To meet the challenge of accelerating demands for quantitative literacy in the work force,
improvements are needed in mathematics education. Student skill must be increased at all ability
levels while also reducing the achievement gap across gender, racial and ethnic groups to
increase their participation in advanced mathematics coursework and representation in
mathematics related careers (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Research has shown
that affective traits such as motivation and attitude are linked to increased likelihood of taking
advanced mathematics courses (Ma, 2006) and are significant predictors of improved cognitive
activity and achievement (Buff, Reusser, Rakoczy,& Pauli, 2011; Ethington & Wolfe, 1986). In
addition, males generally score more favorably than females on affective variables related to
mathematics achievement and persistence (McGraw, Lubienski, & Strutchens, 2006; Sherman &
Fennema, 1977; Wilkins and Ma, 2003). Although psychological resilience has been researched
extensively (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000; Luthar, 2007) the study of mathematical
resilience, defined as a positive adaptive stance to mathematics which allows students to
continue learning despite adversity, represents a new approach (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010;
Rivera & Waxman, 2011). Math anxiety looks at maladaptive response to learning mathematics
and is well-studied (Hembree, 1990; Richardson & Suinn, 1977; Tobias, 1978). In contrast,
resilience incorporates factors associated with optimal functioning. Although mathematical
resilience has been identified as important for success (Johnston-Wilder & Lee, 2010; Rivera &
Waxman, 2011), little consensus exists around its definition and no measures of resilience have
been rigorously developed and/or validated. Rivera & Waxman (2011) identified the use of
teacher nomination of resilient students as a limitation of their study, further motivating
development of an instrument. This presentation will report on efforts to develop and validate an
instrument measuring mathematical resilience. Ultimately, the measure will aid in developing
and testing models that gauge the role of mathematical resilience in student achievement and
persistence in advanced coursework. These models can be used to develop interventions to
improve mathematical resilience, achievement, and quantitative literacy (Johnston-Wilder &
Lee, 2010)
