Elementary Education Student Attitudes to Teaching Mathematics

Abstract

This research study compares the attitudes toward teaching mathematics of ele- mentary education students using the 22-item Likert-type Mathematics Teaching Attitude Questionnaire (Nisbet, 1991). Data were collected from 153 freshman students majoring in elementary education (133 women and 20 men) whose ages ranged between 18 and 37 years (M=19.5yr., SD=2.1) and from 144 senior elementary education student teachers (128 women, 16 men) whose ages ranged between 21 and 52 years (M=22.8yr., SD=4.6). The freshman students majoring in elementary education were in the first or second semester of their undergradu- ate degree program and were planning to join the elementary teacher education program; whereas, the senior elementary education student teachers were in the final semester of their elementary teacher education program. Analyses of the responses to the questionnaire by the freshman students majoring in elementary education and the senior elementary education student teachers were carried out to assess and compare their attitudes to teaching mathematics. The senior elementary education student teachers scored significantly differently from the freshman students majoring in elementary education on two of the four scales of the Mathematics Teaching Attitude Questionnaire reflecting overall lower Anxi- ety, and higher Confidence and Enjoyment.