Anxieties and Attitudes Related to Mathematics in Grades 3 and 6

Abstract

Little is known about the development of mathematics anxiety in elementary school students. To address this gap in knowledge, the authors evaluated students in Grades 3 and 6 on measures of mathematics anxiety, school test anxiety, and attitudes toward mathematics to determine (a) whether different forms of mathematics anxiety exist, (b) whether mathematics test anxiety differs from school test anxiety, and (c) whether mathematics anxiety is related to different attitudes toward mathematics. Evidence was found for two distinct forms of mathematics anxiety: test and problem-solving anxiety. Mathematics test anxiety increased with age relative to mathematics problem-solving anxiety; this result demonstrated that children become more anxious about mathematics testing situations as they progress through school. Mathematics test anxiety was related, but not identical, to school test anxiety, and students in both grades were less anxious about math tests than about academic testing generally. Finally, older students tended to show more positive attitudes toward mathematics than did younger students, and relations between these attitudes and the two forms of mathematics anxiety also changed between Grades 3 and 6.

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