Primary education students’ beliefs about the nature of mathematics, self-efficacy, and mathematics educators; a descriptive study from Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The significant role of mathematical belief studies has been recognised several decades later. These beliefs have been found to be significantly associated with performance and problem-solving. However, empirical studies of these beliefs in Indonesia are scarce. This study investigates students’ beliefs on the nature of mathematics, self-efficacy, and their perceptions of mathematics educators. The findings of this study revealed that Indonesian students strongly believe anyone could attain proficiency in mathematics. At the same time, students had less confidence that they could understand difficult mathematical tasks and less confidence in showing that they were good at mathematics. Notably, boys’ students exhibit stronger beliefs in their understanding of the course, including the most challenging topics in mathematics, compared to their girls’ counterparts. The implications of this study significantly contribute to the existing literature and inform teaching practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Beliefs
• mathematics
• nature
• self-efficacy
• educators

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).