A Longitudinal Study in Mathematics Attitude

Abstract

Educators have expressed concern about the relationship of mathematics attitude and mathematics achievement. The present investigation examined the relationships between mathematics attitude and mathematics achievement over a 6-year period from the late elementary to the late secondary school level. The subjects were 607 students from an above average socio-economic suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. They were tested in the spring of 1960 with a mathematics attitude instrument and were retested in the spring of 1966. Measures of achievement in mathematics were available at both grade levels. Using a .05 level of significance the results showed a significant positive correlation between the elementary attitude scores and the secondary attitude scores. In addition significant positive correlations existed between all measures of attitude and achievement.