Math Attitudes, Engagement, and Performance of High School Students on High and Low-stakes Tests of Statistics Knowledge

Abstract

We examined direct and indirect relations between engagement-related constructs, math anxiety, and learning outcomes. Confirmatory factor analysis was first used to validate scores from measures of these constructs with a sample of high school students enrolled in AP Statistics (N = 696, Mean age = 16.7 years, SD = .90). Structural equation models were fitted to examine relations between these constructs on a subsample that completed all measures (N = 219). A greater proportion of variation was explained in a high-stakes learning outcome (R2 = .54) than a low-stakes learning outcome (R2 = .22). We found evidence of indirect effects of academic procrastination and course engagement on the learning outcome through math anxiety. The findings shed light on opportunities for intervention on academic maladaptive behaviors, such as procrastination, which could lessen their effect on math anxiety and thus better facilitate learning. Further, these findings highlight the importance of testing stakes when examining associations between engagement, math anxiety, and learning.