PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Speeches /Conference Papers (150)

The attitudes toward mathematics of a large cross-sectional sample of students in grades 6 through 12 were explored. Most previous studies have not used samples as large as the 623 urban public school students in the southern United States, included in this study. The sample included 55.1 percent females, 58.3 percent Whites, 27.6 percent African Americans, and 7.4 percent Hispanics. Grades 7 and 8 were oversampled because they are important transition years in the educational process. Students ' attitudes were assessed with 75 items from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. Surprisingly, females generally had more positive attitudes toward mathematics, but were also more anxious about mathematics than were males. The effects associated with grade level were less noteworthy, but there was some tendency over increases in grade levels for subjects to perceive Lathers to be somewhat less supportive of mathematics as an important area and for subjects to become somewhat more anxious about mathematics. Five tables present study findings. An appendix lists item stems and scale classifications. (Author/SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. jgde612.wp1 1/25/9