The concept of cooperative learning dates to the 1970s, yet it has not fully found its place in Slovenian primary schools. Although some teachers make use of this teaching method, the prevailing belief remains that the teacher-centred approach is the most effective for keeping pace with the mathematics curriculum. As a result, some students may develop the impression that they are not good at mathematics or do not understand it, which can lead to a fear of mathematics, also known as mathematical anxiety. Cooperative learning affects not only students’ knowledge but also their ability to collaborate and communicate with others, show respect, and accept differences. In this master’s thesis, we examined whether this method of teaching also impacts mathematical anxiety.
The theoretical part focuses on two broader thematic areas: cooperative learning and mathematical anxiety. We defined cooperative learning and explored why its implementation in mathematics lessons is considered meaningful. We also examined the roles of both the teacher and the student, as well as various ways of integrating cooperative learning into teaching practice. Furthermore, we defined the concept of mathematical anxiety and investigated the reasons why it occurs in students. We presented the consequences and characteristics of mathematically anxious students and offered some suggestions for preventing or reducing mathematical anxiety.
In the empirical part, we investigated whether the use of cooperative learning in mathematics lessons reduces mathematical anxiety and improves academic performance. At the same time, we examined the relationship between mathematical anxiety and academic achievement. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and was based on a causal-experimental research method. Two techniques were used for data collection: a questionnaire and a knowledge test. The questionnaire measured the presence of mathematical anxiety among students, while the knowledge test provided data on their academic performance in mathematics. The sampling was non-random and opportunistic, including 100 students from the 7th and 9th grades.
The findings revealed that students with lower levels of anxiety achieved better results in the mathematics knowledge test compared to those with higher levels of anxiety. Furthermore, the study confirmed that cooperative learning reduces mathematical anxiety and enhances students’ academic performance in mathematics.
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