The Relations Among Math Anxiety, Math Self-Construct, and Math Achievement in Older and Underserved Minority Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the relations among math anxiety, math self-concept, and math self-efficacy on math achievement in older students and underserved ethnic minorities (i.e., Blacks and Hispanics) in higher education. These two groups have been largely neglected in the math self-construct literature. The results showed that older students reported higher math learning anxiety and lower math self-efficacy. Underserved minorities reported higher levels of both math learning and math evaluation anxiety. These math measures were related to lower math achievement (i.e., math SAT, math GPA, and the number of math classes completed). Using latent profile analysis, three distinct math profiles were identified. The high math anxiety and low self-efficacy profile was associated with older students, compared to students whose profile was average in math anxiety and math self-efficacy, or low in math anxiety and high in math self-efficacy. These findings challenge researchers and educators to devise interventions and employ pedagogical techniques to bolster older students’ and underserved ethnic minorities’ math self-construct and academic achievement in math.

Keywords:

• Latent profile analysis
• math anxiety
• math self-concept
• math self-efficacy
• minority students
• older students

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This article was supported by the Funded Faculty Leave grant from the University of Houston-Downtown.

Notes on contributors

Kit W. Cho

Kit W. Cho is an associate professor of Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. He teaches more than six different courses at UHD, including cognitive psychology, statistics, and research methods. His research interests center on applied cognitive psychology and educational psychology.

Dana Kongo

Dana Kongo is a graduate student at the University of Houston-Clear Lake campus. She is pursuing an M.S in the Psychology Neuroscience and Behavior program. Her research interests center around learning disabilities in K-12 students.