Learning Avoidance Mediates the Longitudinal Effects of Math Anxiety on Math Achievement Development

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Abstract

The present study investigated how math learning avoidance across multiple settings contributes to the effects of math anxiety (MA) on math achievement development. Participants consisted of 207 third to sixth grade students who were followed annually for an average of two years. Math learning avoidance was operationalized as lack of engagement in math classroom and presence of math homework problems. Longitudinal structural equation modeling revealed that higher MA predicted slower growth in math achievement by way of predicting more math homework problems and less emotional engagement in math classrooms. These findings support the learning avoidance model and highlight learning avoidance as a possible target for future interventions to close the achievement gap among students with varying levels of MA.

Authors

• Kyra Foley, Texas A&M University

• Tianyu Li, Austin Peay State University

• Minchao Wang, Texas A&M University

• Zhe Wang, Texas A&M University