Onderzoek naar het verband tussen wiskundeprestaties en wiskundeangst en de rol daarin van sekse en onderwijs niveau.

Abstract

Previous research indicates that non-cognitive variables can have predictive power on school achievement beyond the influence of general intelligence. This investigation evaluated the relationship between math performance, math anxiety, gender and education level in ninth grade Dutch schoolchildren. The differences between boys and girls in math performance and math anxiety are measured. The differences in math performance and math anxiety between students from different educational levels are also explored. Participants were 1014 Dutch ninth grade schoolchildren aged between 13 and 18 years (M=15.15). Online questionnaires measuring math performance and math anxiety were used. Results showed a significant relationship between math performance and math anxiety within the entire study group. The results of this study also showed that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in this relation. The findings also revealed that there was no significant gender difference in math performance and math anxiety. These results provide empirical evidence for parents and teachers to encourage girls to persist and excel in math. The results indicate that there is a difference between different educational levels of school children. Educational levels were divided into three groups. Students in the highest education level scored significantly higher on the math assignments, whereas students in the lowest education level scored significantly higher on math anxiety. The relationship between math performance and math anxiety was the strongest among students from the highest education level. Furthermore, the results indicate a positive predictive value of education level in math achievement. The predictive value for math anxiety was not proven. The practical, theoretical and methodological implications are discussed. Directions for future research are formulated.