Shortened Versions of Fennema-Sherman Mathematic Attitude Scales Employing Trace Information

Abstract

This paper aimed at providing a simple and direct method for shortening the lengthy 108-item Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS). The method proposed uses the trace information (widely used in other popular procedures such as principal component analysis and regression analysis) as the criterion for item selection. Results for half-length FSMAS versions (54 items) constructed using the trace-information criterion compared favourably with Mulhern and Rae's (1998) 51-item FSMAS short form. But unlike the later short form, our method retained as much variance as possible in the original 108-items and maximized the correlations, and hence predictive validity, with the full-length FSMAS version. The appropriateness of selecting items from a larger item pool based on employing a trace-information criterion is discussed within the context of the domain-sampling model.

Chinese International Students’ Learning and Post-migration Growth Experiences: An Exploratory Study of a Foundation Studies Education Programme in Australia

“…The full scales are the teacher scale, the confidence scale, the anxiety scale and the usefulness scale, and the shortened scale is named parents attitude scale. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the full scales and the shortened scales provided satisfactory outcomes in empirical studies (Fennema & Sherman, 1976;Mulhern & Rae, 1998;Sachs & Leung, 2007). Owing to the exploratory nature of this inquiry, relevant items from the aforementioned psychometric scales were selected for analysis in order to capture a glimpse of CISs' attitudes towards learning mathematics during their foundation study.…”

Authenticating Factor Analysis of Attitude towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) in Thailand

“…However, the most popular and widely used instrument used in research is the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) (Sachs & Leung, 2013). Another instrument that has also attracted considerable attention in mathematics education research is the Aiken's Mathematics Attitude Scales (MAS) (Aiken, 1976).…”

Students’ conceptions of learning and learning outcomes in Technology Education

“…Instead of using their original version, which contained nine factors, this questionnaire contained three factors with five statements each (cf. Metsämuuronen, 2012;Sachs & Leung, 2007). This is the same method as used in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) measurements.…”