Student mathematical anxiety: investigation on problem based learning

Abstract

Abstract Problem-based learning is an alternative for students to exercise problem-solving ability. During the mathematics learning process, students also experience mathematics anxiety which prevents them to perform well. This study aims to explore the students’ mathematics anxiety in the problem-based learning process. Based on previous studies, problem-based learning was designed to reduce mathematics anxiety. This research is qualitative research with a phenomenology approach. The phenomenological research was examined based on the experience of the participants attending the mathematics classes with problem-based learning. In this study, we chose the subjects by considering the results of mathematics anxiety tests and students’ physical characteristics that indicate the occurrence of mathematical anxiety. The results found that students with high and moderate mathematics anxiety showed physical characteristics of mathematical anxiety observed during the problem-based learning process. After conducting in-depth interviews with the subjects, it was found that they had difficulty with the mathematics problems given. Finally, we concluded that the selection of mathematical problems given with the hope that it will reduce mathematical anxiety turns out to cause mathematical anxiety. It then affected their work that has not succeeded in solving the mathematics problems.