A Study of Measurement Invariance in Math Anxiety and Self-Efficacy Scales

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 11:45am
  In Poster Session: Poster Session I -- AERA Division D Section 1: Measurement, Psychometrics, and Assessment

Abstract

Mathematics remains a challenging subject for many middle school students. Only 34% of eighth graders were proficient in math, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (Hussar et al., 2020). Math anxiety (MA) and math self-efficacy (MSE) are psychological factors closely tied to performance. This study examined measurement invariance of pre- and post-test assessments of MA and MSE using secondary data from a randomized controlled trial. Ensuring invariance is critical for valid longitudinal comparisons. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested latent structures across time. Findings supported strict invariance for both constructs. However, MA showed poor fit indices (CFI < 0.90, RMSEA > 0.10), while MSE demonstrated acceptable configural fit, indicating consistent interpretation of the MSE construct over time.

Authors

• Alicia Jane Peras, University of Arizona

• Nicholas Bishop, University of Arizona