Examining the reciprocal relations of mathematics anxiety to quantitative reasoning and number knowledge in Chinese children

Parental mathematics anxiety is related to children's mathematical development in preschool and the first school years

Math anxiety is a well-known predictor of mathematics skills, with its effects ranging from reducing performance in high-stakes tests to interfering with learning novel mathematics contents. Although the intergenerational transmission of generalized anxiety is well-documented, research on the associations between parents' math anxiety and children's math anxiety and mathematics outcomes is still limited. In this longitudinal study (N = 126), we investigated the associations between parents' math anxiety (as measured when children were 3 years of age) and children's math anxiety and math skills at 8 years of age. The development of children's mathematics skills from 3 to 8 years was also investigated. Results of longitudinal structural equation models revealed that parents' math anxiety was associated with children's mathematics skills in the preschool years even after controlling for parental education. In turn, children's mathematics skills in the preschool years were associated both with children's mathematics skills and their mathematics anxiety at age 8. In addition, there was an indirect link between parents' math anxiety, as measured when their children were age 3, and children's mathematics skills at age 8, which was mediated by children's early mathematics skills in the preschool years. In sum, these findings suggest that although parents' math anxiety is not directly related to the development of math anxiety in their children, it may be negatively related to the development of children's early mathematical skills, which are strong predictors not only of academic achievement but also of success and well-being in adulthood.

Cross-notation knowledge of rational numbers predicts fraction arithmetic

BACKGROUND

Recent research showed that cross-notation magnitude knowledge of fractions and decimals was related to better performance in fraction arithmetic, but it remains unclear whether it made an independent contribution to fraction arithmetic longitudinally when other cognitive variables are considered.

AIMS

To examine the extent to which children's earlier knowledge of cross-notation magnitude predicted subsequent performance in fraction addition and subtraction as well as fraction multiplication and division longitudinally.

SAMPLE

Three hundred and fifty-four Chinese children (Mage = 112.1 months).

METHODS

During the first wave of assessment, a range of cognitive abilities of children were measured, including within-notation fraction and decimal magnitude comparisons, whole-number arithmetic fluency, non-verbal intelligence, attentive behaviours, counting recall, word-level reading, and phonological awareness. Twelve months later, the same children were assessed again with two tasks of fraction arithmetic: fraction addition and subtraction as well as fraction multiplication and division.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Multiple linear regressions showed that within-notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge predicted fraction addition and subtraction longitudinally, after the effects of working memory, nonverbal intelligence, language skills, attentive behaviour, and whole-number arithmetic were controlled. Cross-notation magnitude knowledge made independent contributions to fraction addition and subtraction longitudinally beyond the influence of within-notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge and other covariates. However, within-notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge were not associated with fraction multiplication and division, whereas cross-notation magnitude knowledge remained a unique predictor. These findings suggest that it may be useful to incorporate cross-notation knowledge in the assessments of children's mathematics abilities and teaching.

Gender differences in mathematics anxiety: A meta-analysis of Chinese children

Mathematics anxiety (MA) is a widespread phenomenon that affects an individual's learning of mathematics. MA between different genders has been of great interest to researchers. Meta-analysis was used to examine the relationship between MA and gender in Chinese children, along with the influencing factors. After literature search and screening, 83 papers and 91 independent samples met the inclusion criteria. The results of the main effect test of the random effect model revealed a correlation of significant levels between MA and gender, r = -0.131, 95%CI [-0.158, -0.105], Z = -9.508, and p < 0.001. Girls had higher MA than boys. The outcomes of the moderating effect test indicated that the moderating effect of age, economic region and measurement instrument in the relationship between MA and gender was significant. But the moderating effect of period was not significant. Specifically, gender differences in MA were greater at the middle school compared to the elementary school. And the greatest correlation between children's MA and gender was in the western region. The gender difference of MA measured by different instruments varied.

Basic Symbolic Number Skills, but Not Formal Mathematics Performance, Longitudinally Predict Mathematics Anxiety in the First Years of Primary School

Mathematical anxiety (MA) and mathematics performance typically correlate negatively in studies of adolescents and adults, but not always amongst young children, with some theorists questioning the relevance of MA to mathematics performance in this age group. Evidence is also limited in relation to the developmental origins of MA and whether MA in young children can be linked to their earlier mathematics performance. To address these questions, the current study investigated whether basic and formal mathematics skills around 4 and 5 years of age were predictive of MA around the age of 7-8. Additionally, we also examined the cross-sectional relationships between MA and mathematics performance in 7-8-year-old children. Specifically, children in our study were assessed in their first (T1; aged 4-5), second (T2; aged 5-6), and fourth years of school (T3; aged 7-8). At T1 and T2, children completed measures of basic numerical skills, IQ, and working memory, as well as curriculum-based mathematics tests. At T3, children completed two self-reported MA questionnaires, together with a curriculum-based mathematics test. The results showed that MA could be reliably measured in a sample of 7-8-year-olds and demonstrated the typical negative correlation between MA and mathematical performance (although the strength of this relationship was dependent on the specific content domain). Importantly, although early formal mathematical skills were unrelated to later MA, there was evidence of a longitudinal relationship between basic early symbolic number skills and later MA, supporting the idea that poorer basic numerical skills relate to the development of MA.

Peer network in math anxiety: A longitudinal social network approach

Regardless of age, math anxiety (i.e., adverse affective reactions in situations involving math) is associated with lower math achievement. Previous studies have investigated the role of adult figures (e.g., parents, teachers) in the development of children's math anxiety. However, given the importance of peer relationships during adolescence, we examined friendship selection and social influence on children's math anxiety using longitudinal peer network analyses. Throughout the academic semester, we found that children became more similar to their peers in math anxiety levels but did not form new peer networks based on their levels of math anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of peers' emotional reactions to math, which could influence future academic achievement and career aspirations considerably.

Relations Between Class Competition and Primary School Students' Academic Achievement: Learning Anxiety and Learning Engagement as Mediators

This study aimed to analyze the relations between class competition and primary school students' academic achievement, considering the possible mediating roles of learning anxiety and learning engagement. Participants were 1,479 primary school students from four primary schools in Zhejiang, China. We analyzed participants' scores for class competition, learning anxiety, and learning engagement and their last two final exam scores. Class competition did not directly predict academic achievement, but indirectly affected academic achievement through learning anxiety and learning engagement. There were three effect paths: (1) class competition negatively predicted academic achievement by increasing learning anxiety; (2) class competition positively predicted academic achievement by promoting learning engagement; and (3) class competition affected academic achievement through multiple mediating effects of learning anxiety and learning engagement. This study highlights the important roles of learning anxiety and learning engagement in class competition and academic achievement, which have theoretical and practical significance.

The Role of Opportunity to Learn on Student Mathematics Anxiety, Problem-Solving Performance, and Mathematics Performance

This study examined the effects of opportunity to learn (OTL) or the content coverage in mathematics on student mathematics anxiety, problem-solving performance, and mathematics performance. The pathways examining the influences of OTL on student problem-solving performance and mathematics performance via mathematics anxiety were also tested. A sample of 1,676 students from Shanghai-China, and a sample of 1,511 students from the United States who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 were used for the analyses. The results from multilevel models and path models supported our hypotheses that OTL not only showed significant direct effects on student mathematics anxiety, problem-solving performance, and mathematics performance, but also presented indirect effects on student problem-solving performance and mathematics performance via mathematics anxiety in both Shanghai-China and United States, controlling for student gender, grade, and socioeconomic status. The practical implications of the current results were also discussed.

Body weight contingent self-worth predicts depression in adolescent girls: The roles of self-esteem instability and interpersonal sexual objectification

This 3-year longitudinal study examined the extent to which body weight contingent self-worth (CSW) predicted depressive symptoms in 439 adolescent girls and the roles of unstable self-esteem and interpersonal sexual objectification in this association. Half-longitudinal mediation showed that the indirect effect of body weight CSW on depression via instability of self-esteem was significant. Prior levels of body weight CSW predicted increases in unstable self-esteem, which predicted increments in depressive symptoms over time. However, earlier levels of depression did not significantly predict increases in self-esteem instability. Moderation analyses indicated that the indirect effect was conditional upon individuals' experience of interpersonal sexual objectification. The positive link between body weight CSW and unstable self-esteem was stronger in girls who experienced more interpersonal sexual objectification. The direct effect of body weight CSW on depression was also moderated by interpersonal sexual objectification. Taken together, basing self-worth on body weight appears to be a risk factor for depression through its association with unstable self-esteem in adolescent girls and sexually objectifying experiences serve to exacerbate the connection between body weight CSW and adverse outcomes.