Explorando as emoções frente à matemática: instrumentos e dimensões psicométricas

Abstract

Mathematics is a relevant component of education and a fundamental criterion in educational systems in much of the world. Because of the importance assigned to mathematics it was understood that emotions are important in its learning process. Particularly, mathematical anxiety (AM) is a subtype of anxieties, manifested through negative emotional responses to situations involving mathematics. High AM levels can lead to stress, avoidance behavior, and low math performance. This research of an exploratory character focuses on the study of emotions versus mathematics, especially AM, with the general objective: to investigate emotions against mathematical through the identification and validation of an instrument, in order to understand its psychometric properties and the emotional dimensions associated with math. As specific objectives they have: identify the instruments about emotions versus mathematics, conduct a confirmative factor analysis of the instrument AEQ-M to verify the structure of factors and test the validity and reliability in the Brazilian context as an instrument for evaluating the emotions associated with math. The results pointed to a heterogeneity among the selected instruments, it is noted that the AEQ-M plays an important role in the evaluation of various emotions related to mathematics, in different contexts and circumstances. With regard to the validation of the instrument for the Brazilian context, a trifatorial model with satisfactory evidence of internal consistency and reliability was found.