Effect of a Computer Mediated Systems Teaching Approach on Mathematics Anxiety of Engineering Students

Abstract

The effect of a Computer Mediated Systems Teaching Approach (CMSTA) on engineering students’ mathematics anxiety was investigated and reported in this paper. Specifically, the study determined (a) if the mean Mathematics Anxiety Level (MAL) of the students taught mathematics using the CMSTA will be significantly lower than that of those not taught with the same approach and (b) whether the MALs of the students taught mathematics using the CMSTA will significantly differ by gender? A sample of 470 students (with 267 in the experimental and 203 in control groups) and 445 students (with 256 in the experimental and 189 in control groups) took the pretest and posttest respectively. A four stage procedure was adopted for the experiment where treatment administration lasted for 12 weeks. Pretest and posttest administration of the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (RMARS) on the subjects showed that while significant difference was found between the mean MAL of the experimental and control groups, none was found between that of the male and female students taught mathematics using the CMSTA.