Rosetta Zan

The Construct of Attitude in Mathematics Education

This chapter addresses a number of crucial theoretical issues about research on attitude towards mathematics, a field that has a very long tradition in mathematics education, with early studies on attitude being published more than 60 years ago. Over time, research on attitude in mathematics education has developed a range of perspectives and methodologies, dealing with a variety of questions concerning the construct of attitude: discussion and development of tools for measuring/assessing/observing it; analysis of the relationship with other affective constructs and with cognition; investigation of the relationship with achievement; critique of the lack of a suitable theoretical framework. The chapter traces the ‘story’ of the construct of attitude, providing a theoretical discussion of the issues mentioned above that are crucial to understanding the mosaic of relationships and interactions within the affect field. Through the theoretical debate, the aim of the chapter is to highlight new directions for research on attitude in mathematics education.

The ELTP project: from multiple choice test to individualized learning paths

In previous studies we highlighted the role that metacognitive deficiencies and negative attitudes play in students’ difficulties in mathematics during the transition from secondary to tertiary level. This work served as a theoretical basis for an elearning project - ELTP (E-Learning Transition Project) - aimed at assisting students to self-assess and consolidate their mathematic knowledge as they face tertiary transition. In this paper we describe the goals and choices underlying this learning path, which also addressed metacognitive deficiencies and negative attitudes towards mathematics and its study. The aim is to help university students approach mathematics in a more productive way so that they can become autonomous learners.