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Math Anxiety: Engineering Technology Students' Problem Solving Through Rational or Experiential Contexts

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Conference

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Location

Virtual On line

Publication Date

June 22, 2020

Start Date

June 22, 2020

End Date

June 26, 2021

Conference Session

STEM Issues in ET II

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--34955

Permanent URL

https://sftp.asee.org/34955

Download Count

458

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Paper Authors

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Anne M. Lucietto Purdue University, West Lafayette Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-753X

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Dr. Lucietto has focused her research in engineering technology education and the understanding of engineering technology students. She teaches in an active learning style which engages and develops practical skills in the students. Currently she is exploring the performance and attributes of engineering technology students and using that knowledge to engage them in their studies.

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Meher Rusi Taleyarkhan Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Meher R. Taleyarkhan is a graduate student earning her Master’s in Engineering Technology degree from Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and majored in Mechanical Engineering Technology. During her undergraduate she was an undergraduate research assistant studying renewable energy with an emphasis on solar energy for residential and utility use. Current research as a Master’s student is in curriculum development for engineering technology programs, notably at Purdue University. Her thesis is on conducting an engineering and financial analysis for a local wastewater plant facility.

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Natalie Hobson Sonoma State University

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Dr. Natalie Hobson is an Assistant Professor in Mathematics and Statistics at Sonoma State University in California. Her research background is in areas of algebraic geometry and mathematics education. She received her PhD in mathematics and her masters degree in mathematics education at the University of Georgia.

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Therese M. Azevedo Sonoma State University

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Therese Azevedo is a third year student at Sonoma State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Statistics. Over the summer she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Anne Lucietto and Meher Taleyarkhan (Graduate Student) on a project related to math anxiety focused on female and minority students. Therese has been able to continue this project with her research advisor, Dr. Natalie Hobson, at her home institution.

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Abstract

Math anxiety is a pernicious problem. The issue manifests in a variety of ways, some avoid math completely, while others enact coping skills to avoid the use of math. This study surveys students who are pursuing Engineering Technology degrees and delves into the tendencies of the students and how they utilize certain types of problem-solving techniques. The survey utilized the instrument Cognitive-Experiential Self Theory (CEST). The survey will help to learn the extent to which the students rely on the rational and experiential context of their lives to answer technical questions. The study is intended to enlighten educators and others to the degree intuition is used by students as a means of problem solving. The conclusions drawn will help to develop techniques to encourage students to have a more positive view of mathematics and to use mathematics for solving technical problems. The overall results will help to support future work on math anxiety and to develop methods to curb students’ negative reactions to scenarios contributing to math anxieties.

Lucietto, A. M., & Taleyarkhan, M. R., & Hobson, N., & Azevedo, T. M. (2020, June), Math Anxiety: Engineering Technology Students' Problem Solving Through Rational or Experiential Contexts Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34955

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