Mathematics Anxiety among Eighth-Grade Students of the United Arab Emirates

Abed, Adnan S.; Alkhateeb, Haitham M.

doi:10.2466/pr0.2001.89.1.65

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…However, there are also many studies that show no gender differences in MA [3,5,7,10,29,52-61]. There are indeed a few studies that have found higher MA levels in males than in females [62-64]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety

et al. 2012

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BackgroundMathematics anxiety (MA), a state of discomfort associated with performing mathematical tasks, is thought to affect a notable proportion of the school age population. Some research has indicated that MA negatively affects mathematics performance and that girls may report higher levels of MA than boys. On the other hand some research has indicated that boys’ mathematics performance is more negatively affected by MA than girls’ performance is. The aim of the current study was to measure girls’ and boys’ mathematics performance as well as their levels of MA while controlling for test anxiety (TA) a construct related to MA but which is typically not controlled for in MA studies.MethodsFour-hundred and thirty three British secondary school children in school years 7, 8 and 10 completed customised mental mathematics tests and MA and TA questionnaires.ResultsNo gender differences emerged for mathematics performance but levels of MA and TA were higher for girls than for boys. Girls and boys showed a positive correlation between MA and TA and a negative correlation between MA and mathematics performance. TA was also negatively correlated with mathematics performance, but this relationship was stronger for girls than for boys. When controlling for TA, the negative correlation between MA and performance remained for girls only. Regression analyses revealed that MA was a significant predictor of performance for girls but not for boys.ConclusionsOur study has revealed that secondary school children experience MA. Importantly, we controlled for TA which is typically not controlled for in MA studies. Girls showed higher levels of MA than boys and high levels of MA were related to poorer levels of mathematics performance. As well as potentially having a detrimental effect on ‘online’ mathematics performance, past research has shown that high levels of MA can have negative consequences for later mathematics education. Therefore MA warrants attention in the mathematics classroom, particularly because there is evidence that MA develops during the primary school years. Furthermore, our study showed no gender difference in mathematics performance, despite girls reporting higher levels of MA. These results might suggest that girls may have had the potential to perform better than boys in mathematics however their performance may have been attenuated by their higher levels of MA. Longitudinal research is needed to investigate the development of MA and its effect on mathematics performance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety

et al. 2012

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“…It is essential to understand the significance of instructional technology in helping eighth grade students perform well in mathematics in the TIMISS. Also, Abed [34] spots the significance of understanding students' level of math anxiety in the UAE students. Technology may help in reducing such math anxiety, with flexible and multiple learning tools.…”

Section: General School Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of School Factors on Students’ Mathematics Achievements in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in Abu Dhabi Emirate Schools

et al. 2022

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This study aimed to explore school factors that influence students’ achievements in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. The study sample for TIMSS 2015 consisted of 4838 students in eighth grade; 2172 girls, 2666 boys, and 156 schools from Abu Dhabi attended and participated in TIMSS 2015. Principal component analysis (PCA) was run on 77 items of school questionnaires administered to school principals to provide information about the school contexts for teaching and learning. The five factors from the school questionnaire were general school resources, school discipline and safety, parental support, principal experience and education, and library and instruction resources. Multiple regression models were implemented to examine the impact of school factors on student achievement in TIMSS 2015. The models are statistically significant, indicating that they fit the data well. This also demonstrates a significant linear relationship between students’ achievement in TIMSS 2015 and the variables related to school factors.

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“…Instead, Devine et al [30] reported math anxiety to be a significant predictor of performance in females but not males, whereas Miller and Bichsel [31] found that math anxiety was more predictive of basic math performance in males than in females. Concerning the magnitude of the anxiety experienced by students, the findings are also mixed, including greater levels of math anxiety in females than in males [32,33], in males than in females [34], or no gender differences [35]. Interestingly, Hembree [22] reported that although math anxiety was higher in female students, it did not predict their math performance.…”

Section: The Selected Dispositionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Individual Differences in Math Courses

et al. 2022

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A higher education that can be defined as sustainable ensures the acquisition of competencies that are necessary to address the current and future needs of the society in which it exists. Because math competencies are an essential component of college students’ academic and professional success, poor performance outcomes are particularly problematic in the context of an education that aims to be sustainable. This research sought to identify dispositions that are predictive of math performance in the post-pandemic world to develop an early detection system for at-risk students of an understudied population (college students of Middle Eastern descent from Saudi Arabia). It specifically targeted female and male students in STEM or non-STEM majors who were enrolled in a math course of the general education curriculum. During the second semester of a return to entirely face-to-face instruction, their self-efficacy, math learning anxiety, math evaluation anxiety, and preference for morning or evening study activities were surveyed. In the post-pandemic world of this understudied population, the math performance of STEM male and female students was hurt by concerns about learning math. The math performance of non-STEM male students benefited from self-efficacy, whereas that of non-STEM female students was unaffected by any of the dispositions surveyed in the present investigation. These findings suggest that individual difference measures can inform early interventions intended to address performance deficiencies in selected groups of students with the overreaching goal of ensuring a sustainable education for all.

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Mathematics Anxiety among Eighth-Grade Students of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract: To investigate the mathematics anxiety of 159 students in Grade 8 (M age = 14.3 yr.) in the United Arab Emirates a 28-item anxiety scale was administered. Analysis indicated some mathematics anxiety. Also, boys and girls scored significantly differently as boys had the higher mean.

Cited by 15 publications

References 5 publications

Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety

Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety

The Influence of School Factors on Students’ Mathematics Achievements in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in Abu Dhabi Emirate Schools

Adaptive Individual Differences in Math Courses

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