Preservice Elementary Teachers' Achievement Goals and Their Relationship to Math Anxiety

• In Event: Problem Solving and Challenges for Teachers and Learners

Abstract

Given the impact teachers’ math anxiety might have on their learning as well as that of their future students, this research investigates how achievement goals relate to math anxiety among 182 pre-service teachers enrolled in undergraduate elementary education math methods courses. While low self-efficacy is a predictor of math anxiety, results indicate taking into account pre-service teachers’ achievement goals increases our ability to predict math anxiety over that afforded by their level of self-efficacy alone. Students adopting either mastery-avoidance or performance-avoidance goals while learning mathematics, may be particularly susceptible to math anxiety. Further, self-efficacy does not moderate the relationship between achievement goals and math anxiety, so the relationship between goals and math anxiety is consistent across levels of self-efficacy.

Authors

• Alyssa R. Gonzalez-Dehass, Florida Atlantic University

• Joseph M Furner, Florida Atlantic University

• Maria D. Vásquez-Colina, Florida Atlantic University

• John D. Morris, Florida Atlantic University