BECE. Newsletter 

BECE, Vol.10, No.1, 2022 1342 

 

 

 

 

Mathematics Anxiety and its Impact on Academic 

Achievement: Research on the Impact Mechanism 

Based on a Large-scale Assessment in Province Z 

By He, S. Q. & Qi, C., X. 
Correspondence to: Qi, C. X., Beijing Normal University, China. E-mail: 

qichxia@126.com  

HE study (published in Educational Research and Experiment) surveyed 

42644 eighth-grade students from 11 prefecture-level cities in Province 

Z. It evaluates the eighth graders’ academic performance in mathematics by 

measuring their cognitive abilities in learning, understanding, and application 

in the study of Algebra, Graphics and Geometry, and Statistics and Probabil-

ity. Manifestations of mathematics anxiety and its impact on student academ-

ic achievements are examined. The Mathematics Anxiety Questionnaire in-

cludes four dimensions, namely, class anxiety, homework anxiety, problem-

solving anxiety, and test anxiety.  

Research Results: 

 Analysis of students’ propensities in the four dimensions of 

mathematics anxiety indicates that students have the highest 

propensity for test anxiety, lower one for class anxiety, and the 

lowest for homework and problem-solving anxiety.  

 In terms of gender differences in student mathematics anxiety, 

girls have higher levels of class anxiety and test anxiety than 

boys, and boys have higher levels of homework anxiety than 

girls. In terms of regional differences in student mathematics 

anxiety, the more backward the economy and education of the 

region, the higher the level of student mathematics anxiety. 

From the perspective of different school types, students in pub-

lic schools experience higher levels of mathematics anxiety than 

those in private schools. Academic levels are closely related to 

mathematics anxiety levels in that students with lower academic 

levels tend to report higher levels of homework anxiety and 

problem-solving anxiety, and those with narrow passes in exams 

undergo the highest levels of class anxiety and test anxiety. 

 In this study, class anxiety and problem-solving anxiety are in-

dependent variables, homework anxiety and test anxiety inter-

T 

mailto:qichxia@126.com


 

BECE, Vol.10, No.1, 2022 1343 

mediary variables, and student academic performance in math-

ematics the dependent variable for path analysis. The results 

show that both class anxiety and problem-solving anxiety inten-

sify homework anxiety and test anxiety, resulting in negative 

impacts on student academic performance in mathematics. Nev-

ertheless, test anxiety has a weak positive effect on student aca-

demic performance in mathematics. 

Given the negative influence of mathematics anxiety on student aca-

demic performance in mathematics, appropriate teaching methods should be 

adopted to help students alleviate and eliminate this negative academic mood. 

In addition, parents’ and teachers’ anxiety about mathematics will also ag-

gravate students’ mathematics anxiety. Therefore, teachers and parents 

should avoid influencing students negatively with their own mathematics 

anxiety. Students with low academic levels should be given more help and 

encouragement. Student homework burden should be kept at a proper level 

so that students can learn in a pleasant atmosphere. 

 

Source: Educational Research and Experiment, 2020(2):82-89.