Detection of College Students' Anxiety in Carrying Out Mathematical Argumentation about Geometry Problems

Students often feel anxious when dealing with mathematical problems, especially the problem of proving. This study aims to detect student anxiety when doing mathematical arguments about geometry problems. They construct arguments about proving congruence of triangles, which showed a series of reason structures with definitions, axioms, characteristics, and theorems. Three students who programmed geometry courses participated in task-based interviews focusing on determining object characteristics of geometry problems. The Toulmin argumentation model was used to analyze their mathematical arguments in solving problems. Four components related to the structure of argumentation have been identified, such as the availability of data, delivered warrants with the use of media, declared claims, and Backing with clarification. Besides, the questionnaire was also applied to identify their anxiety when arguing mathematics. They already looked highly anxious when they began to see silently, turned to friends, tried to remember by looking up, sweating, stress, and worried. Keywords: anxiety, argumentation, solving problems, proving steps, task-based interviews.