The Role of Perceived Teacher Enthusiasm on Girls’ Enjoyment and Anxiety in Mathematics and Science (Poster 5)

• In Event: Saturday Poster Session 9:35 am
  In Poster Session: Learning and Motivation in Social and Cultural Contexts 2

Abstract

Research demonstrates a positive association between teacher enthusiasm and student enjoyment, but the association between enthusiasm and anxiety is unknown. Given girls report higher anxiety and lower enjoyment in mathematics and science, the present investigation examines the extent to which perceived teacher enthusiasm predicts girls’ enjoyment and anxiety in mathematics and science across two academic terms at the student- and classroom-level. Analysis of 368 girls via multilevel longitudinal error-adjusted path analysis demonstrated that enthusiasm predicts enjoyment in both mathematics and science, but direct vs indirect longitudinal effects and classroom-level effects differed across subjects. The findings reinforce the importance of teacher enthusiasm for students’ enjoyment but highlight the domain specificity of the underlying psycho-social mechanisms of enthusiasm.

Authors

• Emma Conor Burns, Macquarie University

• Katrina Thorvaldson, Macquarie University

• Penny Van Bergen, University of Wollongong