Al-Refai, Amani Mashhoor. The Effectiveness of a Program Based on Mathematical Communication on Conceptual Understanding and Mathematics Anxiety of Eighth-Grade Students. PhD Thesis, Yarmouk University, 2019. (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Amal Abdalla Khasawneh, Co- Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ali Al-Barakat).
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a program based on mathematical communication on conceptual understanding and the level of mathematics anxiety among eighth grade students. To achieve this, a program was built using the subject of triangle geometry, and based on mathematical communication standards and skills, especially written, oral and visual skills. A conceptual understanding test and a mathematics anxiety measure were constructed in order to collect the data, in addition to reflective and semi- structured interviews. The instruments were verified according to their validity and reliability. The sample consisted of (54) female eighth grade students, distributed into (27) students in the experimental group, and (27) in the control group.
The results showed significant differences between the performance means of the two groups on the conceptual understanding test and its dimensions represented by the ability to represent, to connect and to apply geometrical concepts and relations, in favor of the experimental group. Also, the results showed that there were significant differences on the level of mathematics anxiety and its dimensions, except for mathematics exam anxiety dimension, in favor of the experimental group. Moreover, the results indicated progress in translating mathematical texts into geometrical shapes and geometrical shapes into symbols, and some aspects of mathematics anxiety were reduced among the experimental group, such as: the absence of happiness, feeling of tension and confusion, and dislike of practicing mathematics.
Key words: Mathematical Communication, Conceptual Understanding, Mathematics anxiety Math Education.