Effects of math anxiety on student success in higher education

Abstract

This study examines whether math anxiety and negative attitudes towards mathematics have an effect on university students' academic achievement in a methodological course forming part of their degree. A total of 193 students were presented with a math anxiety test and some questions about their enjoyment, self-confidence and motivation regarding mathematics, and their responses were assessed in relation to the grades they had obtained during continuous assessment on a course entitled "Research Design".Results showed that low performance on the course was related to math anxiety and negative attitudes towards mathematics. We suggest that these factors may affect students' performance and should therefore be taken into account in attempts to improve students' learning processes in methodological courses of this kind.

Predictors of numeracy performance in undergraduate psychology, nursing and medical students

“…Ashcraft & Moore, 2009) and additional research on different student populations (e.g. Loong, 2012;Núñez-Peña, Suárez-Pellicioni & Bono, 2013) have supported this relationship. In all of these cases, this relationship was a negative one, with anxiety reducing performance.…”

“…e.g. Bull, 2009;Núñez-Peña, Suárez-Pellicioni & Bono, 2013) but no research has investigated the effect of anxiety or motivation on medical students.…”

“…Núñez-Peña, Suárez-Pellicioni & Bono, 2013). Few empirical studies, however, have looked at whether perceptions on the usefulness of maths can predict performance, despite the fact that it is a common factor in numerous measures of maths attitudes and attitudes towards maths-related variables (e.g.…”

“…highest previous mathematics qualification) has some significant effect on both numeracy-based attitudinal and performance-related variables. Núñez-Peña, Suárez-Pellicioni & Bono (2013) demonstrated that psychology students with a background in humanities were more likely to do worse on the numeracybased component of their course, compared to those students with more quantitative backgrounds. Huws, Reddy & Talcott (2005) found that GCSE maths grades significantly predicted university grades; A-Level grades, however, did not.…”

“…In particular, anxiety was expected to predict performance, based on the considerable amount of previous research that has suggested this (e.g. Ashcraft & Moore, 2009;Núñez-Peña, Suárez-Pellicioni & Bono, 2013). It was also expected that the additional affective variables, as well as the demographic / educational variables, would significantly predict numeracy performance, either directly or indirectly.…”