Commentary on the Chapter by Anastasios Barkatsas, “Students’ Attitudes, Engagement and Confidence in Mathematics and Statistics Learning: ICT, Gender, and Equity Dimensions”

Abstract

The chapter by Barkatsas summarises the findings of five small-scale studies which employ similar questionnaire instruments and statistical methods to assess facets of attitude towards mathematics and statistics. The first three of these studies focus on attitudes to mathematics and to technology use in studying mathematics, as found in student populations in secondary schools in Victoria, Australia or Athens, Greece. The last two focus on attitudes to statistics as found in student populations in tertiary education in one or other of these same locations. Although there is a gender dimension to all of the studies, this is not highly developed or strongly theorised. Nevertheless, the empirical findings merit some comment, particularly where they can be related to the main theoretical hypothesis advanced early in the chapter, a posited mechanism through which use of technology in studying mathematics affects attitudes to the subject and achievement in it. For that reason, I will focus my remarks on the set of three studies that address this.