Math Engagement: A Key Mediator Between Math Achievement and Math Anxiety Among Young Learners

• In Event: Addressing Mathematics Learning: Insights From Research on Math Anxiety, Engagement, Mindset, and Metacognitive Monitoring

Abstract

Understanding the complex interplay between math achievement and math anxiety is crucial for developing effective educational strategies and interventions. This study utilizes a longitudinal design to evaluate the directionality of the relationship between early elementary school children’s (N=615) math anxiety and math achievement, and investigates the potential mediating role of children’s engagement on this relationship. Results indicate that children’s lower math achievement is predictive of heightened math anxiety 15 months later. Additional results suggest that relationship is partially mediated by children's cognitive math engagement. Taken together, these findings offer a more precise framework for understanding the development of math anxiety in young children and extend avenues for early intervention by identifying cognitive engagement as a key mediator.

Authors

• Carolyn MacDonald, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Jiawen Wu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Eva M. Pomerantz, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign