Enhancing student engagement to positively impact mathematics anxiety, confidence and achievement for interdisciplinary science subjects

ABSTRACT

Contemporary science educators must equip their students with the knowledge and practical know-how to connect multiple disciplines like mathematics, computing and the natural sciences to gain a richer and deeper understanding of a scientific problem. However, many biology and earth science students are prejudiced against mathematics due to negative emotions like high mathematical anxiety and low mathematical confidence. Here, we present a theoretical framework that investigates linkages between student engagement, mathematical anxiety, mathematical confidence, student achievement and subject mastery. We implement this framework in a large, first-year interdisciplinary science subject and monitor its impact over several years from 2010 to 2015. The implementation of the framework coincided with an easing of anxiety and enhanced confidence, as well as higher student satisfaction, retention and achievement. The framework offers interdisciplinary science educators greater flexibility and confidence in their approach to designing and delivering subjects that rely on mathematical concepts and practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Student engagement
• mathematical anxiety
• mathematical confidence
• learning achievement
• first-year multidisciplinary science

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the efforts of all SC1102 teaching staff and SC1102 students who have provided feedback about the subject. The authors would also like to thank Daniel Zamykal, Angela Hill, Renae Acton, Nick Emtage and Sally Kift for their assistance with this manuscript. Research was conducted as permitted by James Cook University's Human Research Ethics approvals H3756 and H5209.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

James Cook University