An English Version of the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale

Abstract

This study represents the implementation of an English version of the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale (MTAS), originally published in Turkey (Sari, 2014). One hundred and twenty-seven primary school teachers from across the U.K. completed the survey, including 74 qualified teachers and 53 trainees. Following item-reduction and factor analysis, the 19-item MTAS was found to have excellent internal consistency (α = .94) and has a two-factor structure. Factor one, labelled Self-Directed Mathematics Teaching Anxiety, includes 12 items pertaining to a teacher's own teaching practice and perceived ability, whereas factor two, labelled Pupil/Student-Directed Mathematics Teaching Anxiety, includes 7 items pertaining to anxiety concerning pupils/students failing assessments or not reaching curriculum/school targets. Pre-service teachers, compared to inservice teachers, self-reported significantly higher overall maths teaching anxiety. Among in-service teachers, there was a significant negative correlation between length of service and maths teaching anxiety. These findings are important in the context of retention issues in newly qualified teachers and the need to support trainees and newer teachers if they experience anxiety related to teaching maths.

Mathematics Teaching Anxiety among College of Education Pre-service Teachers in Ghana: The Influence of Mathematics Achievement and Field Experiences

“…Unlike previous researchers, our study elicited the teaching process and assessment practices as separate constructs which hitherto were jointly described as teaching/pedagogical content knowledge Peker, 2006). Altogether, the English version of the Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale (Hunt & Sari, 2019) was reliable in predicting pre-service teachers' mathematics teaching anxiety.…”

“…The English version of the 23-item Mathematics Teaching Anxiety Scale -MTAS (Hunt & Sari, 2019) was minimally adapted for this study. The MTAS is a five-point Likert scale that seeks to elicit participants' level of anxiety about the teaching of mathematics.…”

“…The responses range from a low score of 1 (representing 'Always') to the highest score of 5 (representing 'Never') for which a higher score, means lower anxiety level and vice-versa. The MTAS instrument has been shown in previous studies relating to pre-service teachers' mathematics teaching anxiety to have high internal consistency (Haciomeroglu, 2014;Hunt & Sari, 2019;Peker, 2006;Sari, 2014). In its multidimensional form, Hunt and Sari (2019) deduced a two-factor structure, Sari (2014) had a three-factor structure, while Peker and Ertekin (2011) and Peker (2006) had a four-factor structure using MTAS.…”

“…This four-factor structure explained 59.1% of the variance. Upon broad consultations with some teacher educators and following Hunt and Sari (2019), the four factors extracted were accordingly named as (1) Anxiety regarding mathematics teaching processes [TPA]; (2) Anxiety regarding mathematics content knowledge [CKA]; Anxiety related to mathematics self-efficacy [SEA]; and (4) Anxiety regarding assessment practices [APA]. The factor loading matrix for this four-factor structure as well as the internal consistency of each scale measured with Cronbach's alpha is presented in Table 1.…”

“…Haciomeroglu (2014)however identified three spheres of mathematics teaching anxiety relating self-confidence, attitude towards mathematics teaching, and teaching knowledge. Elsewhere, Hunt and Sari (2019) deduced two constructs, that is self-directed mathematics teaching anxiety which related to teachers' teaching practice and perceived ability, and the second been pupil/student-directed mathematics teaching anxiety which also related to teachers' anxiety concerning pupils/students failing assessments or not reaching curriculum/school targets. Alkan, Coşguner, and Fidan (2019) however found mathematics teaching anxiety to be a single construct.…”