Learning Mathematics Anxiety Research Articles

Impact of Classroom Environment on High School Students' Mathematics Anxiety

This study is aimed at identifying the relationship between classroom environment and mathematics anxiety of students. Adopting a quantitative data analysis procedure, it has been revealed that there exists a significant negative correlation for the scales for teacher’s support and learning mathematics anxiety and mathematics evaluation anxiety. It has also been identified that learning environment scales and learning mathematics anxiety include significant, negative and independent relationships in relation to teacher's support, investigation, task orientation and equity. Acknowledging teachers as catalysts in pedagogical practice, the study shows that they can play a pivotal role in easing mathematics learning byreducing mathematics anxiety.

Examining the dynamic links among perceived teacher support, mathematics learning engagement, and dimensions of mathematics anxiety in elementary school students: A Four-wave longitudinal study

There has been growing interest in the relation among students’ perceived teacher support, mathematics learning engagement, and mathematics anxiety in the last decade. Longitudinal models are needed to provide new insights into the role of engagement in mathematics learning. Based on the control-value theory and developmental dynamic bio-psycho-social model of mathematics anxiety, the present study followed 1796 students from Grades 3 to 6 to investigate the longitudinal associations among perceived teacher support and two conceptually distinct dimensions of mathematics anxiety (i.e., mathematics evaluation anxiety and learning mathematics anxiety). We further explored the potential mediator effects of mathematics learning engagement between perceived teacher support and mathematics anxiety. We found bidirectional longitudinal associations between teacher support and learning mathematics anxiety from grade 3 to grade 6, as well as unidirectional longitudinal associations between teacher support and mathematics evaluation anxiety (from mathematics evaluation anxiety to teacher support). Furthermore, mathematics learning engagement mediated the relation between perceived teacher support and mathematics anxiety (including learning mathematics anxiety and mathematics evaluation anxiety). These findings highlight the importance of understanding the dynamic interplay among perceived teacher support, mathematics learning engagement, and mathematics anxiety from a developmental perspective.

Investigating Mathematics Anxiety over Time in University Engineering Students

In this paper we investigate the presence of math anxiety (MA) among University Engineering students at all levels of undergraduate study. In an effort to assess the presence and severity of MA over the course of an undergraduate degree, as well as to quantify the number of highly math anxious students in this STEM discipline, a 29-question survey was conducted in each of five levels of undergraduate Engineering students. Using non-parametric statistical methods such as Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests as well as pairwise proportion comparisons, MA was compared across years of study. Utilizing existing anxiety classifications of Math Evaluation Anxiety (MEA), Learning Mathematics Anxiety (LMA) and Numerical Anxiety (NA), it was found that MEA showed the highest anxiety scores, while LMA and NA remained at or below a neutral anxiety score in all years of study. MEA questions related to anticipation of evaluation and the receipt of grades revealed the highest scores and the greatest discrepancy in anxiety by year (with Year 1 students more highly anxiously than later years in nearly all cases). Although earlier research suggests that MA tapers off by grade 10, this research suggests that while first-year university students exhibit low levels of LMA and NA, they continue to exhibit high levels of MEA. This result may be in part due to the level of questions on traditional MA assessment questionnaires addressing lower level mathematical concepts (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Since students gain comfort and mastery of concepts as they use them more frequently, this study suggests that such metrics for MA must be adjusted in order to accurately assess students as they progress through later years of study. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.18.7.4

Feedback Seeking Behaviour, Classroom Learning Environment and Mathematics Anxiety of Polytechnics Students in Malaysia

The aim of this study was to investigate mediating effect of feedback seeking behaviour on the relationship between classroom learning environment and mathematics anxiety. The study sample consisted of 158 students from a selected polytechnic in Malaysia. Questionnaires were used in this study. The results showed that all the variables studied in this study had a mean score values between 4.50 to 5.60 Moreover, the findings also showed that classroom learning environment and feedback seeking behaviour has an influence towards mathematics anxiety. Specifically, based on the result of the data analysis, it can be concluded that feedback seeking behaviour acts as a full mediator towards the relationship between classroom learning environment (lecturer support and involvement) and mathematics anxiety (learning mathematics anxiety and mathematics evaluation anxiety). Findings suggest that the lecturer support and participation on an ongoing basis is very important in overcoming mathematics anxiety.

Effects of Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematical Metacognition on Word Problem Solving in Children with and without Mathematical Learning Difficulties.

Mathematics is one of the most objective, logical, and practical academic disciplines. Yet, in addition to cognitive skills, mathematical problem solving also involves affective factors. In the current study, we first investigated effects of mathematics anxiety (MA) and mathematical metacognition on word problem solving (WPS). We tested 224 children (116 boys, M = 10.15 years old, SD = 0.56) with the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Children, the Chinese Revised-edition Questionnaire of Pupil’s Metacognitive Ability in Mathematics, and WPS tasks. The results indicated that mathematical metacognition mediated the effect of MA on WPS after controlling for IQ. Second, we divided the children into four mathematics achievement groups including high achieving (HA), typical achieving (TA), low achieving (LA), and mathematical learning difficulty (MLD). Because mathematical metacognition and MA predicted mathematics achievement, we compared group differences in metacognition and MA with IQ partialled out. The results showed that children with MLD scored lower in self-image and higher in learning mathematics anxiety (LMA) than the TA and HA children, but not in mathematical evaluation anxiety (MEA). MLD children’s LMA was also higher than that of their LA counterparts. These results provide insight into factors that may mediate poor WPS performance which emerges under pressure in mathematics. These results also suggest that the anxiety during learning mathematics should be taken into account in mathematical learning difficulty interventions.

Relationships between learning environment and mathematics anxiety

We investigated relationships between the learning environment and students’ mathematics anxiety, as well as differences between the sexes in perceptions of learning environment and anxiety. A sample of 745 high-school students in 34 different mathematics classrooms in four high schools in Southern California was used to cross-validate the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) learning environment instrument, together with an updated Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating scale. Mathematics anxiety was found to have two factorially-distinct dimensions (namely, learning mathematics anxiety and mathematics evaluation anxiety) which yielded different patterns of results for sex differences and anxiety–environment associations. Relative to males, females perceived a more positive classroom environment and more anxiety about mathematics evaluation, but less anxiety about mathematics learning. Some statistically significant associations were found between anxiety and learning environment scales for learning mathematics anxiety but not for mathematics evaluation anxiety.

Relationships Between and among Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Conceptions, Efficacy Beliefs and Anxiety

The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationships between and among the conceptions of mathematics, mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs and mathematics anxiety of pre-service students with mathematics as their major subject (mathematics majors). Participants were 130 mathematics majors enrolled in a college of education in South West Nigeria. Internal consistency reliability coefficients from the administered self-report measure were acceptable for all scales. The analyzed results led to the following conclusions: (a) fragmented conceptions had positive associations with personal mathematics teaching efficacy, mathematics teaching outcome expectancy, mathematics evaluation anxiety and learning mathematics anxiety; (b) cohesive conceptions were positively associated with mathematics teaching efficacy; (c) positive associations were established between mathematics teaching efficacy and mathematics anxiety; (d) teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy were predictors of the concep...

The Development and Validation of a Revised Version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale

A 24-item shortened version of the 98-item Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) was developed to provide a more efficient index of statistics or mathematics course-related anxiety. The revised scale, which yielded a coefficient alpha reliability estimated at .98, was correlated .97 with a full scale MARS. It shows a pattern of relationships with state, trait, and test anxiety parallel to that of full scale MARS. Further, the relationship with mathematics achievement was consistent for both the revised and full scale MARS. A principal axes factor analysis of revised MARS identified two clear factors, labeled "Learning Mathematics Anxiety" and "Mathematics Evaluation Anxiety." Revised MARS appears to be an attractive substitute for full scale MARS for statistical or mathematical course-related uses.