Junior students' attitude towards mathematics in a Hong Kong secondary school

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between junior students’ attitudes towards mathematics (ATM) and mathematics achievement in a Hong Kong secondary school. The levels of attitudes towards mathematics of students in different forms were also compared. This study was carried out by both quantitative and qualitative methods. In this research, 450 S.1 to S.3 students in the school of study were given the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) questionnaire which consisted of 40 items covering four different sub-factors (confidence, value, enjoyment and motivation) of attitudes towards mathematics. The data was then analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) through t-test and Pearson Correlation. The results revealed that there was significant correlation between attitudes towards mathematics and achievement. Among the four sub-factors, confidence showed the strongest relationship with achievement. According to the survey results 24 students were then invited for individual interviews. Further analysis of interview responses was conducted and provided insights of different aspects which affected students’ attitudes and learning mathematics.