EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND MOTIVATIONAL ENHANCEMENT THERAPIES IN REDUCING MATHEMATICS PHOBIA AMONG NON-SCIENCEvSECONDARYvSCHOOL STUDENTS INvIBADAN, OYOvSTATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Mathematics phobia is a major problem for many non-science students. Experience has shown that most non-science students in secondary schools in Oyo State exhibit mathematics phobia with symptoms such as anxiety, fear and poor performance on mathematics-based disciplines. Extant studies largely focused on factors influencing mathematics phobia, with little consideration for behavioural interventions. Thisvstudy, therefore, examinedvtheveffects of Emotional Regulation Therapy (ERT) andvMotivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) on phobia of mathematics among non-science secondary school students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The moderatingveffectsvof locusvofvcontrol and mathematics self-efficacy werevalso determined. Hans Freudenthal Theory was the framework, while the mixed method (QUAN + Qual) was adopted. The multi-stage samplingvprocedure wasvused. The simplevrandom samplingvtechnique was usedvto selectvthreevLocalvGovernmentvAreas (LGAs) - Ibadan North, Ibadan South East, and Lagelu from the 11 LGAs in Ibadan. Three public secondary schools (one per LGA) were randomly selected. Senior Secondary II students who were in non-science classes from the three selected secondary schools that scored below the threshold of 50.0% in a mathematics proficiency test screening were randomly assigned to the ERT (30), MET (30) and the control (30) groups. The instruments used were Mathematics Proficiency Test (r=.87), Mathematics Phobia Questionnaire (α =.74), Locus of Control (α =.86), and Mathematics Self-efficacy (α=.93) scales. These were complemented by Key Informant Interviews with the mathematics class teachers. Thevtreatment lasted eightvweeks. Data were analysed usingvdescriptive statistics and Analysisvof covariance atv0.05 level ofvsignificance, while the qualitative study were content- analysed. The participants’ age was 13.50±2.50 years, while 54.4% were males. Therevwas avsignificant mainveffect ofvtreatment on mathematics phobia (F(2; 77)= 5.98; partial η2 = 0.13). Thevparticipants in MET had thevhighestvpost-mean score (61.43), followed by those in ERT (83.03) and those in control (102.10) groups. Therevwas avsignificant mainveffect of mathematics self-efficacy on mathematicsvphobia (F(1;77) = 3.99; partial η2 = 0.05). The participantsvwith lowvmathematics self-efficacy hadvavhigher meanvscore (80.72) than those with medium (80.00) and high (77.86) mathematics self-efficacy. There was novsignificantvmainveffect of locusvofvcontrol on mathematicsvphobia. Treatment and mathematicsvself-efficacy had avsignificant interaction effect on mathematicsvphobia (F(2; 77) = 5.68; partial η2 = 0.12) in favour of the participants with high mathematics self-efficacy. Treatment and locus of control had no significant interaction effects on mathematics phobia. The three-way interaction effect was significant on mathematics phobia (F(2; 77) = 2.11; partial η2 = 0.05). The mathematics class teachers averred that different teaching methods had been adopted, yet most commercial and arts students always absconded from their classes whenever they wanted to teach them. Emotional regulation and motivational enhancement therapies reduced mathematics phobia among the non-science students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria with consideration for mathematics self-efficacy. Counselling and educational psychologists should adopt these therapies while handling mathematics phobia among secondary school students.