The Effect of Cooperative Learning on Reducing Misconceptions and Math Anxiety among 10th-Grade Female Students in the Experimental Sciences Track

The Effect of Cooperative Learning on Reducing Misconceptions and Math Anxiety among 10th-Grade Female Students in the Experimental Sciences Track

Subject Areas : Evaluation

Esmaeil Yousefi ¹ , Behrouz Shoujaei ² , Fatemeh Heydari ³

1 -
2 - Department of Mathematics, Ka.C, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
3 - Department of Mathematics, Ka.C, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.

Received: 2025-05-17 Accepted : 2025-07-21 Published : 2025-06-12

Keywords: Cooperative learning, Math anxiety, Conceptual misunderstanding, Female students, 10th grade mathematics,

Abstract :

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cooperative learning on reducing conceptual misunderstandings and math anxiety among 10th-grade female students in the experimental sciences track. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of all 10th-grade female students in public high schools in Karaj during the 2024–2025 academic year. A total of 120 students were selected through cluster random sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (60 in each). Two researcher-made questionnaires were used to measure math anxiety and conceptual misunderstandings. Content and construct validity were confirmed by experts and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (0.92 and 0.88 respectively). The experimental group received cooperative learning-based instruction over eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group was taught traditionally. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with SPSS software. The results indicated that cooperative learning significantly reduced both math anxiety and conceptual misunderstandings. These findings highlight the effectiveness of active learning strategies in improving mathematical understanding and reducing emotional barriers in female students.

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