Browsing by Author "Karen Norwood, Committee Chair"

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    The Effects of Relational Teaching and Attitudes on Mathematics Anxiety.
    (2003-09-03) Kidd, Janice Seate; Karen Norwood, Committee Chair; Ernest Stitzinger, Committee Co-Chair; John Kolb, Committee Co-Chair
    While mathematics anxiety continues to affect people of all ages, researchers continue to look for effective methods of reducing it. This thesis provides a brief introduction to mathematics anxiety, including background, and causes and preventions according to experiences researchers and educators have had. The main purpose of this thesis is to look at research on the effectiveness of relational teaching as a means for reducing mathematics anxiety. Research on teachers? attitudes and how they affect students' attitudes toward mathematics as well as students' mathematics anxiety is also examined. Evidence from available studies on relational teaching and its effectiveness at reducing mathematics anxiety indicated inconclusive results. Furthermore, evidence from available studies on teacher attitudes and their effects on students' attitudes toward mathematics and their mathematics anxiety indicated inconclusive results as well.
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    Students' Understanding of the Function Concept: Concept Images and Concept Definitions
    (2008-04-27) Lambertus, Amanda Jane; Karen Norwood, Committee Chair; Hollylynne Lee, Committee Member; Stephen Campbell, Committee Member
    The purpose of the study is to examine students' understanding of the function concept by examining their concept images and concept definition when the students are introduced to function concept through a formal definition and informal approach. The participants were traditional college students enrolled in Intermediate Algebra at a large university in the southeast region of the United States. The students completed a questionnaire that asked them to identify functions and non-functions, mentally construct functions from verbal statements, and provide a definition for the function concept. The questionnaires were analyzed for correct answers, justifications related to the identification of a function or non-function, and the accuracy of the definitions provided. Often students do not possess concept definitions that match their concept images.