Development of a Scale on Appreciation in Mathematics

The lack of scale on appreciation in Mathematics encouraged this study as it has been known that positive emotions are needed for effective learning specifically in Mathematics where it has been marked as a tough subject. This study evaluated the factors associated with Appreciation in Mathematics using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in SPSS, Partial Confirmatory Analysis (PCFA) in pattern of Gignac (2009) illustration on the NEO-PI-R using the EFA data, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in Lisrel software. About 517 secondary students participated in EFA, while 76 combination of secondary and tertiary students volunteered for CFA. An initial pool of 107 items were generated from the value aspects of motivation theory with four dimensions and retained only 7 items with two factors after series of evaluation and analysis. The two subscales- recognition of value in mathematics and acknowledgment of math in other disciplines have internal consistency of α = . 847 and α = .912 respectively. The two-dimensional measure have poor fit indices based on RMSEA value of .164; Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.731, Non-normed Fit Index ( NNFI) = 0.748, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.797. The seven retained items have high correlation values and are convergent on the two factors. A strong but not-significant relationship was found between the two factors ( r = .932 , p = .056) . It is recommended to have a follow-up study on appreciation scale to validate item consistency and construct validity using larger size of sample