Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mathematics anxiety (MA), a state of discomfort associated with performing mathematical tasks, is thought to affect a notable proportion of the school age population. Some research has indicated that MA negatively affects mathematics performance and that girls may report higher levels of MA than boys. On the other hand some research has indicated that boys' mathematics performance is more negatively affected by MA than girls' performance is. The aim of the current study was to measure girls' and boys' mathematics performance as well as their levels of MA while controlling for test anxiety (TA) a construct related to MA but which is typically not controlled for in MA studies.

Methods

Four-hundred and thirty three British secondary school children in school years 7,

SUBMITTER: Devine A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3414752 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature