The Effect of Gender on Mathematics Anxiety
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55707/ds-po.v40i1.160Keywords:
mathematics anxiety, gender differences, mathematics education, high schoolAbstract
In this article, we analyze the complex dynamics of mathematics anxiety, gender, and academic success, focusing on their interconnections. We highlight the importance of mathematics in education and explore gender differences in mathematics anxiety, describing its effects on success in mathematics classes. With an empirical study, we decided to examine the influence of gender on mathematics anxiety using a selected Slovenian gymnasium (i.e. high school) as a case study. For this purpose, we employed a causal non-experimental method and, using a sample of 177 grade 10 - grade 12 (approx. 15 - 17 years old) students in the academic year 2023/24, assessed the impact through an online survey based on the AMAS instrument for measuring mathematics anxiety. The AMAS instrument proved to be acceptable (α = 0.77). Mathematics anxiety was not normally distributed. All tests confirmed the influence of gender on mathematics anxiety with a p-value < 0.001. The obtained results can assist educational institutions in their processes, especially where significant disparities in mathematics performance between genders are evident.
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