Postsecondary Students' Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Statistical Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

• In Event: 28.024 - Considering Methods: Epistemologies, Evidence, and Representations

Abstract

Although self-efficacy and anxiety can crucially impact statistics achievement, evidence linking anxiety and self-efficacy to statistics performance has been mixed. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis to clarify the relationships among anxiety, self-efficacy, and statistics performance. The results indicated that overall: (1) anxiety had a significant negative relationship with self-efficacy (r = -.393) and statistical performance ( r = -.236); (2) self-efficacy and statistical performance was significantly positively correlated (r = .323); (3) 18.4% of the statistical performance variance could be statistically significant explained by anxiety and self-efficacy together; (4) self-efficacy moderated the effect of anxiety on statistics achievement; and (5) the effect of self-efficacy on statistical performance was moderated by anxiety. We discuss directions and implications for future research.

Authors

• Meng-Te Hung, Mississippi State University

• Ling-Shen Hung, Huaiyin Institute of Technology

• Tianlan Wei, Mississippi State University

• Daina Zhu, Mississippi State University

• Yi-Hsin Lee, East Mississippi Community College