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We develop a spreadsheet-based game to illustrate fundamental statistical concepts in the first class of an undergraduate Statistics course to motivate students about the topics that they will learn in upcoming classes. This game has been implemented by Google Forms and Google Sheets and can be played in both online and in-person classes of small and large sizes. Statistics is one of the most anxiety-inducing courses for undergraduate students, especially if mathematics is not the focus of their program. Negative anecdotes about the course, mathematics anxiety, and not knowing what the course is exactly about and how practical it can be are among the reasons that contribute to statistics anxiety. The first class provides a good opportunity for an instructor to mitigate these negative impressions and to set a positive attitude toward the course. A pre- and post-game group discussion that we have conducted systematically for six years suggests that the game addresses the students' negative impression about the course and helps them gain a clearer understanding of the tools and skills they will learn in Statistics. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-service teachers in Ontario, Canada are required to pass the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) to obtain teacher certification. The MPT has two separate sections that focus on content and general pedagogy. An online survey about the Math Proficiency Test was developed and distributed to pre-service teachers to investigate their perceptions of and preparation for the MPT. Results are reported in relation to four main survey factors: 1) support for the MPT, 2) math anxiety, 3) math teaching confidence, and 4) preparedness for the MPT. In general, pre-service teachers were not in favour of the Math Proficiency Test and reported high levels of anxiety about taking it, despite their low levels of math performance anxiety and high levels of math teaching confidence. Study implications are discussed in relation to the merits of pre-service teacher testing in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of math anxiety in Russian and Chinese schoolchildren across genders and ages. The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) was used as a measurement tool for assessing math anxiety. The factor structure of the AMAS and item invariance between Russian and Chinese schoolchildren were also examined. A total of 4,292 Russian (54% girls, M = 13.7, SD = 1.21) and 3,410 Chinese (48% girls, M = 12.7, SD = 1.21, Me = 13.0) schoolchildren participated in the study. The bi-factor model of the AMAS fits provided the best fit for the data in both countries. AMAS items demonstrated invariance between the two groups. Overall, Russian schoolchildren demonstrated higher math anxiety across all ages and math anxiety subscales, except at ages 14–15, where Chinese schoolchildren reported higher learning-related math anxiety. Among Chinese schoolchildren, both learning and evaluation math anxiety increased with age. Conversely, for Russian schoolchildren, math evaluation anxiety increased, while learning math anxiety decreased with age. Gender differences were observed in both countries, with the onset of gender-related differences appearing earlier in Chinese schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adult participants in this study range in age from 20 to 50 years. They describe their remembered experiences of learning mathematics in both primary and secondary education. None of the participants achieved the qualifications in mathematics which would allow them access to higher education. They are now studying mathematics after many years away because it is required to achieve their ambitions. Each participant has considerable mathematics anxiety, which, they reported, resulted in reactions towards mathematics ranging from avoidance to fear and distress. The research uses narrative methodologies to collect and analyse these data. Common emergent themes were unsupportive relationships with their teachers and memories of being excluded and humiliated. The data suggests their teachers did not see supporting students' well-being as part of their role, resulting in strong negative emotional reactions. The article concludes that where warm, respectful, relationships are built, barriers to learning mathematics can be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we examined gender differences in fraction learning and explored potential underlying mechanisms. Methods: The mediating effects of spatial ability and mathematical anxiety on gender differences in fraction learning were tested in elementary school students. A total of 165 sixth-grade students (83 girls) from public elementary schools participated in the study. All participants completed a series of tasks, including a mathematical anxiety test, two spatial ability tasks (spatial working memory and mental rotation tests), and a fraction knowledge test (incorporating fraction arithmetic, fraction number line, and fraction concept knowledge). Results: Significant gender differences exist in student performance in terms of fractional arithmetic, fractional number line estimation, mathematical anxiety, and spatial working memory. We also identified a chain-mediating effect of spatial working memory and mathematical anxiety on the relationship between gender and fractional arithmetic. Conclusion: The findings suggest a developmental pathway linking gender differences in spatial cognition to fraction learning, contributing to a better understanding of the cognitive and affective factors underlying gender differences in fraction learning during early adolescence. Furthermore, there are several practical implications for reducing gender differences in mathematics education during school years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mathematics anxiety (MA) is a distinct negative emotional state or trait that individuals experience when confronted with mathematical problems in everyday life and academic contexts. This study aims to identify the key predictors of MA among secondary-level students in Bangladesh. Methods: Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 486 students across 89 institutions. Later, the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: The findings revealed that math related negative past experiences (β = 0.241, t = 4.914, p < 0.001) and a perceived lack of teacher support (β = 0.234, t = 5.440, p < 0.001) significantly contribute to students' low self-efficacy in mathematics. This low self-efficacy is further influenced by negative attitudes and test anxiety, ultimately leading to increased MA (β = 0.694, t = 22.695, p < 0.001). Additionally, cognitive challenges, particularly working memory difficulties, directly affect MA (β = 0.110, t = 2.659, p = 0.008). The study also found that negative attitudes (β = 0.347, t = 9.063, p < 0.001) and test anxiety (β = 0.251, t = 5.913, p < 0.001) independently exacerbate MA. Moreover, a lack of motivation in learning mathematics is directly influenced by this elevated level of MA (β = 0.384, t = 9.939, p < 0.001). Discussion: Taken together, the study proposes several key recommendations and policy implications to inform the development of synchronized policies by educational authorities aimed at combatting, reducing MA among secondary-level students in Bangladesh and similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the decline in the number of instructors with specialized credentials for teaching multilingual learners, which has contributed to persistent achievement gaps and inadequate support for these students. Topics include the lack of specialized training for educators, the misrepresentation of multilingual learners in special education, and the challenges in meeting federal mandates for equity and access in education.

The study examined how mathematics self-concept, mathematics anxiety and endorsement of mathematics gender stereotypes may impact female students' response pattern in multiple-choice examinations in courses with mathematical content. Questionnaires measuring these three variables were completed by 435 undergraduates (327 enrolled in a non-mathematical course and 108 in a course with mathematical content). Achievement was measured via multiple-choice examinations, thus allowing us to analyse students' response patterns (i.e. not only their mark but also the number of hits, errors and unanswered questions). In females, a poorer mathematics self-concept and higher levels of mathematics anxiety (compared with male classmates) did not impact negatively on their final mark in the course with mathematical content. However, the response pattern in this course differed according to gender and mathematics self-concept: a poorer mathematics self-concept was associated with a higher number of unanswered questions in women and a tendency toward a greater number of errors in men. This suggests that a poorer mathematics self-concept leads women to be more cautious during multiple-choice examinations so as to minimise mistakes, whereas in males it tends to be associated with a risk-taking response strategy. These results raise further concerns about the use of multiple-choice examinations, particularly for assessing mathematical knowledge in students with low mathematics self-concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) has the potential to provide a gender inclusive learning environment for children. Objective: The present study aimed to explore gendered differences among primary school learners in grades three, four, and five within the context of game‐based fraction learning from cognitive, motivational and emotional perspectives. Methods: Two hundred and sixty‐nine participants completed a pre‐test and post‐test on fraction conceptual knowledge and surveys in math anxiety, intrinsic motivation and self‐efficacy. In addition, facial expression detection technology was employed to evaluate emotional states. Results: In general, within the DGBL environment, boys and girls exhibited similar performance in both their understanding of fraction concepts and their motivational aspects. However, gender differences were identified and manifested uniquely across different grade levels. Specifically, third‐grade girls exhibited significantly lower self‐efficacy than boys, but after DGBL intervention, the gender gap in self‐efficacy was no longer significant. Additionally, third‐grade girls achieved significant improvements in both the competence and interest dimensions of their intrinsic motivation, while boys did not show significant improvements. In the fourth grade, girls exhibited a significantly higher frequency of angry expressions compared to boys during gameplay. Fifth‐grade girls' cognitive performance appeared to be less correlated with motivational factors compared to boys. Conclusions: The results suggest that DGBL may help narrow the gender difference in math learning, with girls potentially benefiting more from DGBL than boys. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Gendered differences in math learning include historical advantages for boys, diminishing achievement gaps, persistent math anxiety with gender variations, and gender‐related disparities in intrinsic motivation and self‐efficacy, highlighting the need for targeted support for girls, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.Studies on digital game‐based learning (DGBL) indicate varying effects on academic performance, with some showing improvement in girls, minimal gendered differences, and potential differential impacts on emotional states by gender.Fraction knowledge plays a pivotal role in math learning, DGBL emerges as an effective and gender‐inclusive tool to enhance conceptual understanding of fractions. What this paper adds: The game‐based fraction learning could effectively enhance conceptual understanding of fractions for third to fifth‐grade students, revealing consistent positive outcomes for both boys and girls across different grade levels, particularly in tasks related to measurement interpretation.The game‐based fraction learning significantly improves motivational experiences, particularly enhancing competence, interest, and self‐efficacy for third‐grade beginner girls, with less pronounced effects observed in fourth and fifth‐grade students.Fourth‐grade girls displayed a significantly higher proportion of angry faces compared to boys, suggesting potential differences in cognitive load, stress, and emotional engagement in digital game‐based learning.After game‐based intervention, fifth‐grade girls' cognitive outcomes were less influenced by motivational factors, while boys still demonstrated a strong correlation between motivational factors and cognitive scores. Implications for practice: Educational practitioners are encouraged to integrate game‐based learning into early childhood math education, as demonstrated by this study, which highlights the significant contribution of early exposure to game‐based learning in fostering girls' positive attitudes towards mathematics.Game designers should incorporate relevant intelligent technologies for monitoring emotions and different gameplay modes, and when learners experience negative emotions, various strategies should be employed to provide a gender‐inclusive and supportive learning environment.For girls facing challenges in mathematics, their underperformance may be associated with lower motivation levels and emotional states, and game developers can address this issue by offering positive reinforcement, personalized feedback, and challenges tailored to individual learning needs to foster competence in learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study engaged 4848 first‐time, English‐speaking prospective Canadian Armed Forces applicants to evaluate pre‐application interventions' efficacy on the Practice Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (PCFAT). Using a five‐level between‐subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to one of the following intervention conditions: inoculation message, value‐affirmation message, a combination of both, placebo writing intervention, or a no‐intervention control group. The interventions were anchored in inoculation theory and value‐affirmation theory and aimed to reduce math anxiety and close the gender gap in test performance. Contrary to expectations, the interventions did not significantly reduce math anxiety or improve problem‐solving performance. Consistent with the literature, a negative relationship was found between levels of math anxiety and problem‐solving scores, and men outscored women in problem‐solving across all conditions. Despite these outcomes, the study lays a foundation for future research on enhancing pre‐applicant experiences in an increasingly competitive labor market. Implications and future directions are discussed. Practitioner Points: Large virtual field study innovates methods to reduce test anxiety.Examines gender disparities in test performance with robust sample size.Novel approach leveraging practice tests to improve precandidate reactions.Inoculation and value‐affirmation failed to improve precandidate reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In today's world, which is progressively oriented towards science and technology and facing a growing demand for skilled professionals, it becomes essential to identify the factors that encourage individuals to pursue careers in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Previous research has shown that affective‐motivational factors, math performance and gender influence STEM occupational and academic choices in adulthood. However, few studies examined how these factors may influence STEM choices as early as middle school. This study aims to assess how math anxiety, math self‐efficacy, math performance and gender influence STEM school choices during middle school. Methods: We longitudinally assessed a group of 109 students (Year 6) over three school years, with measurements taken on three different occasions. Results: Findings indicated that individuals who made an STEM school choice experienced lower math anxiety, higher self‐efficacy and math performance and were predominantly male. Furthermore, the results indicated that both math anxiety in Year 7 and self‐efficacy in Year 6 made the most substantial unique contributions to the STEM school choice. Conclusion: Math anxiety and math self‐efficacy seem to be both crucial in influencing middle school students' STEM choices, offering new perspectives for early interventions aimed at promoting more informed school choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math anxiety impacts negatively on the individual's ability to enjoy mathematics, their perception of their own ability in relation to mathematics and results in avoidance of mathematics activities. Self-efficacy, motivation, engagement and attainment are negatively impacted by math anxiety. This study aims to explore the literature to identify if interventions in math anxiety predict better self-efficacy, motivation and attainment. PRISMA procedures were utilised, and a systematic review of the literature was undertaken in which six articles were identified as having met the inclusion criteria. Gough's Weight of Evidence (2007) framework was used to assess the methodological quality, relevance and evidence to the review question proposed. Findings demonstrated that math anxiety interventions have the potential to decrease math anxiety and increase self-efficacy, motivation and attainment of pupils. Limitations, implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pandemics usually have inequitable effects on the most vulnerable groups of society. Since the start of COVID-19, there has been a horrifying upsurge in cases of sexual and gender-based violence against women, globally. Consequently, frequent breaking news of sexual violence in media aggravated mental distress and worry among women. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the impact of the rise in active circulation of news of sexual violence on the mental health of working women and students using the validated DASS-21 questionnaire. Methods: A total of 303 women with diverse socio-demographic backgrounds participated in the study. We performed a chi-square test to analyze the association of increase in media reporting with DASS-21total and sub-categories scores. Multivariate linear regression was performed on propensity score-matched subjects to identify psychosocial predictors of mental distress. Results: Increased self-reported worries in response to rise in media reports of sexual violence was found to be significant predictor of mental distress (p < 0.002). Moreover, highly significant correlation between the increase in media reports and scores of depression, anxiety, and stress was observed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The rise in media reporting of sexual violence in the after math of COVID-19 was found to have a significant psychological impact on the mental health of Pakistani women. This is the first study of its kind on the subject and provides fundamental findings for shaping policy change on responsible media reporting of sexual violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attentional control theory posits that anxiety may shift attention towards threatening stimuli and/or affect general attentional control mechanisms. The spatial theory suggests that mathematical anxiety (MA) originates from weakness in spatial processing mechanisms such as visuospatial working memory. Accordingly, MA may negatively influence (1) attentional mechanisms in anxious states and/or (2) general attentional control or working memory mechanisms. The current study examined the associations between MA, attention mechanisms, and working memory. To this end, we validated a new set of math-related pictures and used a math-related modified version of a flanker task. Two groups of college students with low (N = 35) and high (N = 31) MA were asked to perform a central task and ignore math-related and neutral distracting pictures. After we controlled for general anxiety, participants with high MA exhibited a larger location congruency effect in the modified flanker task. Moreover, visuospatial short-term and working memory fully mediated the relationship between MA and performances. These results suggest that general visuospatial deficits constitute the main difficulty among individuals with MA. Taken together, the findings shed light on the unique difficulty of individuals with HMA ignoring distraction, and suggest that reduced visuospatial abilities are at the basis of this difficulty. These findings are discussed in the context of their theoretical and treatment-related potential implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explored the sources of mathematics test anxiety that affect students' performance, the level of mathematics test anxiety among senior high school students, the effect of test anxiety on students' academic performance in mathematics, and gender differences relating to test anxiety among students. The researchers used a descriptive survey design with a quantitative methodology. Multi-stage sampling technique (stratified and simple random) was used to select a sample size of 66 students from public senior high schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Data was collected using the test anxiety scale, a self-developed mathematics achievement test and a questionnaire. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that factors such as misunderstandings of mathematical concepts, fear of failure and embarrassment, exam preparedness, quality of mathematics instruction, and others significantly contribute to students' anxiety while taking mathematics assessments. The results showed a significant negative correlation between anxiety levels and academic performance. Female students were found to have higher levels of test anxiety compared to male students. Teachers should prioritise improving students' comprehension of mathematical concepts and create a nurturing learning atmosphere that promotes experimentation and minimises the fear of making mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics is a key school subject for some of the most lucrative and economically important careers. Low mathematics performance in school is associated with low psychometric intelligence, family socioeconomic status (SES), specific mathematical abilities, and high mathematics anxiety. We used a sample of Hungarian schoolchildren (N = 102, mean age = 12.3 years) to directly compare the predictive power of general intelligence, specific mathematical abilities measured by the Pedagogical Examination of Dyscalculia (DPV), mathematics anxiety, and socioeconomic status for mathematics grades. Mathematics grades correlated with IQ, specific mathematic ability, mathematics anxiety, and a composite measure of family SES. The WISC-IV showcased a manifest correlation of 0.62 and a latent correlation of 0.78 with the DPV and high manifest (r=-0.53) and latent (r=-0.59) correlations with mathematics anxiety. IQ alone accounted for 52% of the variance in mathematics grades. IQ, specific mathematical ability, family SES and mathematics anxiety jointly accounted for 56% of the variance in grades, with a non-significant contribution of specific mathematical ability and family SES over IQ and a marginal contribution of mathematics anxiety. Our results show that psychometric intelligence is the most important predictor of mathematics grades, while family SES and specific mathematical abilities are only associated with grades to the extent they reflect psychometric intelligence. The results, however, confirmed a small role of mathematics anxiety over intelligence in predicting grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math Anxiety (MA) consists of excessive fear and worry about math-related situations. It represents a major barrier to numerical competence and the pursuit of STEM careers. Yet, we currently do not dispose of many tools that can capture its multifaceted nature, e.g. moving beyond the exclusive reliance on self-reports and meta-cognition. Here we sought to probe Pupil Size (PS) as a viable tool in the study of MA by administering arithmetic problems to university students in the humanities (N = 70) with various levels of MA. We found that arithmetic competence and performance are indeed negatively associated with MA, and this is accurately tracked by PS. When performance is accounted for, MA does not further modulate PS (before, during, or after calculation). However, the latency of PS peak dilation can add a significant contribution to predicting MA scores, indicating that high MA may be accompanied by more prolonged cognitive effort. Results show that MA and mathematical competence may be too crystalized in young university students to be discernible. We therefore call for early educational interventions to tackle and mitigate this dysfunctional association early on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has suggested that math anxiety may contribute to poor math performance by interfering with working memory. However, only a limited number of studies investigated the mediating role of working memory in the math anxiety-math performance link in school-aged children. Unlike math anxiety, ego-resiliency is a personality resource that promotes the management of challenges and has been positively associated with math performance and negatively with anxiety. Nevertheless, there is still limited understanding regarding the specific role of ego-resiliency in math learning and how it relates to math anxiety. This study aimed to investigate conjunctly the interplay between primary school children's ego-resiliency, math anxiety, working memory, and performance on two different math tasks (i.e., arithmetic task and word problem-solving task), after controlling for general anxiety and age. The study involved 185 Italian children from grades 3 to 5. Serial multi-mediational analyses revealed that: (1) ego-resiliency has a positive indirect effect on math achievement through two paths - math anxiety, and math anxiety and working memory; (2) the study replicated previous findings showing that working memory partially mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math performance; (3) similar patterns of results were found for both math skills. The study identifies ego-resiliency as a possible protective factor in the development of math anxiety and suggests that ego-resiliency could be worth considering when designing interventions aimed at reducing negative emotions towards mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored various aspects of the memorable messages about math education that parents shared with their college aged children and parents' own experiences with math education. Findings revealed that the memorable messages parents recalled sending to their children about math education focused on encouragement, advice, necessity of math, how math skills don't define you, and math being logical. Memorable message themes were not predicted by parents' beliefs about their own math anxiety, math self-concept, or math self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math anxiety and personality influence numeracy, although the nature of their contribution has been overlooked. In the present study, we investigated whether their association with numeracy depended on field of study and gender in higher education. Participants were Italian undergraduates in either the humanities (N = 201) or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM; N = 209) fields of study. These participants remotely completed standardized tests assessing numeracy, math anxiety, personality, intelligence, and basic numerical skills. We tested whether math anxiety and personality interacted with field of study and gender in predicting numeracy. Results showed that math anxiety was negatively associated with numeracy independently of field of study and gender, while the effect of personality, especially neuroticism, on numeracy interacted with field of study over and above intelligence and basic numerical skills. Specifically, humanities undergraduates with higher neuroticism levels scored lower in numeracy than STEM undergraduates. These findings underscore the importance of emotional experience for a good performance in mathematics, beyond math anxiety and the other personality traits, in the students that are less familiar with mathematics. Finally, no robust gender moderation emerged, suggesting that its role may be overridden by differences associated with career choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-designed math apps can foster children's numeracy development. Although parents are interested in using math apps for their children, the quantity and variability in quality of apps can make app selection challenging. As such, it is important to know how parents evaluate numeracy content in math apps for their children. This study investigated parents' evaluations of four numeracy apps of varying quality. Forty-five parents of 3- to 6-year-old children explored each app for three minutes on their own device and rated each on 17 early numeracy skills. Parents were conservative in their ratings of numeracy skills. Likelihood of downloading apps ranged from 24.4% to 73%. If the first app viewed was of the highest quality, it influenced their subsequent ratings suggesting that parents could be using it as a benchmark. Individual differences affected numeracy ratings, such that parents high in both math teaching confidence and/or anxiety rated the apps more favourably than parents low in those traits. Parents experienced some challenges in identifying better content and design features and individual differences contributed to this. Outcomes also suggest practical supports such as providing parents with a "good" referent may aid app selection. Impact Summary: Prior State of Knowledge: Well-designed numeracy apps can have positive effects on children's academic abilities but many apps available are of poor quality. Despite interest in choosing math apps, it is unknown how parents evaluate numeracy features in their children's math apps. Novel Contributions: Parentsevaluated numeracy content in math apps for children. Parent ratings of numeracy content were compared with ratings by trained coders. The impact of parental anxiety and confidence on ratings and parental math app selection was examined. Practical Implications: Parentsprovided conservative evaluations of numeracy content. Individual differences in math anxiety and teaching confidence indicates parental supports may be needed. Presenting a good or bad app first impacted ratings suggesting a potential tool for supporting parents' app decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement, highlighting differences in motivation based on age, and the mediating effects of task persistence as well as aspects of the expectancy-value theory. The students in the study (grade five N = 335, grade eight N = 251) were from Estonian schools and completed questionnaires about achievement motivation as well as math tasks during the 2021/2022 school year. Results showed that students in grade eight report lower scores in motivation when compared to students in grade five. Additionally, task persistence mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in grade five but not in grade eight. Self-efficacy, interest value, and effort cost mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in both grades five and eight, while attainment value and utility value did not. This indicates that the possible positive cognitive and affective effects aid in relieving, while effort cost may increase the negative effect of anxiety on math achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is well-established that general anxiety associates with the lower use of adaptive emotion regulation and the higher use of maladaptive emotion regulation. However, no study has previously investigated the impact of cognitive emotion regulation on academic anxieties. Using a sample of secondary school students (N = 391), this study examined the impact of cognitive emotion regulation on math and science anxieties. Math anxiety showed stronger correlations with adaptive than maladaptive emotion regulation, whereas general anxiety showed stronger correlations with maladaptive than adaptive emotion regulation. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that math anxiety was associated with the high uses of acceptance, rumination and other-blame and the low uses of positive reappraisal and putting into perspective. However, with controlling science and general anxieties, math anxiety was associated with the high use of rumination and the low use of positive reappraisal. In contrast, science anxiety was associated with the high uses of acceptance and other-blame and the low use of positive reappraisal. Importantly, however, with controlling math and general anxieties, those science anxiety associations did not remain. Accordingly, these results might provide important insights for the specificity, etiology, and intervention of math anxiety.

Introduction: This cross-sectional study examined the mechanisms underlying adolescent math achievement by investigating the relationship between parents’ rearing styles (including different dimensions of rearing style) and adolescent self-control, math anxiety, and math achievement based on the ecological systems theory. Method: A total of 584 junior high school students (M age = 12.52) completed the Parenting Style Questionnaire, Self-control Scale, and Math Anxiety Rating Scale and provided their math test scores. Results: The rearing styles of both fathers and mothers directly predicted adolescents’ math achievement. Maternal rearing style indirectly predicted adolescents’ math achievement through their self-control and math anxiety; however, the indirect effect of paternal rearing style on adolescents’ math achievement was not significant. After distinguishing the three dimensions of rearing styles, we found that paternal emotional warmth can increase adolescents’ self-control, while maternal emotional warmth can reduce adolescents’ self-control. Further, paternal overprotectiveness can directly and positively predict adolescents’ math achievement, while maternal rejection and overprotectiveness can positively predict adolescents’ math achievement. None of the three dimensions of rearing styles can predict math achievement through adolescents’ self-control; however, they can predict math achievement indirectly through adolescents’ math anxiety and the chain-mediation of adolescents’ self-control and math anxiety. Discussion: Our results suggest both commonalities and differences in how paternal and maternal rearing styles, along with their three dimensions (emotional warmth, rejection, overprotection), predict adolescent math achievement. These findings highlight the importance of paternal and maternal rearing styles on adolescents’ math achievement and underscore the need to examine them separately to better understand their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses interventions for students with combined learning and behavioral difficulties, emphasizing the complex relationships between academic skills deficits and behavior problems. The editorial highlights the need for effective interventions to support affected students and the importance of research into the development of corresponding interventions. It also addresses the lack of intervention studies focusing on students with combined learning and behavior difficulties, underscoring the necessity for more research in this area to improve academic outcomes and behavior for these students. [Extracted from the article]

This study examined the relationships between factors contributing to high school students’ mathematics achievement. Three hundred fourteen high school students participated in the study. We collected the data through the “Self‐Efficacy Scale for Mathematics Literacy,” “Bidimensional Mathematics Anxiety Scale,” “Mathematics Self‐Efficacy Scale,” “Attitudes Towards Mathematics Scale Short Form,” and mathematics exams. For this purpose, we proposed a theoretical model and tested the assumptions based on the model with path analysis. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between mathematical literacy self‐efficacy with mathematics self‐efficacy perception and attitudes towards mathematics. In addition, mathematics self‐efficacy perception had a positive and significant relationship with attitudes towards mathematics and a negative and significant relationship with mathematics anxiety. Also, attitudes towards mathematics had a positive and significant relationship with mathematics achievement, and mathematics anxiety had a negative and significant relationship with mathematics achievement. For every individual to use mathematics to meet basic life skills, all stakeholders of education, especially teachers, need to understand its importance, resources and how they can empower individuals in this aim. The relationships revealed in this study will serve the development of this understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning mathematics is challenging to learners. It is a unique subject and it is a fundamental part of the curriculum yet Scarpello (2007) reported that seventy-five percent of Americans stop the study of mathematics and stay away from many careers related to mathematics. This study focused on the learners' difficulties encountered in learning mathematics and teacher-related variables in relation to academic achievement of low performing learners in mathematics. A researcher-made survey questionnaire was administered to 61 low performing learners of Mandanas Elementary School. The learners were purposively identified by their respective classroom advisers and have an average grade of 75 to 79 in mathematics for the first and second quarter of the academic year 2019-2020. The average grade of learners is the basis of the academic achievement of the learners and stand as the dependent variable in this study. The result shows that the learners are indeed having difficulties in learning mathematics in terms of their interest and study habits. The teacher-related variables such as personality traits, teaching skills, and instructional materials used by the teacher gained a positive rating from the learners. The result depicts that there is no significant relationship between the learners' difficulties encountered and teacher-related variables. This means that teacher-related variables or the performance of the teachers do not affect the difficulties encountered by the learners in mathematics as perceived by the learners. Finally, both the learners' difficulties and teacher-related variables have no substantial evidence to affect the academic achievement of the low performing learners in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results revealed moderate levels of math anxiety among learners, with the highest anxiety associated with practical, real-world mathematical tasks. Self-efficacy levels were generally low, particularly in learners' perceptions of their overall mathematical abilities compared to peers. However, academic performance showed a positive trend, with 71% of learners performing at or above the "Advancing Proficiency" level. Surprisingly, correlational analysis found no significant relationship between mathematics anxiety and academic performance, nor between self-efficacy and academic performance. This suggests that other factors may play a more crucial role in determining academic outcomes in mathematics. The findings highlight the need for contextualized interventions to address math anxiety and boost self-efficacy, particularly in practical applications of mathematics. Recommendations include enhancing self-efficacy through contextualized interventions, improving teaching strategies, creating supportive classroom environments, and regularly monitoring learners' self-efficacy and performance to provide personalized support. This research contributes to the understanding of psychological factors affecting mathematics education in the Philippine context. It emphasizes the importance of addressing both cognitive and affective aspects of learning to improve mathematics education outcomes. Future studies could explore additional factors influencing academic performance and investigate the effectiveness of specific interventions aimed at reducing math anxiety and enhancing self-efficacy in mathematics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the connection of cognitive activation, self-efficacy, and mathematics anxiety in shaping eighth-grade students' mathematics achievement. Analysing data from a comprehensive survey involving 17,112 students across 91 schools in China, our study uncovers insights: (1) Cognitive activation significantly and directly influences mathematics achievement; (2) The positive impact of cognitive activation on mathematics achievement is primarily mediated by self-efficacy; (3) Mathematics anxiety partially mediates the link between cognitive activation and mathematics achievement; and (4) Sequentially, self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety act as mediators in the relationship between cognitive activation and mathematics achievement. The implications for mathematics educators are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depressive and anxiety symptoms are common in adolescence and are associated with many impairments. However, their association with academic performance is unclear. Few studies have considered the effects of gender and school level or age on these associations and they found inconclusive results. Most studies were conducted in the United States or Europe and results may differ according to the country. For these reasons, the present study aims to examine the simultaneous effect of depressive and generalized and social anxiety symptoms on school grades, as well as the moderating effect of gender and school level in a sample of adolescents in Quebec, Canada. Participants were 4,688 students in secondary 1 to 5 (grades 7 to 11). They completed self-report questionnaires on their academic performance and on symptoms of depression, generalized and social anxiety. Data were subjected to moderation regression analyses. Results showed that higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower school grades in mathematics and French language, social anxiety symptoms were associated with higher grades in mathematics only, and generalized anxiety symptoms were not associated with grades. There was no moderating effect of gender. School level had a moderating effect on the association between depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms with grades in mathematics. Thus, depressive symptoms were negatively associated with grades in mathematics in secondary 1 to 5, whereas generalized anxiety symptoms were negatively associated with grades in secondary 1 and 2 only. Possible explanations and directions for future studies are proposed, as well as practical recommendations for schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we translated and validated the Mathematical Anxiety Scale for Elementary School - Elementary Form - MARS-E into Brazilian Portuguese. We assessed its validity evidence based on the structure, internal consistency and individual parameters of the instrument's items, based on the Item Response Theory (IRT) paradigm. The psychometric data considered a sample of 214 students aged between 9 and 12 years. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that the bifactorial model, similar to the original instrument, presented satisfactory adjustment indicators, indicating that mathematical anxiety can be explained by the factors "Mathematical Performance Anxiety (MPA)" and "Mathematical Tests (MT)", with all factor loadings presenting sufficient magnitudes and different from zero. In addition, the internal consistency indicators demonstrated high precision of the instrument (αF1 = 0.875 and ωF1 = 0.857; αTM = 0.850 and ωTM = 0.866). Therefore, it can be inferred that the MARS-E presented adequate psychometric parameters of validity, based on the internal structure, good individual parameters of the items, both in the APM factor and in the TM factor, indicating that they are items that adequately measure their respective latent factors. It is considered that the instrument is psychometrically appropriate for large-scale use in the Brazilian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined whether number sense was related to academic buoyancy and whether this relationship was mediated by mathematical metacognition awareness and mathematics anxiety. Data was gathered from 231 students in grade 7 and 8 middle schools through selfreport measures of number sense, academic buoyancy, metacognition awareness, and math anxiety. The results revealed a significant positive association between number sense and mathematical metacognition awareness, as well as a significant negative association between number sense and math anxiety. Moreover, results indicated that number sense facilitated academic buoyancy via mathematical metacognition awareness and then math anxiety. These findings contribute to the understanding of how these factors may impact academic buoyancy in middle school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the growth mindset is essential to students' math achievement, its mechanism of influence remains uncertain, particularly for college students. Accordingly, this study explored the relationship between college students' growth mindset and their math achievement, as mediated by their self‐efficacy and reasoning ability. The study data were gathered by surveying 576 undergraduates taking various undergraduate programs at a Chinese university. Our results showed that (1) students' growth mindset did not directly predict their math achievement; (2) self‐efficacy mediated the relationship between students' growth mindset and their math achievement; and (3) the growth mindset affected students' math achievement through the chain‐mediation of self‐efficacy and reasoning ability. Overall, the finding that the growth mindset indirectly benefits Chinese college students' math achievement provides invaluable guidance to higher education professionals aiming to develop more effective math programs. Moreover, the mediating effects of self‐efficacy and reasoning ability were also theoretically important to better understand the potential influence mechanism of the growth mindset on college students' math achievement. Practitioner Points: College students' growth mindset did not directly predict their level of math achievement.Self‐efficacy mediated the relationship between growth mindset and math achievement.Self‐efficacy and reasoning ability play a chain mediating role in the relationship between growth mindset and math achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether math anxiety is related to a response inhibition deficit and, if so, whether it is a domain‐specific inhibition deficit in numerical tasks or a general inhibition deficit. Behavioral performance and electroencephalogram activity were recorded while 28 highly math–anxious (HMA) and 28 low math–anxious (LMA) individuals performed both a numerical and a non‐numerical Go/Nogo task. In the numerical task, single‐digit numbers were presented, and participants were asked to press a button if the number was even. In the non‐numerical task, letters were presented, and the button had to be pressed if the letter was a vowel. Nogo trials were answered less accurately and elicited larger Nogo‐N2 and Nogo‐P3 than Go trials in both tasks and both groups. Importantly, behavioral and brain response differences between tasks were only found in the HMA group. First, they were more error‐prone in numerical Nogo than in non‐numerical Nogo trials; and second, their Nogo‐N2 and N2d (Nogo–Go difference) were smaller in the numerical task than in the non‐numerical task. No differences were found in the LMA group. These results suggest that HMA individuals' response inhibition is impaired specifically when dealing with numbers, which could contribute to their low achievement in math tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math achievement and math anxiety are causally negatively related. The diverse range of mediators linking math achievement and anxiety are not encapsulated by previous theories. Based on a review of the literature, we show that math avoidance plays a critical role, acting as a key mediator that perpetuates the vicious cycle between math achievement and math anxiety. A robust association exists between math anxiety and math achievement, with higher levels of anxiety correlating with lower achievement. Understanding this relationship is crucial due to the importance of math proficiency at individual and societal levels. In this review, we explore two prominent theories: Reduced Competency Theory, which suggests that initial low math achievement leads to math anxiety, and Processing Efficiency Theory, which suggests that math anxiety impairs performance by diverting cognitive resources. While these theories are supported by empirical evidence, they do not fully explain the mediators linking math anxiety and achievement. We propose 'math avoidance' as a critical mediator, suggesting that avoidance behaviors, formed through conditioning, create a feedback loop that exacerbates math anxiety and reduces proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We test how parent factors predict toddler number and spatial skills. • Parents' math beliefs, attitudes, and experiences predict home numeracy activities. • Numeracy activities mediate relations between parent factors and number skills. • We find no links of parent factors, spatial activities, and toddler spatial skills. Mounting evidence suggests that home engagement in mathematics is related to variability in early math skill. Although prior work has investigated parental predictors of home math engagement more broadly, it remains understudied whether the same factors relate to toddlers' home math environment, and if home math experiences are associated with toddlers' math skills. Here we asked whether parents' beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with math relate to their engagement in home numeracy and spatial activities with toddlers and are associated with toddlers' developing number and spatial skills (N = 189). We find that a broad range of parent factors, including parents' beliefs about the importance of math, math growth mindset beliefs, math anxiety, and math coursework, predicts parents' frequency of engaging in numeracy activities with toddlers. Furthermore, home number activities predicted toddlers' number skills. Parents' math beliefs, attitudes, and experiences all had positive indirect effects on toddlers' number skills through associations with number activities. However, none of these parent factors predicted home spatial activities, and we saw no association between home spatial activities and toddlers' spatial skills. Altogether, these results suggest that even at very young ages, parent factors shape the home environment and toddlers' early numeracy learning, but we did not detect associations for spatial skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' self-beliefs about mathematics, such as mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety, can interact with each other in the explanation of mathematics achievement. The present study aimed to identify mathematics self-belief profiles (derived from combinations of mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety) and their relationships to mathematics achievement in a sample of secondary-school students. The participants were 2,365 students who completed a self-report instrument for the assessment of mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify the participants' mathematics self-belief profiles. The relationship between the profiles, mathematics achievement, gender and school year, was determined. Six student profiles were identified based on combined levels of mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics anxiety. Specifically, three patterns were found based on the combination of low, medium-low and high levels of mathematics self-efficacy with mathematics anxiety. While the detected profiles indicated statistically significant differences in the explanation of mathematics achievement, gender and school year were not relevant to the relationship between mathematics self-belief profiles and mathematics achievement. The study provides insights into the importance of students' beliefs, and perceptions in the explanation of academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to present math anxiety and math resilience as research categories worth exploring in contemporary educational research targeted at increasing the effectiveness of the educational process. The article aims to present the universal nature of math anxiety and math resilience, the occurrence of which is relatively independent of the specific nature of the education system. Understanding the mechanisms of math anxiety can help alleviate its various types, while disseminating knowledge about math resilience can be used to strengthen students’ mental resilience to various difficult situations, not only those related to mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Recently debatable arguments have existed regarding the perceived lack of numerical skills among the graduates from the Humanities and Social Sciences. In response to this concern, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculties of Art in national universities in Sri Lanka have taken measures to more opportunities to undergraduates to bolster their numerical proficiency. This is achieved through the incorporation of mathematics course units for their degree programs along with the main subject streams. The study focuses on factors that affect the undergraduates' attitudes towards making the decision to select the subject mathematics for their first-degree program. A sample survey was carried out using structured questionnaire and stratified random sampling technique was utilized to select a sample size of 352 from the undergraduates belongs to Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The binary logistic regression model is utilized, and the study revealed that self efficacy, mathematical anxiety, and interest in mathematics are significantly affected students' attitudes on counting mathematics course units for their degree program. The student who has self-efficacy is 1.03 times more likely to select mathematics course unit at the first academic year than other students. A unit increase of mathematics anxiety with all other factors remaining constant, the odds of a student selecting the mathematics course decreased by 11.2%. When one-unit increases in the interest in mathematics of students the odds of selecting mathematics course unit is 1.06 times more likely to than other peers. These insights suggest that educational institutes, particularly those in the humanities and social sciences, should prioritize enhancing students 'numerical skills. This can be achieved by providing valuable consideration aimed at refining their curriculum and support mechanism, increasing awareness programmes about the importance of studying mathematics course units within their degree programmes and conducting programmes to reduce mathematics anxiety while fostering an increased interest in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Math anxiety negatively relates to math performance. This negative relationship may be exacerbated in low-progress math learners. However, there are limited studies on math anxiety among low-progress learners in a paradoxically high-performing education system like Singapore. To fill this research gap, this research analyzed the anxiety profiles of 151 students who were in the math learning support intervention program administered by the Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE). We examined the complex relationship centered in math anxiety with relevant variables such as demographic characteristics, working memory, and math performance. The results indicated that (1) math anxiety only vary significantly between children with very low Early Numeracy Indicator (ENI) and high ENI levels; (2) a negative relationship between math anxiety and math performance exists; (3) there was no significant interaction between math anxiety and working memory; (4) a further examination on moderating effect found that only children who have been identified as being at risk for developmental dyscalculia and those with average or high working memory performed poorer in math at higher levels of math anxiety. Limitations and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the students' perceptions of economics, identify the factors responsible for the diminished interest in economics, and determine how to create effective solutions for these problems. East Africa University's (EAU) Garowe campus, which is among the oldest in the state, has been considered the subject of this study. The study adopted basic random sampling to determine the sample size for the survey. The data in this research was collected through online surveys and interviews. The survey was given to the university students. The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions and Likert-scale responses. Participants were given enough time to fill out the survey anonymously, and 28 people responded. When the survey was fully completed, the data was then analysed using Microsoft Excel. The results of the research conducted showed that: (1) there is a lack of public awareness about the importance of this field and the career opportunities associated with it, as proven by 97% of the respondents who chose (agree and strongly agree). (2) The belief that economics is tough because of math causes some students to choose not to major in this field. This belief influences the majority of students' decisions not to pursue degrees in this field, as demonstrated by the 54% of respondents who selected (agree and strongly agree). This is a true belief that could prevent students from learning economics. (3) Economics is not a hard field of study, as proven by 64% of students who chose "no" to the statement of whether economics is a hard field of study, confirming that economics is not a difficult subject. (4) Business and economics was an interesting subject in high school, as proven by 75% of the respondents who chose (agree and strongly agree). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Addressing mathematics anxiety is important to ensure that students achieve good academic performance and maintain their mental health during the critical middle school period. However, previous studies have focused on the separate effects of the preconditions for mathematics anxiety, ignoring the interaction of factors. Therefore, this study aims to identify the determinants of mathematics anxiety from the perspective of complex systems via necessary condition analysis (NCA) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify configurations of preconditions of mathematics anxiety among middle school students. Methods: A total of 183 middle school students aged 16 to 19 years (Mage = 17.47, SD = 0.89) in China participated in this cross-sectional study. The outcome variable of the study is mathematics anxiety, and the condition variables include mathematics grade, parental support, learning motivation, learning planning, and learning interest. Results: The necessity condition analysis shows that not all the condition variables constitute the necessity condition of mathematics anxiety alone. Four paths for the influence of multiple condition variables on mathematics anxiety are identified via the configuration analysis. Notably, even students with high mathematics scores and learning interest still experience mathematics anxiety due to a lack of practical parental support and learning motivation. High levels of parental support can exacerbate the mathematics anxiety of students under two conditions: 1) a lack of learning motivation and learning plans, and 2) interest in learning but low mathematics scores and unclear learning plans. Discussion: This study highlights the need to consider the comprehensive impact of mathematics anxiety, and the findings will help educators and researchers identify the different characteristics of mathematics anxiety in student populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study analyzes the presence and reverberations of stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues on primary and middle school students using bibliometric analysis. The aim of this study is to map the research landscape by statistically analyzing existing literature and identifying key themes, trends, and research hotspots in the domain of stress in students. This study also presents analysis related to top contributing countries, journals, authors, citations, and collaboration networks. Method: A total of 1,335 publications from 1962 to 10 September 2023 were included in this study using the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. The steps involved in the bibliometric study included data collection, cleaning, and various analyses such as performance analysis, citation analysis, and network analysis. Biblioshiny by RStudio and Microsoft Excel were used for bibliometric analysis to determine the collaboration between countries and authors and to explore keyword analysis and thematic evolution. Results: The findings show that China and USA have contributed the highest number of publications. Frontiers in Psychology with 50 publications turns out to be the most prominent journal. The study presents the thematic evolution and the trend topics in this research domain. Some of the trend topics are stress, test anxiety, bullying, depression, cyberbullying, virtual reality, mathematics anxiety, childhood maltreatment and self-compassion, primary school, and middle school. The paper also highlights the prominent authors and their collaboration network. Discussion: The study has highlighted the various reasons for stress and its potential repercussions on students. This information can be used to help parents, teachers, and the school administration to spot the most susceptible group of students who need immediate intervention to address various mental health issues. We see a gradual progress in the research areas being covered under this domain. More relevant areas of concern related to stress are being explored with time. With the technological advancement and the vast unmonitored internet usage (especially for primary and middle school students), the stress caused by cyberbullying and peer victimization has also become an important topic of research in later years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]