Keywords
Abstract
The paper analyzes the relationship of the anxiety of mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy with academic performance of Chinese students in middle schools. In particular, it will examine the presence of gender and grade level differences in these constructs and whether self-efficacy is the cause which moderates between the relationship of anxiety and performance. An Xingtai City cross-sectional survey among 724 students was carried out. Data analysis was done based on descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and moderation analysis in structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicated that anxiety about mathematics had a negative predictive value in achieving performance and that self-efficacy had a positive predictive value in achieving performance. The differences between gender and grade-level were statistically significant. Besides, self-efficacy mediated the impact of anxiety on achievement. These results indicate that special intervention towards the various groups of students is necessary and that, there is a need to promote self-efficacy in order to counteract the deleterious effects of anxiety.
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