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Wallinheimo AS, Gentle J. Maths performance of adults with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD): The role of working memory and maths anxiety. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 247:104292. [PMID: 38824783 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia have poorer maths performance compared to their neurotypical (NT) counterparts. However, no studies have explored the cognitive and emotional factors affecting the maths performance of adults with DCD. This study, therefore, investigated the role of working memory (WM), maths anxiety (MAS), and maths self-efficacy on the maths performance of adults with DCD. We found that adults with DCD had lower WM and maths performance and were more maths anxious than their NT peers. However, there were no significant differences in maths self-efficacy. When looking at the predictors of maths performance, we found a positive relationship between WM resources and the DCD maths performance, possibly indicating that they relied more on WM resources to perform simple mental arithmetic tasks than NTs. On the other hand, MAS had an inverse relationship with the NT maths performance but not with the DCD performance. The reasons and implications of these findings will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo
- School of Psychology, Centre for Translation Studies (CTS), University of Surrey, Stag Hill GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
| | - Judith Gentle
- School of Psychology, Centre for Translation Studies (CTS), University of Surrey, Stag Hill GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
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2
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Xie Y, Lan X, Tang L. Gender differences in mathematics anxiety: A meta-analysis of Chinese children. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 248:104373. [PMID: 38917717 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Mathematics anxiety (MA) is a widespread phenomenon that affects an individual's learning of mathematics. MA between different genders has been of great interest to researchers. Meta-analysis was used to examine the relationship between MA and gender in Chinese children, along with the influencing factors. After literature search and screening, 83 papers and 91 independent samples met the inclusion criteria. The results of the main effect test of the random effect model revealed a correlation of significant levels between MA and gender, r = -0.131, 95%CI [-0.158, -0.105], Z = -9.508, and p < 0.001. Girls had higher MA than boys. The outcomes of the moderating effect test indicated that the moderating effect of age, economic region and measurement instrument in the relationship between MA and gender was significant. But the moderating effect of period was not significant. Specifically, gender differences in MA were greater at the middle school compared to the elementary school. And the greatest correlation between children's MA and gender was in the western region. The gender difference of MA measured by different instruments varied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntian Xie
- Department of Applied Psychology, Changsha Normal University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xingyang Lan
- Department of Applied Psychology, Changsha Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Tang
- Department of Applied Psychology, Changsha Normal University, Changsha, China
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3
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Atakan MM, Atakan B. Acute Pilates and plyometric exercise in school-based settings improve attention and mathematics performance in high school students. SPORTS MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2024; 6:185-192. [PMID: 38708323 PMCID: PMC11067860 DOI: 10.1016/j.smhs.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of acute Pilates and plyometric exercise in a school-based setting on attention and mathematics test performance in high school students. Forty 10th-grade students (21 females and 19 males; age: [15.0 ± 0.5] years, body mass index: [21.4 ± 2.8] kg/m2) participated in this crossover and quasi-experimental study. In week 1, students were familiarized with the d2 test of attention and Pilates and plyometric exercises activities, and body composition measurements were taken. In both weeks 2 and 3, students completed the d2 test of attention and mathematics test with 20 questions following a single session of low-to-moderate-intensity exercise and a classroom-based non-exercise activity, in a non-randomized order. The exercise sessions included 30 mins of plyometric exercises for male students and Pilates exercise for female students, with intensities corresponding to 10-14 on the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale6-20. Compared to the non-exercise activity, a 30-min of Pilates and plyometric exercise resulted in significant improvements in attention score (mean difference [Δ] = 54.5 score; p < 0.001; Cohen's effect sizes [d] = 1.26) and concentration performance (Δ = 20.7 score; p = 0.003; d = 0.51). The students scored significantly higher on the mathematics test after participating in the exercise sessions compared to the non-exercise condition (Δ% = 11.7; p < 0.001; d = 0.76). There were no significant differences between genders (p > 0.05). These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of acute light-to-moderate-intensity Pilates and plyometric exercises in school-based settings for improving attention and mathematics performance in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammed M. Atakan
- Division of Exercise Nutrition and Metabolism, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Betül Atakan
- Aydınlıkevler Anatolian High School, Ministry of National Education, Ankara 06135, Turkey
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4
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Mielicki MK, Mbarki R, Wang JJ. Understanding the social-emotional components of our "number sense": insights from a novel non-symbolic numerical comparison task. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1175591. [PMID: 38505363 PMCID: PMC10948494 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1175591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A large body of work has identified a core sense of number supported by the Approximate Number System (ANS) that is present in infancy and across species. Although it is commonly assumed that the ANS directly processes perceptual input and is relatively independent from affective factors, some evidence points at a correlation between ANS performance and math anxiety. However, the evidence is mixed. We tested whether giving participants active control in completing a numerical task would change the relationship between math anxiety on performance. Methods Adult participants (N = 103) completed a novel four-alternative-forced-choice non-symbolic numerical comparison task. In a repeated-measures design, participants either passively viewed different dot arrays or actively chose to view each array (i.e., active information-seeking) before deciding on the largest quantity. Participants also provided confidence judgments during the passive version of the task. Results We replicated the ratio-dependent signature in participants' accuracy in both the passive and active versions of the task using this novel paradigm, as well as in trial-level confidence judgments and information-seeking behavior. Participants' self-reported math anxiety significantly correlated with their accuracy on the passive version of the task. Critically, the correlation disappeared in the active version of the task. Gender also emerged as a predictor of confidence judgments and a moderator of the effect of task on overall accuracy and the effect of active information seeking on accuracy in the active version of the task. Exploratory analysis of estimated Weber Fraction suggests that these results may be driven by auxiliary factors instead of changes in ANS acuity. Conclusion These findings have implications for understanding the relationship between math anxiety and performance on numerical tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta K. Mielicki
- Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Rahma Mbarki
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Jinjing Jenny Wang
- Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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5
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Garma LD, Osório NS. Demystifying dimensionality reduction techniques in the 'omics' era: A practical approach for biological science students. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION : A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 52:165-178. [PMID: 37937712 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Dimensionality reduction techniques are essential in analyzing large 'omics' datasets in biochemistry and molecular biology. Principal component analysis, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, and uniform manifold approximation and projection are commonly used for data visualization. However, these methods can be challenging for students without a strong mathematical background. In this study, intuitive examples were created using COVID-19 data to help students understand the core concepts behind these techniques. In a 4-h practical session, we used these examples to demonstrate dimensionality reduction techniques to 15 postgraduate students from biomedical backgrounds. Using Python and Jupyter notebooks, our goal was to demystify these methods, typically treated as "black boxes", and empower students to generate and interpret their own results. To assess the impact of our approach, we conducted an anonymous survey. The majority of the students agreed that using computers enriched their learning experience (67%) and that Jupyter notebooks were a valuable part of the class (66%). Additionally, 60% of the students reported increased interest in Python, and 40% gained both interest and a better understanding of dimensionality reduction methods. Despite the short duration of the course, 40% of the students reported acquiring research skills necessary in the field. While further analysis of the learning impacts of this approach is needed, we believe that sharing the examples we generated can provide valuable resources for others to use in interactive teaching environments. These examples highlight advantages and limitations of the major dimensionality reduction methods used in modern bioinformatics analysis in an easy-to-understand way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo D Garma
- Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas - CNIO, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuno S Osório
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
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6
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Alvarez-Vargas D, Begolli KN, Choc M, Acevedo-Farag LM, Bailey DH, Richland L, Bustamante A. Fraction Ball impact on student and teacher math talk and behavior. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 239:105777. [PMID: 37956609 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the impacts of Fraction Ball-a novel suite of games combining the benefits of embodied guided play for math learning-on the math language production and behavior of students and teachers. In the Pilot Experiment, 69 fifth and sixth graders were randomly assigned to play four different Fraction Ball games or attend normal physical education class. The Efficacy Experiment was implemented to test improvements made through co-design with teachers with 160 fourth through sixth graders. Researchers observed and coded for use of math language and behavior. Playing Fraction Ball resulted in consistent increases of students' and teachers' use of fraction (SDs = 0.98-2.42) and decimal (SDs = 0.65-1.64) language and number line arithmetic, but not in whole number, spatial language, counting, instructional gesturing, questioning, and planning. We present evidence of the math language production in physical education and value added by Fraction Ball to support rational number language and arithmetic through group collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Drew H Bailey
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Lindsey Richland
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Andres Bustamante
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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7
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Morava A, Shirzad A, Van Riesen J, Elshawish N, Ahn J, Prapavessis H. Acute stress negatively impacts on-task behavior and lecture comprehension. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297711. [PMID: 38319902 PMCID: PMC10846713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute stress has been shown to disrupt cognitive and learning processes. The present study examined the effects of acute stress on mind wandering during a lecture and subsequent lecture comprehension in young adults. Forty participants were randomized to acute stress induction via the Trier Social Stress Test or rest prior to watching a twenty-minute video lecture with embedded mind wandering probes, followed by a lecture comprehension assessment. Stress responses were assessed via heart rate, blood pressure, salivary cortisol, and state anxiety. Individuals exposed to acute stress endorsed greater mind wandering at the first checkpoint and lower lecture comprehension scores. Moreover, state anxiety post stress was positively associated with mind wandering at the first and second checkpoint and negatively associated with lecture comprehension. Only mind wandering at the third checkpoint was negatively correlated with overall lecture comprehension. Taken together, these data suggest that acute stress, mind wandering, and lecture comprehension are inextricably linked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisa Morava
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ali Shirzad
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Nader Elshawish
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua Ahn
- School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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8
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Sasanguie D, Larmuseau C, Depaepe F, Jansen BRJ. Anxiety about Mathematics and Reading in Preadolescents Is Domain-Specific. J Intell 2024; 12:14. [PMID: 38392170 PMCID: PMC10890043 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
It was investigated whether test anxiety (TA), mathematics anxiety (MA), and reading anxiety (RA) can be traced back to some type of general academic anxiety or whether these are separable. A total of 776 fifth graders (Mage = 10.9 years) completed questionnaires on TA, MA, and RA, as well as a mathematics test. Also, mathematics and reading performance results from the National Tracking System were requested. The sample was randomly split into two halves. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a three-factor model (factors: TA, MA, RA) had superior model fit compared with a one-factor model (factor: "Academic anxiety"), in both halves. The resulting anxiety factors were related to math performance measures using structural equation models. A scarcity of data on reading performance prevented the analysis of links between anxiety and reading performance. Anxiety-math performance relations were stronger for MA than for TA and MA. We concluded that TA, MA, and RA are separable constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Sasanguie
- Research Centre for Learning in Diversity, HOGENT, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences@Kulak, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Larmuseau
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences@Kulak, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
- ITEC, IMEC Research Group, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Fien Depaepe
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences@Kulak, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
- ITEC, IMEC Research Group, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Brenda R J Jansen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Marakshina J, Adamovich T, Vasin G, Ismatullina V, Lobaskova M, Malykh A, Kolyasnikov P, Tabueva A, Zakharov I, Malykh S. Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale in Russian adolescents. Sci Rep 2024; 14:775. [PMID: 38191640 PMCID: PMC10774267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51104-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
This study involved a psychometric analysis of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). To investigate the Russian version of the PSS-10 for adolescents, 3530 adolescents aged 13-17 years were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the data corresponded to the expected two-factor configuration. Psychometric properties and factor structure were evaluated. As expected, the PSS-10 included two factors: perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy. Internal consistency demonstrated acceptable values (Cronbach's alpha was 0.82 for perceived helplessness, 0.77 for perceived self-efficacy, and 0.80 for the overall PSS score). Measurement invariance across sexes was assessed, and configural and metric invariance were confirmed. The developed diagnostic tool can be used both in the school system to alleviate the negative consequences of academic stress in adolescents and, in the future, in other areas, particularly in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Marakshina
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Timofey Adamovich
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | | | - Victoria Ismatullina
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Marina Lobaskova
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Artem Malykh
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Pavel Kolyasnikov
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Anna Tabueva
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Ilya Zakharov
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Sergey Malykh
- Center of Population Research, Ural Institute of Humanities, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- Developmental Behavioral Genetics Lab, Federal Research Centre of Psychological and Interdisciplinary Studies, Moscow, Russia.
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10
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Li D, Liew J, Raymond D, Hammond T. Math anxiety and math motivation in online learning during stress: The role of fearful and avoidance temperament and implications for STEM education. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292844. [PMID: 38096219 PMCID: PMC10721105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Students' math motivation can predict engagement, achievement, and career interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, it is not well understood how personality traits and math anxiety may be linked to different types or qualities of math motivation, particularly during high-stress times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined how fearful or avoidant temperaments contribute to math anxiety and math motivations for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-six undergraduate students from a large public university were assessed on temperamental fear, math anxiety, and math motivation in an online math course. Results showed that higher levels of temperamental fear are directly linked to higher levels of math anxiety. In addition, temperamental fear is indirectly linked to higher levels of autonomous motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation and identified regulation) and lower levels of controlled motivation (i.e., external regulation) through math anxiety. Results have implications for helping students at high risk for both high math anxiety and for low motivation to engage in math learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Li
- Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Liew
- Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dwayne Raymond
- Department of Philosophy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tracy Hammond
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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11
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Piccirilli M, Lanfaloni GA, Buratta L, Ciotti B, Lepri A, Azzarelli C, Ilicini S, D’Alessandro P, Elisei S. Assessment of math anxiety as a potential tool to identify students at risk of poor acquisition of new math skills: longitudinal study of grade 9 Italian students. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1185677. [PMID: 37519365 PMCID: PMC10376798 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1185677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Numerous international educational institutions have sounded the alarm about the gradual increase in the number of students failing to achieve a sufficient level of proficiency in mathematical abilities. Thus, the growing interest in identifying possible solutions and factors interfering with learning seems justified. In recent years, special attention has accrued to the possible role played by emotional factors. Methods In the present investigation, students in the first grade of a technical vocational secondary school are followed to assess the influence of math anxiety (MA) on the development of skill acquisition in calculus. A math skills assessment test is administered on two occasions, at the beginning and end of the school year. Results Results highlighted that the score on the anxiety scale, administered at the beginning of the year, negatively correlated with the score obtained on the mathematics test, administered at the end of the school year: the higher the level of anxiety, the worse the performance. Furthermore, the score obtained in the second administration makes it possible to divide the students tested into two groups: students who improved their performance and students who did not benefit at all from repeating the test. In these two groups, an analysis of the relationships between the outcome of the end-of-year mathematics test and the level of MA at the beginning of the year showed that MA correlates negatively with performance only in students who will fail to acquire new expertise in mathematics over the course of the school year. Discussion The results suggest that MA may interfere with the smooth development of math skills. Assessing the level of MA at the beginning of the school year could prove to be a useful tool in identifying which and how many students are at risk of failing to achieve the skills expected from the usual course of instruction. A consideration of anxiety as one of the variables at play in the genesis of learning difficulties may prompt educators to modify teaching methodology and strategies by increasing focus on the impact of the emotional dimension on learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Livia Buratta
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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12
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Freeman DM, Shifrer D. Arts for Whose Sake? Arts Course-taking and Math Achievement in US High Schools. SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES : SP : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PACIFIC SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 2023; 66:226-245. [PMID: 37255527 PMCID: PMC10229110 DOI: 10.1177/07311214221124537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Math achievement in U.S. high schools is a consistent predictor of educational attainment. While emphasis on raising math achievement continues, school-level interventions often come at the expense of other subjects. Arts courses are particularly at risk of being cut, especially in schools serving lower socioeconomic status youth. Evidence suggests, however, that arts coursework is beneficial to many educational outcomes. We use data on 20,590 adolescents from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to answer two research questions: (1) Does student accumulation of fine arts courses across different topic areas relate positively to math test scores in high school? (2) Does school SES differentiate this potential association? Results indicate that youth attending higher-SES schools take more art courses and taking music courses is related to higher math test scores. However, this benefit only seems to only apply to more socially advantaged student bodies. Results reveal a site of additional educational advantage for already privileged youth.
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13
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Kim J, Shin YJ, Park D. Peer network in math anxiety: A longitudinal social network approach. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 232:105672. [PMID: 37003154 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Regardless of age, math anxiety (i.e., adverse affective reactions in situations involving math) is associated with lower math achievement. Previous studies have investigated the role of adult figures (e.g., parents, teachers) in the development of children's math anxiety. However, given the importance of peer relationships during adolescence, we examined friendship selection and social influence on children's math anxiety using longitudinal peer network analyses. Throughout the academic semester, we found that children became more similar to their peers in math anxiety levels but did not form new peer networks based on their levels of math anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of peers' emotional reactions to math, which could influence future academic achievement and career aspirations considerably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingu Kim
- Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Busan National University of Education, Yeonje-gu, Busan 47503, South Korea
| | - Yun-Jeong Shin
- Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Daeun Park
- Sungkyunkwan University, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03063, South Korea.
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14
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Mammarella IC, Caviola S, Rossi S, Patron E, Palomba D. Multidimensional components of (state) mathematics anxiety: Behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and psychophysiological consequences. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1523:91-103. [PMID: 36964993 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to analyze the different components of state mathematics anxiety that students experienced while solving calculation problems by manipulating their stress levels. A computerized mathematical task was administered to 165 fifth-graders randomly assigned to three different groups: positive, negative, and control conditions, in which positive, negative, or no feedback during the task was given, respectively. Behavioral (task performance), emotional (negative feelings), cognitive (worrisome thoughts and perceived competence), and psychophysiological responses (skin conductance and vagal withdrawal) were analyzed. Behavioral responses did not differ in the positive and negative conditions, while the latter was associated with children's reportedly negative emotional states, worries, and perceived lack of competence. The stress induced in the negative condition led to an increase in skin conductance and cardiac vagal withdrawal in children. Our data suggest the importance of considering students' interpretation of mathematics-related experiences, which might affect their emotional, cognitive, and psychophysiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Caviola
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Serena Rossi
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Elisabetta Patron
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Daniela Palomba
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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15
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Daker RJ, Gattas SU, Necka EA, Green AE, Lyons IM. Does anxiety explain why math-anxious people underperform in math? NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2023; 8:6. [PMID: 36944641 PMCID: PMC10030629 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00156-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Math-anxious people consistently underperform in math. The most widely accepted explanation for why this underperformance occurs is that math-anxious people experience heightened anxiety when faced with math, and this in-the-moment anxiety interferes with performance. Surprisingly, this explanation has not been tested directly. Here, using both self-report and physiological indices of anxiety, we directly test how much in-the-moment anxiety explains math-anxious underperformance. Results indicate that in-the-moment anxiety indeed explains why math-anxious people underperform-but only partially, suggesting a need to seriously consider alternative mechanisms. Results also showed that while some highly math-anxious individuals-those with high levels of heart rate variability-experienced less in-the-moment anxiety, they nevertheless performed no better at math. For these individuals, math-anxious underperformance must occur for reasons unrelated to in-the-moment anxiety. More broadly, our findings point to substantial individual heterogeneity in the mechanisms underlying math-anxious underperformance. Accounting for this mechanistic heterogeneity may prove vital for optimally boosting math performance in math-anxious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Daker
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA.
| | - Sylvia U Gattas
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Necka
- National Institutes on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adam E Green
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Ian M Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA
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16
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Abstract
Math anxiety results in a drop in performance on various math-related tasks, including the symbolic number ordering task in which participants decide whether a triplet of digits is presented in order (e.g. 3-5-7) or not (e.g. 3-7-5). We investigated whether the strategy repertoire and reaction times during a symbolic ordering task were affected by math anxiety. In study 1, participants performed an untimed symbolic number ordering task and indicated the strategy they used on a trial-by-trial basis. The use of the memory retrieval strategy, based on the immediate recognition of the triplet, decreased with high math anxiety, but disappeared when controlling for general anxiety. In the study 2, participants completed a timed version of the number order task. High math-anxious participants used the decomposition strategy (e.g. 5 is larger than 3 and 7 is larger than 5 to decide whether 3-5-7 is in the correct order) more often, and were slower in responding when both memory- and other decomposition strategies were used. Altogether, both studies demonstrate that high-math anxious participants are not only slower to decide whether a number triplet is in the correct order, but also rely more on procedural strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Dubinkina
- Brain and Cogntion, KU Leuven, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Francesco Sella
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Stefanie Vanbecelaere
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Kortrijk, Belgium.,IMEC Research Group ITEC, KU Leuven, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Bert Reynvoet
- Brain and Cogntion, KU Leuven, Belgium.,Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Kortrijk, Belgium
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17
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Živković M, Pellizzoni S, Doz E, Cuder A, Mammarella I, Passolunghi MC. Math self-efficacy or anxiety? The role of emotional and motivational contribution in math performance. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-023-09760-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractVarious studies have highlighted the important influence of math ability in a numerate society. In this study, we investigated the influence of emotional (math anxiety and math enjoyment) and cognitive-motivational (math self-efficacy) factors on math performance. Participants were 145 fifth-grade students (84 boys and 61 girls). The results showed that math performance was negatively correlated with math anxiety and positively correlated with math enjoyment and math self-efficacy. Moreover, math anxiety was negatively associated with enjoyment in math and math self-efficacy, whereas math enjoyment was positively correlated with math self-efficacy. Hierarchical regression analysis showed a significant influence of math anxiety and math self-efficacy on math performance in fifth-grade students. Results are discussed in terms of a new perspective in emotional and motivational factors to train in school contexts.
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18
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Hildebrand L, Posid T, Moss-Racusin CA, Hymes L, Cordes S. Does my daughter like math? Relations between parent and child math attitudes and beliefs. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13243. [PMID: 35148026 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
As early as age six, girls report higher math anxiety than boys, and children of both genders begin to endorse the stereotype that males are better at math than females. However, very few studies have examined the emergence of math attitudes in childhood, or the role parents may play in their transmission. The present study is the first to investigate the concordance of multiple implicit and explicit math attitudes and beliefs between 6- and 10-year-old children and their parents. Data from implicit association tasks (IATs) reveal that both parents and their children have implicit associations between math and difficulty, but only parents significantly associated math with males. Notably, males (fathers and sons) were more likely than females (mothers and daughters) to identify as someone who likes math (instead of reading), suggesting gender differences in academic preferences emerge early and remain consistent throughout adulthood. Critically, we provide the first evidence that both mothers' and fathers' attitudes about math relate to a range of math attitudes and beliefs held by their children, particularly their daughters. Results suggest that girls may be especially sensitive to parental math attitudes and beliefs. Together, data indicate that children entering formal school already show some negative math attitudes and beliefs and that parents' math attitudes may have a disproportionate impact on young girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Hildebrand
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tasha Posid
- Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Laura Hymes
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Cordes
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
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19
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Zuo H, Wang L. The influences of mindfulness on high-stakes mathematics test achievement of middle school students. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1061027. [PMID: 37089732 PMCID: PMC10117798 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1061027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Research has shown that mindfulness can reduce students' negative emotions associated with high-stakes tests and thereby improve test performance. This study explored the association between mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) and high-risk math test scores of middle school students, which is noticeably slim in the domain of mathematics education, through a mediating process involving math-specific test anxiety and math self-efficacy. Using data from a sample of 45 students, age 12-13, we found empirical support for a significant positive correlation between mindfulness and middle school students' math achievement. Participants listened to a mindfulness audio every other week before a mathematics test. Weekly mathematics test scores, student group discussion data, and in-depth interview data were analyzed to explore how mindfulness affected students' mathematics test performance, which showed a statistically significant improvement after mindfulness compared to mathematics achievement without the intervention. Our results indicate that mindfulness can relieve mathematics anxiety symptoms, including physiological manifestations, test-unrelated thinking and worries, and problem-solving obstacles caused by mathematics anxiety. Also, mindfulness, especially its non-judgmental attitude, positively affects students' mathematical self-efficacy. The current research provides evidence of the mindfulness intervention's efficacy for improving middle school mathematics test performance but also identifies the complexities of implementing it with large numbers of students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haode Zuo
- College of Mathematical Science, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lidong Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment of Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Lidong Wang
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20
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Guzmán B, Rodríguez C, Ferreira RA. Moderated-moderation effect of parents’ math anxiety and home numeracy activities on young children’s math performance-anxiety relationship. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2022.102140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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21
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The mediating role of test anxiety in the evolution of motivation and achievement of students transitioning from elementary to high school. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2022.102116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Cheng D, Ren B, Yu X, Wang H, Chen Q, Zhou X. Math anxiety as an independent psychological construct among social-emotional attitudes: An exploratory factor analysis. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1517:191-202. [PMID: 36123799 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Math anxiety is a widespread problem for children and adolescents worldwide. However, the psychological trait of math anxiety is poorly understood. The present study aimed to examine the psychological construct of math anxiety among social-emotional attitudes. A total of 28,726 students, including 17,378 fourth graders and 11,348 eighth graders, were selected from the Qingdao Basic Education Quality Assessment database using multi-stage cluster random sampling. There were 10 questionnaires assessing social-emotional attitudes in the database. Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to examine the intercorrelations between social-emotional attitudes and mathematical performance. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the psychological structure of these 10 social-emotional attitudes. After controlling for other social-emotional attitudes, math anxiety had a weak but significant correlation to mathematical performance in most subtests across grades. Among three-factor, four-factor, and five-factor EFA models, math anxiety was an independent factor that was separate from other social-emotional attitudes across six parallel subtests in grades four and eight. Math anxiety is a stable and independent psychological construct that is separate from other social-emotional attitudes. It suggests that math anxiety should be considered as a distinct anxiety disorder specific to mathematical learning in subsequent versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhi Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Lab for Educational Neuroscience, Center for Educational Science and Technology, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatric Neurology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Bingqian Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- Department of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Department of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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23
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Weissgerber SC, Grünberg C, Neufeld L, Steppat T, Reinhard MA. The interplay of math anxiety and math competence for later performance. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-022-09700-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMath anxiety’s negative effects on performance are well-documented. The interplay of math anxiety and mathematical competence regarding later performance is underexplored. We investigated whether math anxiety’s detrimental effects on learning depend on previous mathematical competence. Hypothesizing a moderation effect, we expected that trait math anxiety should affect pupils of higher competence to a greater extent than pupils with lesser competence. Based on 8th graders in secondary school, we found the expected interaction of math anxiety and math competence (represented by previous math grade) predicting performance three months later. The interaction of math anxiety and math competence on later performance remained despite controlling for math self-concept and gender (and previous topic-specific performance). The moderation showed differential slopes for the effects of math competence on later performance depending on trait math anxiety: At lower competence levels, math anxiety played a lesser role than for higher competence levels. Later performance was lowest for more competent pupils with higher math anxiety relative to their peers with similar competence levels but lower math anxiety. Although the data imply directionality, our design cannot imply causality. Nevertheless, one interpretation of the results is in line with the notion of greater performance losses over time for more competent pupils with higher levels of math anxiety: the learning progress may be aggravated for those, who have the prerequisite in ability to advance their performance. The optimal development of math capabilities may be compromised by math anxiety; good math abilities and low math anxiety may both be prerequisites for long-term learning success.
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24
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Mathematics Anxiety and Self-Efficacy of Mexican Engineering Students: Is There Gender Gap? EDUCATION SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci12060391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Studies have reported that there is a gender disparity wherein women do not study equally to men in bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas, although they lead the race of having a better terminal efficiency rate in higher education. This research explores engineering students’ math anxiety and math self-efficacy levels, aiming to determine if there is a gender gap for this specific population. Data were collected from 498 students using adapted items from existing surveys. These items were translated to Spanish, and validity tests were used to establish content validity and reliability. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine possible differences between male and female math anxiety and math self-efficacy levels. Male engineering students reported higher self-efficacy and lower math anxiety levels, and this difference was shown to be significant according to the MANOVA results. Findings of this research could help engineering educators to better understand how their students feel when they are practicing and performing math-related activities and what type of strategies could be designed when aiming to ameliorate female students’ math anxiety feelings.
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25
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Xu J. High level cognitive strategies scale for middle school students: A psychometric evaluation. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Ng C, Chen Y, Wu C, Chang T. Evaluation of math anxiety and its remediation through a digital training program in mathematics for first and second graders. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2557. [PMID: 35349762 PMCID: PMC9120910 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Math anxiety severely impacts individuals' learning and future success. However, limited is understood about the profile in East Asian cultures where students genuinely show high-level math anxiety, despite that they outperform their Western counterparts. Here, we investigate the relation between math anxiety and math achievement in children as young as first and second graders in Taiwan. Further, we evaluate whether intensive exposure to digital game-based learning in mathematics could ameliorate math anxiety. METHODS The study first evaluated a group of 159 first and second graders' math anxiety and its correlation with math performance. Subsequently, a quasi-experimental design was adopted: 77 of the children continued and participated in multi-component digital game training targeting enumeration, speeded calculation, and working memory. Post-assessment was administered afterward for further evaluation of training-associated effects. RESULTS Results confirmed that math anxiety was negatively associated with school math achievement, which assessed numerical knowledge and arithmetic calculation. Furthermore, children's math anxiety was remarkably reduced via digital training in mathematics after 6-week intensive remediation. Crucially, this math anxiety relief was more prominent in those with high-level math anxiety. Although the children who underwent the training showed training-induced math achievement and working memory enhancement, this cognitive improvement appeared to be independent of the math anxiety relief. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that students can show highly negative emotions and perceptions toward learning even in high-achieving countries. Auspiciously, the feeling of distress toward learning has the feasibility to be relieved from short-term intensive training. Our study suggests a new approach of early treatments to emotional disturbance that can lead to permanent consequences in individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan‐Tat Ng
- Department of PsychologyNational Chengchi UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan, ROC
| | - Yin‐Hua Chen
- Research Center for Mind, Brain, and LearningNational Chengchi UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan, ROC
- Graduate Institute of Athletics and Coaching ScienceNational Taiwan Sport UniversityTaoyuan CityTaiwan, ROC
| | - Chao‐Jung Wu
- Department of Education Psychology and CounselingNational Taiwan Normal UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan, ROC
| | - Ting‐Ting Chang
- Department of PsychologyNational Chengchi UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan, ROC
- Research Center for Mind, Brain, and LearningNational Chengchi UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan, ROC
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27
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Mishra A, Walker K, Oshiro B, Langdon C, Coppola M. Mathematics anxiety in deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing college students. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1513:89-107. [PMID: 35365866 PMCID: PMC9541499 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
While mathematics anxiety (MA) has been widely researched in recent decades, this study addresses significant gaps: namely, research that explores the relationship between MA and self‐reported mathematics experiences; samples adults with a range of MA levels; and controls for general anxiety. Additionally, the study sampled deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students, whose diverse life and educational experiences often differ from hearing students’. We investigated whether DHH students’ experiences with mathematics (i.e., parental behaviors, school environment, and mathematics feelings) and demographic variables (i.e., hearing status, age, and gender) predict their MA, and whether these relationships differ from those in hearing students. Self‐report questionnaires were completed by 296 DHH and hearing college students. Linear regression analyses controlling for general anxiety led to the following inference: DHH students who reported more positive attitudes toward mathematics and school environments demonstrated higher MA. Also, the relationships between mathematics feelings, parental behaviors, and MA differed between DHH and hearing students. Logistic regression analyses showed no contribution of MA to students’ likelihood of pursuing STEM degrees in either DHH or between DHH and hearing groups. Overall, this work breaks new ground in the study of MA in DHH students and challenges standard views of the relationships between MA and individual experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akriti Mishra
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Kristin Walker
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.,Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Briana Oshiro
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Clifton Langdon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Marie Coppola
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.,Department of Linguistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
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28
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Zhou D, Liu J, Wang T, Liu J, Li G. Relationships among problematic smartphone use, mathematics anxiety, learning interest, and achievement: A multiple mediation model. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.107171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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29
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Dowker A, Sheridan H. Relationships Between Mathematics Performance and Attitude to Mathematics: Influences of Gender, Test Anxiety, and Working Memory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:814992. [PMID: 35330725 PMCID: PMC8940274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.814992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have indicated that mathematics anxiety, and other negative attitudes and emotions toward mathematics, are pervasive and are associated with lower mathematical performance. Some previous research has suggested that working memory is related to both mathematics anxiety and mathematics. Moreover, both gender and chosen course of study (sciences vs. humanities) appeared likely to influence students’ attitudes to mathematics. In the present study, 40 university undergraduates completed a battery of assessments investigating working memory, attitude to mathematics, test anxiety. and mental and written arithmetic. Attitudes to mathematics were significantly associated with the other variables: working memory, test anxiety, and both measures of mathematical performance. The other variables were not strongly associated with one another. There were no gender differences in mathematical performance, but females exhibited more negative attitudes to mathematics and higher test anxiety than males. After controlling for test anxiety, there ceased to be significant gender differences in attitudes to mathematics. Science students had more positive attitudes to mathematics than humanities students, but the groups did not differ in test anxiety, Science students were better at written but not mental arithmetic. They were also better at working memory, but this was not a significant covariate when the groups were compared on mathematical performance and attitudes to mathematics The results are discussed, with particular focus on implications for future research on influences on mathematics anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Dowker
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Sheridan
- Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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30
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Mathematics and Numerosity but Not Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Correlate with Mathematical Anxiety in Adults. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040422. [PMID: 35447954 PMCID: PMC9029128 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Many individuals, when faced with mathematical tasks or situations requiring arithmetic skills, experience exaggerated levels of anxiety. Mathematical anxiety (MA), in addition to causing discomfort, can lead to avoidance behaviors and then to underachievement. However, the factors inducing MA and how MA deploys its detrimental effects are still largely debated. There is evidence suggesting that MA affects working memory capacity by further diminishing its limited processing resources. An alternative account postulates that MA originates from a coarse early numerical cognition capacity, the perception of numerosity. In the current study, we measured MA, math abilities, numerosity perception and visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) in a sample of neurotypical adults. Correlational analyses confirmed previous studies showing that high MA was associated with lower math scores and worse numerosity estimation precision. Conversely, MA turned out to be unrelated to VSWM capacities. Finally, partial correlations revealed that MA fully accounted for the relationship between numerosity estimation precision and math abilities, suggesting a key role for MA as a mediating factor between these two domains.
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31
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Alves IS, Wronski MR, Hubbard EM. Math anxiety differentially impairs symbolic, but not nonsymbolic, fraction skills across development. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1509:113-129. [PMID: 34780097 PMCID: PMC8920768 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although important for the acquisition of later math skills, fractions are notoriously difficult. Previous studies have shown that higher math anxiety (MA) is associated with lower performance in symbolic fraction tasks in adults and have suggested that MA may negatively impact the acquisition of fractions in children. However, the effects of MA on fraction skills in school-aged children remain underexplored. We, therefore, investigated the impact of MA on the performance of younger (second and third graders) and older (fifth and sixth graders) children in math fluency (MF), written calculation, fraction knowledge (FK), and symbolic fraction and nonsymbolic ratio processing. On the basis of our prior work suggesting a perceptual foundation for fraction processing, we predicted that symbolic, but not nonsymbolic, math skills (especially fractions) would be impaired by MA. As predicted, higher MA was associated with lower performance in general mathematics achievement and symbolic fraction tasks, but nonsymbolic ratio processing was not affected by MA in either age group. Furthermore, working memory capacity partially mediated the effects of MA on general mathematics achievement, FK, and symbolic fraction processing. These results suggest that understanding the bidirectional interactions between MA and fractions may be important for helping children acquire these critical skills.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew R. Wronski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center
| | - Edward M. Hubbard
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin Madison,Waisman Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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32
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Korem N, Cohen LD, Rubinsten O. The link between math anxiety and performance does not depend on working memory: A network analysis study. Conscious Cogn 2022; 100:103298. [PMID: 35217396 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Math anxiety (MA) and working memory (WM) influence math performance. Yet the interplay between them is not fully understood. Inconsistent results possibly stem from the multicomponent structure of math performance and WM. Using network analysis approach, we investigated the drivers of the MA, WM and math performance edges, and the contribution of each node to the network. First, 116 women completed a battery of tests and questionnaires. Second, we explored the generalizability of our model by applying it to a new data-set (Skagerlund et al., 2019; conceptual replication). The results revealed: (1) the links between MA and WM depend on specific task properties, specifically, WM tasks that require manipulation of numbers; (2) WM and MA are independently linked to math performance; and (3) each WM task is associated with different math abilities. The study provides a strong and reliable model showing the direct effects of math anxiety on math performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachshon Korem
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Israel.
| | - Lital Daches Cohen
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Israel; Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Orly Rubinsten
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Israel; Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Israel
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33
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Plante I, Lecours V, Lapointe R, Chaffee KE, Fréchette-Simard C. Relations between prior school performance and later test anxiety during the transition to secondary school. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 92:1068-1085. [PMID: 35170029 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When exposed to evaluative situations, up to 40% of students develop test anxiety, reflected, namely, by extensive worry, intrusive thoughts, and physiological arousal. Though the negative influence of test anxiety on later school performance is well documented, the role of students' initial achievement in the development of later test anxiety is less clear. AIMS AND SAMPLE To better capture the nature of the relations between prior mathematics and language arts achievement and later test anxiety across genders, this study examined linear and curvilinear relationships among 1,569 French-speaking Canadian students followed across the transition to secondary school, a critical period for test anxiety. METHODS Students completed a questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the first year of secondary school, and schools provided us with students grades at the end of 6th grade and the fall of 7th grade. RESULTS Multilevel regression analyses showed that only mathematics achievement at the end of elementary school predicted test anxiety at the beginning of secondary school. In secondary school, beginning-of-year achievement in both mathematics and language arts predicted test anxiety at the end of this same year, but different patterns were observed for boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS Because nonlinear relations were observed at each timepoint, low achievers may not be the only group of students who are at greater risk of developing high levels of test anxiety. Therefore, interventions targeting students with different achievement profiles might help to reduce test anxiety and facilitate the transition to secondary school.
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Finell J, Sammallahti E, Korhonen J, Eklöf H, Jonsson B. Working Memory and Its Mediating Role on the Relationship of Math Anxiety and Math Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 12:798090. [PMID: 35126249 PMCID: PMC8811497 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.798090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that math anxiety has a negative relationship with math performance (MP). A few theories have provided explanations for this relationship. One of them, the Attentional Control Theory (ACT), suggests that anxiety can negatively impact the attentional control system and increase one's attention to threat-related stimuli. Within the ACT framework, the math anxiety (MA)-working memory (WM) relationship is argued to be critical for math performance. The present meta-analyses provides insights into the mechanisms of the MA-MP relation and the mediating role of WM. Through database searches with pre-determined search strings, 1,346 unique articles were identified. After excluding non-relevant studies, data from 57 studies and 150 effect sizes were used for investigating the MA-MP correlation using a random-effects model. This resulted in a mean correlation of r = -0.168. The database search of WM as a mediator for the MA-MP relation revealed 15 effects sizes leading to a descriptive rather than a generalizable statistic, with a mean indirect effect size of -0.092. Overall, the results confirm the ACT theory, WM does play a significant role in the MA-MP relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatan Finell
- Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ellen Sammallahti
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Johan Korhonen
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Hanna Eklöf
- Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bert Jonsson
- Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Quintero M, Hasty L, Li T, Song S, Wang Z. A multidimensional examination of math anxiety and engagement on math achievement. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 92:955-973. [PMID: 34957545 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Math anxiety (MA) and math achievement are generally negatively associated. AIMS This study investigated whether and how classroom engagement behaviors mediate the negative association between MA and math achievement. SAMPLE Data were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study that examines the roles of affective factors in math learning. Participants consisted of 207 students from 4th through 6th grade (50% female). METHODS Math anxiety was measured by self-report using the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Children (Chiu & Henry, 1990, Measurement and valuation in Counseling and Development, 23, 121). Students self-reported their engagement in math classrooms using a modified version of the Math and Science Engagement Scale (Wang et al., 2016, Learning and Instruction, 43, 16). Math achievement was assessed using the Applied Problem, Calculations, and Number Matrices subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (Schrank et al., 2014, Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement. Riverside). Mediation analyses were conducted to examine the mediating role of classroom engagement in the association between MA and math achievement. RESULTS Students with higher MA demonstrated less cognitive-behavioral and emotional engagement compared to students with lower MA. Achievement differences among students with various levels of MA were partly accounted for by their cognitive-behavioral engagement in the math classroom. CONCLUSIONS Overall, students with high MA exhibit avoidance patterns in everyday learning, which may act as a potential mechanism for explaining why high MA students underperform their low MA peers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tianyu Li
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | | | - Zhe Wang
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Math Anxiety Is Related to Math Difficulties and Composed of Emotion Regulation and Anxiety Predisposition: A Network Analysis Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121609. [PMID: 34942911 PMCID: PMC8699086 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Current evidence suggests emotion regulation is an important factor in both math anxiety and math performance, but the interplay between these constructs is unexamined. Given the multicomponent structure of math anxiety, emotion regulation, and math performance, here, we aimed to provide a comprehensive model of the underlying nature of the links between these latent variables. Using the innovative network analysis approach, the study visualized the underlying links between directly observable and measurable variables that might be masked by traditional statistical approaches. One hundred and seventeen adults completed a battery of tests and questionnaires on math anxiety, emotion regulation, and math performance. The results revealed: (1) state math anxiety (the emotional experience in math-related situations), rather than trait math anxiety, was linked to anxiety predisposition, subjective valence of math information, and difficulties in emotion regulation; (2) the link between state math anxiety and math performance partialed out the link between trait math anxiety and performance. The study innovatively demonstrates the need to differentiate between traits and tendencies to the actual emotional experience and emotion regulation used in math anxiety. The results have important implications for the theoretical understanding of math anxiety and future discussions and work in the field.
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Nicolson RI, Fawcett AJ. Mathematics Disability vs. Learning Disability: A 360 Degree Analysis. Front Psychol 2021; 12:725694. [PMID: 34630237 PMCID: PMC8498324 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental issue for research in mathematics disability (MD) and reading disability (RD) is: If these disabilities are clearly distinct, why is there so high a level of comorbidity, together with the converse; if these disabilities are so similar, why are there clear differences in underlying causes and aetiology? In order to address this puzzle, we introduce the “360 degree analysis” (360DA) framework and apply it to the overlap between RD and MD. The 360DA process starts by analyzing the issue from four perspectives: theoretical, developmental, affective, and pedagogical. Under 360DA, these analyses are then integrated to provide insights for theory, and for individual assessment and support, together with directions for future progress. The analyses confirm extensive similarities between arithmetic and reading development in terms of rote learning, executive function (EF), and affective trauma, but also major differences in terms of the conceptual needs, the motor coordination needs, and the methods of scaffolding. In terms of theory, commonalities are interpreted naturally in terms of initial general developmental delay followed by domain-independent affective trauma following school failure. Dissociations are interpreted in terms of cerebellar vs. hippocampal learning networks, sequential vs. spatial processing, and language vs. spatial scaffolding, with a further dimension of the need for accurate fixation for reading. The framework has significant theoretical and applied implications.
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Controlling-Supportive Homework Help Partially Explains the Relation between Parents’ Math Anxiety and Children’s Math Achievement. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci11100620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that math homework help of higher-math-anxious parents impedes children’s math learning and facilitates the development of math anxiety. In the present study, we explored a possible explanation for this phenomenon by examining the relations between parents’ math anxiety, their math homework-helping styles (i.e., autonomy- and controlling-supportive), and their child’s math achievement. Parents of children ages 11 to 14 completed an online survey. Using path analysis, we examined the relations among parental factors (i.e., math anxiety, math ability, and homework-helping styles) and child math achievement. Parents’ math anxiety was positively related to both autonomy-supportive and controlling-supportive math homework-helping styles. Notably, controlling-supportive style partially mediated the relation between parents’ math anxiety and their children’s math achievement. Thus, it is possible that the use of a controlling-supportive math homework-helping style may explain why the homework help offered by higher-math-anxious parents is detrimental to their children’s math learning. Identifying negative relations between parent factors and children’s math outcomes is crucial for developing evidence-based math learning interventions.
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Numbers (but not words) make math anxious individuals sweat: Physiological evidence. Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108187. [PMID: 34492332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The study aimed to determine the specificity of math anxiety by measuring physiological arousal to the presentation of numerical and non-numerical stimuli. It also investigated whether math and trait anxieties share similar behavioral and physiological manifestations. Fifty-two female university students performed an experimental task including simple or complex arithmetical equations and math-related or neutral words. Participants' electrodermal activity (skin conductance response) was monitored during the task. Math and trait anxieties were measured using common explicit questionnaires. Results showed math anxiety levels were significantly related to physiological arousal during the performance of complex numerical tasks. Importantly, math anxiety significantly mediated the links between trait anxiety and physiological arousal in complex numerical tasks. The findings support previous work finding relations between math and trait anxieties, but also show math anxiety is a unique phenomenon with specific behavioral and physiological manifestations, especially during the processing of complex numerical information.
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Spitzer MWH, Musslick S. Academic performance of K-12 students in an online-learning environment for mathematics increased during the shutdown of schools in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255629. [PMID: 34343221 PMCID: PMC8330947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The shutdown of schools in response to the rapid spread of COVID-19 poses risks to the education of young children, including a widening education gap. In the present article, we investigate how school closures in 2020 influenced the performance of German students in a curriculum-based online learning software for mathematics. We analyzed data from more than 2,500 K-12 students who computed over 124,000 mathematical problem sets before and during the shutdown, and found that students' performance increased during the shutdown of schools in 2020 relative to the year before. Our analyses also revealed that low-achieving students showed greater improvements in performance than high-achieving students, suggesting a narrowing gap in performance between low- and high-achieving students. We conclude that online learning environments may be effective in preventing educational losses associated with current and future shutdowns of schools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Musslick
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
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41
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Di Lonardo Burr SM, LeFevre JA. The subject matters: relations among types of anxiety, ADHD symptoms, math performance, and literacy performance. Cogn Emot 2021; 35:1334-1349. [PMID: 34253140 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2021.1955243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we extended a model of the relations among ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and academic performance. Undergraduates (N = 515) completed self-report measures of anxiety (i.e. trait, test, math, and literacy) and ADHD symptoms. During the study, they completed math and literacy measures and reported their current (i.e. state) anxiety three times. There were significant correlations among ADHD symptoms and all measures of anxiety. However, neither ADHD symptoms nor trait anxiety were correlated with math or literacy performance. Test-anxious students reported increasing state anxiety as the study progressed. In contrast, math-anxious students reported increased state anxiety following the math tasks but not the literacy tasks and literacy-anxious students reported increased state anxiety following the literacy tasks but not the math tasks. With respect to performance, math-anxious students had worse math performance and literacy-anxious students had worse literacy performance whereas test anxiety was not directly related to performance on either math or literacy tasks. Patterns of relations did not differ for men and women, but, except for literacy anxiety, women reported higher levels of all types of anxiety. These results could help educators understand how affective responses are related to university students' academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jo-Anne LeFevre
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
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42
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Song CS, Xu C, Maloney EA, Skwarchuk SL, Di Lonardo Burr S, Lafay A, Wylie J, Osana HP, Douglas H, LeFevre JA. Longitudinal relations between young students’ feelings about mathematics and arithmetic performance. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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43
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Li H, Zhang A, Zhang M, Huang B, Zhao X, Gao J, Si J. Concurrent and longitudinal associations between parental educational involvement, teacher support, and math anxiety: The role of math learning involvement in elementary school children. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.101984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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44
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Scofield JE, Hoard MK, Nugent L, LaMendola JV, Geary DC. Mathematics Clusters Reveal Strengths and Weaknesses in Adolescents' Mathematical Competencies, Spatial Abilities, and Mathematics Attitudes. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:695-720. [PMID: 34899073 PMCID: PMC8659379 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1939351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Pre-algebra mathematical competencies were assessed for a large and diverse sample of sixth graders (n = 1,926), including whole number and fractions arithmetic, conceptual understanding of equality and fractions magnitudes, and the fractions number line. The goal was to determine if there were clusters of students with similar patterns of pre-algebra strengths and weaknesses and if variation between clusters was related to mathematics attitudes, anxiety, or for a subsample (n = 342) some combination of intelligence, working memory, or spatial abilities. Critically, strengths and weaknesses were not uniform across the three identified clusters. Lower-performing students had pronounced deficits in their understanding of mathematical equality, fractions magnitudes, and the fractions number line. Higher-performing students had particular advantages in whole number and fractions arithmetic, and the fractions number line. Students could be reliably placed into clusters based on their mathematics self-efficacy and a combination of intelligence and spatial abilities. The results contribute to our understanding of key aspects of students' mathematical development, highlight areas in need of intervention for at-risk students, and identify cognitive areas in which scaffolds might be incorporated into these interventions.
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45
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Berkowitz T, Gibson DJ, Levine SC. Parent math anxiety predicts early number talk. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:523-536. [PMID: 34335106 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1926252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Differences in children's math knowledge emerge as early as the start of kindergarten, and persist throughout schooling. Previous research implicates the importance of early parent number talk in the development of math competency. Yet we understand little about the factors that relate to variation in early parent number talk. The current study examined the relation of parent math anxiety and family socioeconomic status (SES) to parent number talk with children under the age of three (n = 36 dyads). For the first time, we show preliminary evidence that parent math anxiety (MA) predicts the amount of number talk children hear at home, beyond differences accounted for by SES. We also found a significant SES by parent MA interaction such that parent MA was predictive of higher-SES parents' number talk but not that of lower-SES parents. Furthermore, we found that these relations were specific to parents' cardinal number talk (but not counting), which has been shown to be particularly important in children's math development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Berkowitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dominic J Gibson
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan C Levine
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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46
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Hawes Z, Merkley R, Stager CL, Ansari D. Integrating numerical cognition research and mathematics education to strengthen the teaching and learning of early number. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 91:1073-1109. [PMID: 33970500 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research into numerical cognition has contributed to a large body of knowledge on how children learn and perform mathematics. This knowledge has the potential to inform mathematics education. Unfortunately, numerical cognition research and mathematics education remain disconnected from one another, lacking the proper infrastructure to allow for productive and meaningful exchange between disciplines. The present study was designed to address this gap. AIM This study reports on the design, implementation, and effects of a 16-week (25-hour) mathematics Professional Development (PD) model for Kindergarten to Grade 3 educators and their students. A central goal of the PD was to better integrate numerical cognition research and mathematics education. SAMPLE A total of 45 K-3 educators and 180 of their students participated. METHODS To test the reproducibility and replicability of the model, the study was carried out across two different sites, over a two-year period, and involved a combination of two different study designs: a quasi-experimental pre-post-research design and a within-group crossover intervention design. RESULT The results of the first implementation (Year 1), indicated that compared to a control group, both teachers and students benefited from the intervention. Teachers demonstrated gains on both a self-report measure and a test of numerical cognition knowledge, while students demonstrated gains in number line estimation, arithmetic, and numeration. In Year 2, teachers in the intervention group demonstrated greater improvements than the control group on the self-report measure, but not the test of numerical cognition knowledge. At the student level, there was some evidence of gains in numeration. CONCLUSION The current PD model is a promising approach to better integrate research and practice. However, more research is needed to determine in which school contexts the model is most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Hawes
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Applied Psychology & Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca Merkley
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Daniel Ansari
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Ma M, Li D, Zhang L. Longitudinal prediction of children's math anxiety from parent-child relationships. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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48
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Zhou D, Liu J, Liu J. On the different effects of teacher–student rapport on urban and rural students' math learning in China: An empirical study. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Da Zhou
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Jinqing Liu
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University Beijing China
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Fernández-Méndez LM, Contreras MJ, Mammarella IC, Feraco T, Meneghetti C. Mathematical achievement: the role of spatial and motor skills in 6-8 year-old children. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10095. [PMID: 33083139 PMCID: PMC7546220 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have tried to establish the factors that underlie mathematical ability across development. Among them, spatial and motor abilities might play a relevant role, but no studies jointly contemplate both types of abilities to account for mathematical performance. The present study was designed to observe the roles of spatial and motor skills in mathematical performance. A total of 305 children aged between 6 and 8 years took part in this study. A generalized linear regression model with mathematical performance as a dependent variable was performed. Results revealed that Block design (as a visuospatial reasoning measure) accounted for mathematical performance, especially among 6- and 7-year-olds but not in 8-year-olds. After controlling for the effect of the block design, mental rotation and manual dexterity predicted mathematical performance. These findings highlight the role of underlying cognitive (spatial) and motor abilities in supporting mathematical achievement in primary school children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Fernández-Méndez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Basic Psychology I, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Contreras
- Department of Basic Psychology I, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Tommaso Feraco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Meneghetti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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50
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Hasty LM, Malanchini M, Shakeshaft N, Schofield K, Malanchini M, Wang Z. When anxiety becomes my propeller: Mental toughness moderates the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 91:368-390. [PMID: 32681595 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High academic anxiety is associated with poor academic performance. One proposed mechanism of this association is that academic anxiety promotes learning avoidance behaviours, which in turn hinders students' opportunities to learn and grow. However, this proposition has not been thoroughly examined, particularly in afterschool learning settings. The present study aimed to address this gap. AIMS First, we investigated whether individual differences in academic anxiety across three domains (mathematics, native language or L1, and second language learning or L2) predicted students' academic avoidance in the corresponding domain in high school. Second, given that individual differences in personality may result in employing different coping strategies to deal with academic anxiety, we examined how mental toughness (MT) moderated the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. SAMPLE Two waves of longitudinal data that were one semester apart were available for four hundred and forty-four high school students. METHODS Students self-reported their MT, academic anxiety, and academic avoidance (i.e., time spent on studying a subject afterschool) in mathematics, L1, and L2. RESULTS For students with higher MT, higher mathematics, L1, and L2 anxiety in the first semester predicted more time spent on learning the corresponding subject in the following semester, even after controlling for general anxiety, academic achievement, and initial academic avoidance. CONCLUSIONS These results challenge the proposition that all students with higher domain-specific anxiety are more likely to avoid learning altogether in that domain. Rather, among students from the general school population who generally exhibit low to moderate levels of academic anxiety, higher academic anxiety is associated with more time investment in afterschool learning in mentally tough students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie M Hasty
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | - Nicholas Shakeshaft
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, UK
| | - Kerry Schofield
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, UK
| | - Maddalena Malanchini
- U.O.C. Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Lecco, Italy
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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