STUDENTS' ATTITUDES AND ANXIETY TOWARD MATHEMATICS: EXAMINING THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MATHEMATICS LEARNING

Aqsa Sarwar

doi:10.5281/zenodo.22866974

Abstract

Students' emotional responses to mathematics shape engagement and performance. This study examined
secondary students' attitudes toward mathematics, their mathematics anxiety, and the relationship between the
two, along with differences by gender and grade level. A cross-sectional survey design was used with [N] students
in Grades 8–10. Attitudes were measured with an adapted Fennema–Sherman scale and anxiety with a validated
mathematics anxiety scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation, group comparisons and regression were planned.
Placeholder results suggest moderately positive attitudes, moderate anxiety, and a negative association between
the two (r = −.52). Implications for supportive teaching, early identification and school-based interventions are
discussed. Together, the findings suggest that emotional and attitudinal barriers deserve the same attention as
cognitive ones in mathematics classrooms. The study adds evidence on how attitude dimensions, particularly
confidence, relate to anxiety, and it identifies gender and grade groups that may need targeted support. Limitations
include the reliance on self-report and a cross-sectional design, and future work should adopt longitudinal and
intervention approaches. These conclusions remain provisional until the placeholder results are replaced with real
data.

Keywords

Mathematics anxiety; students' attitudes; mathematics achievement; mathematics education; academic performance; learning

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