Self-efficacy, test anxiety and mathematics performance in Uruguayan adolescents exposed to community violence

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Introduction. Community violence exposure (CVE) during adolescence relates negatively with academic performance, yet little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this association. Research on self-regulated learning identifies self-efficacy and test anxiety as key for explaining academic performance, while the stress process model of children's exposure to violence provides a framework for understanding how these aspects of the learning process may be debilitated by CVE. Method. This study aims to explore the mediating role of self-efficacy and test anxiety in the relation between CVE and academic performance. In a sample of 110 adolescents from low-income neighborhoods in Montevideo, Uruguay, structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that adolescents with higher CVE have lower self-efficacy and higher test anxiety, which in turn compromises their mathematics achievement. We also hypothesize an indirect negative effect of CVE on self-efficacy through test anxiety. Results. Our data confirm that CVE is associated with test anxiety and mathematics score, yet not self-efficacy. While both self-efficacy and test anxiety relate to mathematics score, our sample does not support an indirect effect of CVE on mathematics performance through these variables. Furthermore, analysis reveal a surprising positive – yet small – indirect effect of CVE on self-efficacy through test-anxiety. Discussion and Conclusion. As self-efficacy – a malleable tool for promoting academic outcomes – appears not directly related to CVE in our sample, it holds important potential for enhancing academic achievement in youth exposed to community violence. Implications for psycho-educational interventions are set forth.