Abstract:

Mathematics is an important part of the educational system. Learning mathematics is necessary for an individual´s full development in today’s complex society. Often however we encounter negative attitudes of pupils towards mathematics. Results of international research TIMSS and PISSA shows that Czech pupils basically don´t like mathematics. We investigate attitudes towards mathematics of future primary school mathematics teachers.

In this paper, the authors analyze the partial research results of ATM (Attitudes towards Mathematics). ATM research was focused on identification of attitudes towards mathematics of student primary school teachers. The main research method was the semantic differential method. The data used was collected by a special questionare for measurement of attitudes. The collected data measures two basic attitude factors —evaluation and energy. These factors were represented as a set of points in so-called „semantic space.“

The authors present a two-dimensional semantic space in which students documented the position of mathematics relative to other selected subjects. Changing attitudes towards mathematics were monitored, by subjective student retrospection of their primary school years.

Detailed in the paper is the design of a questionnaire to measure teacher attitude, the validity of scales (by factor analysis and cluster analysis) and the reliability of measurement. In the article, the authors consider the possibility of the wider use of the semantic differential method in determining attitudes.

Keywords:

Mathematics, student´s attitudes, semantic differential.