Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Attitudes toward Mathematics Inventory.

Abstract

The Attitudes toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) was developed to measure students' attitudes toward mathematics. The ATMI was initially produced using samples of high school students at a private high school, and the initial pool of items was submitted to exploratory factor analysis. Four factors were identified: self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation. Because the ATMI was developed with high school students, this study was undertaken to see if the four factors would hold with a college population. The ATMI was also derived used a predominantly Hispanic population, raising the question of whether there might be a different factor structure for a different sample. Responses of 134 college students to the ATMI were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine whether the four-factor model would hold, and results indicate that the fourfactor model does hold for U.S. college student. (Contains 2 tables and 18 references.) (Author/SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 0) co co cv) Running head: Attitudes Toward Mathematics PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY M. Tapia TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 . Attitudes Toward Mathematics 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS INVENTORY Martha Tapia Berry College and George E. Marsh II The University of Alabama Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association, Chattanooga, Tennessee November 6-8, 2002