Journal for Research in Mathematics Education · 1999 · 898 citations · 60 references
Elementary EducationStudent MotivationMathematics EducationSelf-efficacy TheoryMathematics CognitionStudent SuccessEducational PsychologyMotivationSignificant Interaction EffectsEducationStandardized Achievement TestsTeacher-student RelationAchievement MotivationSecondary Mathematics EducationPsychologySecondary Students
The meta‑analysis examined 26 studies on the link between math anxiety and math achievement in elementary and secondary students. The analysis found a significant negative correlation (r = –0.27) between math anxiety and achievement, consistent across gender, grade, ethnicity, anxiety measures, and publication year, but varying by achievement instrument and publication type, with standardized tests and published studies reporting smaller effects and no significant interaction effects among key variables.
In this meta-analysis I examined 26 studies on the relationship between anxiety toward mathematics and achievement in mathematics among elementary and secondary students. The common population correlation for the relationship is significant (-.27). A series of general linear models indicated that the relationship is consistent across gender groups, grade-level groups, ethnic groups, instruments measuring anxiety, and years of publication. The relationship, however, differs significantly among instruments measuring achievement as well as among types of publication. Researchers using standardized achievement tests tend to report a relationship of significantly smaller magnitude than researchers using mathematics teachers' grades and researcher-made achievement tests. Published studies tend to indicate a significantly smaller magnitude of the relationship than unpublished studies. There are no significant interaction effects among key variables such as gender, grade, and ethnicity.
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