New report finds staggering ‘mathematics anxiety’ rates among Gulf students.
A new survey by Qatar University found that a significant number of students in grades 7 to 12 in Qatar experience high levels of math anxiety.
The term “mathematics anxiety” describes a state of tension and fear that impairs the ability to perform mathematical operations, manipulate numbers, and solve mathematical problems in a variety of real-world and academic situations. refers to
In total, approximately 12,000 students were sampled in the first subproject of the survey. “PRP-C Project: Promoting Sustainable Development of K12 STEM Education in Qatar in the Digital Age”. The research was published a year later in the latest issue of Qtar University Research Magazine.
Conducted by Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Emadi, Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Education QU, and a team of academics from the fields of mathematics, science, psychology, and engineering, the study will be completed in 2021 1 using National Priorities Research funding. was started in May. Program Cluster (NPRP-C).
“A large epidemiological study of over 12,000 students in grades 7-12 in various public schools in Qatar found that 1 in 5 students suffered from high levels of math anxiety, A higher prevalence of math anxiety has been reported among female students,” the study said.
Also, regardless of the student’s gender, high school students on the “arts” track reported higher levels of math and science anxiety than high school students on the “science” track. Having a positive attitude towards is what it takes to succeed in a STEM career.
In a second subproject, researchers used the Technical Education Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) to investigate how STEM is implemented by Qatari K-12 science and mathematics teachers.
The results indicate that the influence of teachers’ contextual and background factors on TPACK-PBL opinions in STEM differed, mainly depending on the TPACK component investigated.
This study reached the additional conclusion that gender and educational specialization are important and influence teachers’ perceptions of TPACK-PBL in STEM. On the other hand, her TPACK-PBL views in STEM are notable for the teacher’s main specialties and their subject areas.
According to the report, professional development programs for teachers using PBL as an educational intervention are being developed and will be implemented. This will help her K-12 science and math teacher in Qatar build her TPACK-STEM and learn how to integrate PBL into her teaching strategy.
STEM education is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, improving people’s lives and ensuring inclusive and equitable education, all of which form the basis of Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
Research shows that Qatar still faces a critical shortage of STEM teachers, with Qatari students performing below average on international exams such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and trends in international mathematics and scientific research. I was. This makes this research important for the implementation of critical policies towards the 2030 Vision.
Meanwhile, according to Professor Al Emadi’s report, the third sub-project just commissioned will design a technology enhancement program using project-based learning to promote K12 STEM effectiveness and career interest. , implemented and evaluated.
The goal of this project is to provide policy makers in the Qatar Ministry of Education with recommendations and a list of sustainable technologies that can be used to enhance K-12 STEM education.
