Action Research on the Effect of Cooperative Learning for Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement of Seventh Grade Students

• Main Authors: HSIEH HUNG-LIN, 謝宏林
• Other Authors: CHIN ERH-TSUNG
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85876594598291008002

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 科學教育研究所 === 101 === The thesis aims to understand the influence of cooperative learning approach on the seventh graders’ mathematical learning anxiety and achievement. Under the rules of action plan, the researcher arranges warm-up activities and three-teaching-period sessions in the study. Fifteen male and sixteen females students, all of whom are seventh graders in the researcher’s teaching class, participate in the experiment. It is hoped that the research is made more efficiently and effectively through the analysis of students and the teacher’s learning problems and workout plans. Apart from the holistic assessment of mathematical learning anxiety and achievement, three students of different learning achievement are chosen as the main targets for study. The research tools of this experiment are as follows: learning worksheets, recorded videos and audio files of the teaching sessions, the teacher’s daily reflection journal, the students’ daily learning journal, written records of formal and informal interviews of the students, and the anxiety scale. It is hoped that the collection and analysis of diverse data pools make it possible to delve into the relationship between students’ mathematical learning anxiety and achievement. The study shows three major findings. First, cooperative learning approach effectively relieves these students’ learning anxiety. Second, there is no stark positive effect on these students’ learning achievement after cooperative learning approach is adopted in the teaching sessions. Third, high, medium, and low achievers in mathematics cannot benefit greatly from cooperative learning approach. For the pedagogical improvement in mathematics, it is suggested that the researcher should invest more time on literature review so that the efficiency and efficacy can be maintained. Second, it is necessary for the instructor and students alike to get involved in cooperative learning approach to achieve the optimal effectiveness of teaching and learning. Third, the pre-training of group leaders is a must because they can improve the efficiency and atmosphere in discussion time. There are three points to be cautioned for the further research. First, it is suggested that the researcher should cooperate with the other teachers in the same discipline. The benefit of information-sharing weighs over the efficacy of individual efforts. Second, it will be better if the researcher can incorporate more samples and lengthen the experimental period. By doing so, the conclusion of the study will be more persuasive. Keywords: Cooperative Learning Approach, Mathematical Learning Anxiety, Mathematical Learning Achievement