The Impact of Project-Based Learning Instruction on Anxiety, Confidence, andAcademic Growth in the Applied Algebra Classroom

Abstract

Student anxiety, confidence, and achievement in mathematics play a critical rolein student success after high school. The purpose of this study was to investigate thedifferences in student anxiety, student confidence, and student achievement betweenstudents who received Project-Based Learning (PBL) instruction and students who didnot receive PBL instruction in the Applied Algebra classroom. The Applied Algebraclassroom was chosen for this study because historically this is the course where lowerachieving math students are enrolled. The independent variables of interest in thisquantitative study were Applied Algebra course format, where PBL was used as aninstructional method and where PBL was not utilized as an instructional method; andstudent demographics, including gender (male, female), Individual Education Plan (IEP)status (had an IEP, did not have an IEP), socio-economic status (SES) (free/reduced, nodesignation), and ethnicity (White, non-White). The dependent variables were studentanxiety in mathematics, student confidence in mathematics, and the change inmathematics academic growth using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) scoresfrom fall to spring.The results of the study indicated that confidence was higher in the PBL class.Anxiety and academic growth were not different based on class format. Thedemographics did not impact this finding with the exception that students with an IEPreceiving PBL instruction reported lower mathematics anxiety than those with an IEP inthe non-PBL class and they reported lower anxiety than students without an IEP in thePBL classroom. This study has implications for district personnel and parents interested inconsidering alternative instructional approaches. The impact of these instructionalconsiderations could include increasing overall student confidence in mathematics andreducing mathematics anxiety specifically for students with an IEP. Recommendationsfor future research include expansion of student sample size and the addition of otherassessments to measure student achievement, student confidence, and student anxiety inmathematics.