Under Pressure: Does Elementary School Teachers’ Self-Concept Predict Affective-Motivational and Psychophysiological Reactions to Math Tasks?

• In Event: Spotlight on Teachers: Insights From Teacher Emotion and Motivation Research

Abstract

We examined the impact of math self-concept on state affective-motivational and
physiological experiences among pre-service female elementary-school teachers. Participants
(N = 70, Mage= 20.6 years) reported their math self-concept, and completed challenging math
tasks while their state emotional-motivational and physiological responses were recorded.
Findings revealed that lower self-concept was associated with stronger negative state
emotions and more adverse motivational perceptions (heightened subjective difficulty and
challenge, and lowered mastery) during task execution. Math self-concept showed positive,
but not statistically significant links with physiological arousal, potentially due to
methodological limitations when measuring arousal via between-person-designs. These
results emphasize the importance of self-concept for affective-motivational experiences,
suggesting that enhancing math-self-concept during teacher training could benefit well-being
and teaching outcomes.

Authors

• Franziska Eckerskorn, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

• Miriam Wünsch, University of Munich

• Anne C. Frenzel, University of Munich