels of teacher candidates and produce confident do-ers and teachers of mathematics.