Math anxiety and math achievement: The effects of emotional and math strategy training. Issue 6 (31st March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Passolunghi, Maria Chiara; De Vita, Chiara; Pellizzoni, Sandra
• Is Part Of: Developmental science. Volume 23:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-03-31
• Subjects: fourth‐grade children -- math abilities -- math anxiety -- math strategies and emotional factors -- primary school -- training; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.12964
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-755X

Abstract

Abstract: Math anxiety (MA) is a specific feeling of tension generated by the manipulation of numerical stimuli in daily life and academic situations (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). This condition has significant repercussions on the individual's life at personal, social, and economic level. Literature on the topic of MA alleviation, however, is still scarce. This study aims at contributing to this field by addressing MA prevention in school‐age children. We have developed two different training methods administered to two groups of fourth graders: (a) MA training focusing on identifying and copying with MA‐related feelings ( N = 76); and (b) Math strategy training focusing on supplementary exercises to enhance calculation strategies ( N = 76). We also carried out a Control training involving a range of activities, such as reading comic strips, describing characters in the story, and combining text and images to obtain an original narrative text ( N = 72). We evaluated the differential effects of these training methods on MA, general anxiety, and math achievement before and after the training. Results indicate that MA training contributes to a decrease in MA level, although it does not appear to affect math achievement; Math strategy training, on the other hand, results in far transfer on a reduction of MA level as well as near transfer on the improvement of math achievement. Data are discussed in terms of specific mechanisms underlying each type of training method, and with specific focus on the evaluation of educational and developmental opportunities linked to MA prevention and improvement of math abilities in school‐age children. Abstract : This study aims at evaluating trainings to reduce math anxiety (MA) and improve math abilities. Results indicate that MA training contributes to a decrease in MA level, but only Math strategy training showed a reduction of MA level as well as an improvement of math abilities.