Statistics Anxiety: How It Affects University Students - Essay Sample

Introduction

A majority of students in the universities and colleges avoid enrolling in statistical courses due to the anxiety that they attribute to those classes as explained by statistics anxiety. It is the product of a handful of parameters which may include attitudes, academic performances and self-concepts which incline individuals to characters such as postponement. Worry and uncertainty intolerance is among the determinants of other types of anxiety, but neither of these has a connection with statistics anxiety. Statistics anxiety is the fear and nervousness that one experience when carrying out statistical evaluations are when pursuing a statistics subject (Williams, 2013). The six types of anxiety include fear of asking for assistance, fear of asking tutors, computation self-concept, the anxiety of interpreting, perceived worth of statistics and class and test fear. The available literature explains that William wanted to dig into the connection between statistics anxiety, uncertainty and intolerance, and worry.

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Research Methodology

The researcher uses the correlational research design, which is evidenced by the researcher's desire to understand the relationship between the three variables. The research identifies the instruments needed to collect data which entail, a questionnaire for Penn State to collect data about worry, Scale 12 for intolerance of uncertainty and a rating scale for statistics anxiety (Williams, 2013). The three tools are instrumental since they create a room for relating the three variables identified which the research seeks to understand their relationship. The methods have not been designed for this research only but have been consolidated to apply after being created by other individuals. The researcher conducted a reliability and validity test and talked about the outcomes of the study. The researchers conducted a pilot study because he provided bot pretest and posttest questionnaires.

Williams (2013) obtained the participants of the study from various renowned universities and college students, where he evaluated them on the three variables. On uncertainty intolerance, he used the uncertainty intolerance scale. Additionally, she assessed the total score of intolerance where higher scores indicated higher levels of intolerance. The tendency of the participants to worry was done using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the last variable, which was statistic anxiety he used the rating scale (Williams, 2013). The investigator also analyzed the view of the worth of statistics. The three tools used entailed answering a series of questions, the research methodology was a survey with questionnaires being as instruments of correcting data. The study took place in the year 2010, and the research found out that statistics anxiety was associated with uncertainty intolerance and worry (Williams, 2013). The study recommended that students should familiarize themselves more to statistics to alleviate fear and worry.

Critical Analysis

Purpose

The researcher perfectly explains the use of the research, which is stated in the summary as the desire to identify the connection between statistics anxiety, worry and uncertainty intolerance. Additionally, the investigator explains the problems, which is easy to connect with the intended purpose of the study.

Literature Review

The investigator prepares the review systematically by providing an abstract that offers the purpose of the study, followed by the problem's background, literature review, methodology, results, discussion as well as the conclusion. The researcher demonstrates effectiveness in literature analysis, that is integral in scientific studies. The researcher balances the sources and supports the findings appropriately when required to. The study was done in 2013, but the research reviewed materials that were published in the 1990s, which shows that the study consists of literature backup. A few studies were conducted from the year 2000 which indicates that most of the literature that the researcher used was not recently done

Objectives and Hypotheses

The investigator in his study has concisely provided the hypothesis and the objectives of his study, which provides that there is a connection between statistics anxiety, uncertainty intolerance as well as worry. The hypothesis is precisely offered in the introduction part of the report and is consistence in the literature review. The researcher conducts a literature review to respond to issues the relationship between the three parameters of the study.

Ethical Standards Applied

When choosing his participants, the researcher had prepared them fully on what the study entails. She also assured them that their confidentiality would be observed and that the study posed no danger to them. The scientist did not have intentions of disclosing the results of her research to the other members of the faculty; hence she maintained and observed the required ethical standards throughout her study, as anticipated in any scientific research.

Operational Definitions

Throughout the study, the research issues operational definitions to all approaches, theories, terms and concepts which include statistics anxiety, anxiety, worry and uncertainty intolerance. Williams also gave explanations of these concepts as per the research question allowing the reader to comprehend the research.

Methodology

The investigator does not provide her research design so the reader can comfortably infer that the research uses a correlational model with the data gathering tools mentioned. The instruments that Williams apply are to establish the relationship between the three variables. The tools used are not designed in the research but designed by other people; where before using them, the researcher subjected them to reliability and validity test. The researcher undertook a pilot study as she provided pretest and posttest questionnaires.

Data Analysis/Results

The researcher applied regression evaluation of data to explain uncertainty intolerance and to show the connection between the variables. The validity of the scales uses done through analysis. The methods of the assessment were all appropriate as they related to the reliability and validity of the data. Ninety-seven students were recruited for the study, and they all participated. The significance of the findings is that the students must be encouraged and familiarized with statistics to reduce the issues discussed.

Discussion

In a scientific study discussion helps in describing and interpreting the study's findings. In this study the results relate to the literature reviewed, for example, the researchers mentioned how hypotheses are backed up by a survey by Koemer and Dugas (2006) and Startup and Erickson (2006). The literature assists in the study as it helps in assessing statistics anxiety correctly. The strength of the study is that literature supports the results making the study empirical. The research recommends conducting similar research with a control group different from this study.

References

In her study, Williams did a literature review using various sources of literature, which alluded excellently to her research. She finishes by referencing all those material and acknowledging the works of the writers and by crediting their studies as significant players in her study.

Conclusion

Overall, considering all of the evaluation categories, the article is well researched. A literature review has been used appropriately to provide scientific and reliable information. The participants used provided valid data which makes the study secure.

Reference

Williams, A. S. (2013). Worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and statistics anxiety. Statistics Education Research Journal, 12(1).