Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Sean Yee

Abstract

Students in my non-theoretical Business Calculus course at the College of Eastshore almost never begin the class with a positive attitude towards mathematics. They are taking the course to fulfill their general education requirements in mathematics, and for most of them, this will be their last experience in a formal classroom setting with a mathematics educator. This profile of a math-reluctant student is not unique to my Business Calculus course; I have spoken with many fellow educators in similar situations who experience the same persistence of negative attitudes toward mathematics from their own students. Their attitude not only has implications for their success in their current class but also has broader societal implications as they transition into adulthood as postsecondary students. The purpose of this study is to measure the change in students’ attitudes toward mathematics over the course of a semester-long curricular intervention, Deconstruct this Business Calculus Journal.

The design of this action research project is based on two theoretical frameworks: the Three-Dimensional Model for Attitude Towards Mathematics and cognitive dissonance theory. A convergent mixed-methods study was conducted using the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory, student journal artifacts, and a semi-structured focus group interview. Approximately 150 students were invited to participate, with varying levels participating in each type of data collection. The data were then analyzed separately using descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as qualitative coding and various post-hoc procedures. After each analysis was complete, the findings were converged into overall themes that were present in each analysis.

The quantitative results showed a statistically significant improvement in students’ attitudes over the course of the semester, with the most notable increase being in the subcategory of self-confidence. Qualitative coding revealed that the structure and format of the curricular intervention significantly influenced their change in attitude. Students reported feelings that align with cognitive dissonance when their long-held beliefs about being bad at math conflicted with their newfound understanding, success, and enjoyment in the course. Given that this cognitive dissonance emerged during reflective journaling, these findings suggest that embedding reflection throughout the course and low-floor, high-ceiling tasks can help build their self-confidence and improve attitudes toward mathematics. Although this study was context-specific, its findings may be transferable in similar postsecondary settings with math-reluctant students. This action research contributes to the understanding of the impacts of curricular intervention on the ability to change attitudes through cognitive dissonance.

Rights

© 2026, Kathryn Pedings-Behling

Download

Share

COinS