Influences of Self-Reflective Practices via Podcasting with a Highly-Gifted, Highly Anxious, Elementary Mathematics Student
Abstract: Research has shown girls to score significantly lower than boys on questionnaires about their academic self-concept, interest, and motivation for math. These gender differences were greater for gifted girls than for the average-ability students (Preckel, et. all, 2008). This action-research study focuses on a highly gifted, elementary mathematics student who is observed to be developing a heightened level of anxiety towards her mathematics learning. As time progressed throughout this student’s third grade school year, her anxiety level has dramatically increased, despite her near perfect achievement. Self-reflection through blogging tools is used to help this student gain a deeper understanding of her own learning process, in an effort to increase her self-efficacy towards mathematics learning. The study aims to answer the following question: In what ways, if any, do self-reflective practices via podcasting influence math motivation, attitudes, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and anxiety for a highly-gifted, seven-year-old, female student?