Profiling teacher pedagogical behaviours in plummeting postgraduate students’ anxiety in statistics

Figures & data

Figure 1. Three-model statistical anxiety.

A measurement model for statistical anxiety with three latent variables, each with its indicators measuring it. χ2=99.388*; CMIN/DF=2.42; CFI=.85; NFI=.77; IFI=.85; TLI=.80; SRMR=.08. *significant at .05.

Note: χ² = 99.388*; CMIN/DF = 2.42; CFI = .85; NFI = .77; IFI = .85; TLI = .80; SRMR = .08.*significant at .05.

Figure 2. Three-model attitude towards statistics.

A measurement model for attitudes towards Statistics with three latent variables, each with its indicators measuring it. χ2=63.786*; CMIN/DF=1.99; CFI=.92; NFI=.86; IFI=.92; TLI=.89; SRMR=.08. *significant at .05.

Note: χ² = 63.786*; CMIN/DF = 1.99; CFI = .92; NFI = .86; IFI = .92; TLI = .89; SRMR = .08.*significant at .05.

Table 1. Statistics anxiety item loadings, ave and omega estimates

Factors	Items	Loading	AVE	Omega
Statistic Anxiety
Interpretation Anxiety	IA1	.626*	.47	.787
	IA2	.602*
	IA3	.844*
	IA4	.649**
Test and Class Anxiety	TCA1	.790*	.44	.757
	TCA2	.630**
	TCA3	.499**
	TCA4	.705*
Fear of Asking for Help	FAFH1	.578*	.50	.742
	FAFH2	.818*
	FAFH3	.708**
Attitude towards Anxiety
Worth of Statistics	WS1	.761*	.41	.713
	WS2	.689*
	WS3	.418**
Computation Self-Concept	CSC1	.602*	.64	.875
	CSC2	.828*
	CSC3	.880*
	CSC4	.858*
Fear of Statistics Teachers	FST1	.865*	.40	.622
	FST2	.385**
	FST3	.519**

*Significant at p < .05; **Significant at p < .01

Table 2. Postgraduate students’ level of statistical anxiety

Subscales	M	SD	Interpretation
Interpretation Anxiety	2.70	1.00	Moderate
Test and Class Anxiety	2.66	1.07	Moderate
Fear of Asking for Help	2.11	1.05	Low
Grand Mean/Standard Deviation	2.49	1.04	Low

Scale Descriptors: 1.00–1.49 (very low), 1.50–2.49 (low), 2.50–3.49 (moderate), 3.50–4.49 (high), 4.50–5.00 (very high).

Table 3. Influence of students’ mode of study on their statistical anxiety

Source	Type III Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Corrected Model	1.117	2	.559	.820	.443
Intercept	480.326	1	480.326	705.191	<.001
Study Mode	1.117	2	.559	.820	.443
Error	65.388	96	.681
Total	680.958	99
Corrected Total	66.506	98

Notes: R Squared = .017 (Adjusted R Squared = −.004); p > .05.

Table 4. Postgraduate students’ attitude toward the study of statistics

Subscales	M	SD	Interpretation
Worth of Statistics	2.21	.96	Positive
Computation Self-Concept	2.40	1.11	Positive
Fear of Statistics Teachers	1.62	.78	Positive
Grand Mean/Standard Deviation	2.08	.95	Positive

Scale Descriptors: 1.00–1.49 (highly positive), 1.50–2.49 (positive), 2.50–3.49 (moderate), 3.50–4.49 (negative), 4.50–5.00 (highly negative)

Figure 3. Nexus between postgraduate students’ statistical anxiety and their attitude towards statistics.

Three-factor postgraduate students’ statistical anxiety factors (interpretation anxiety, text and class anxiety, and fear of asking for help anxiety), each in a rectangular box influencing their attitude towards Statistics.

Table 5. Postgraduate students’ statistical anxiety and attitude towards statistics

					95% CI
Path	B	$\beta$	BSE	CR	LLCI	ULCI	p
Constant	.346*		.181	1.912	.053	.654	.022
IA —> ATT	.248*	.312	.085	2.918	.151	.499	.009
TCA —>ATT	.246*	.330	.094	2.617	.125	.519	.016
FAFHA —> ATT	.193*	.252	.088	2.193	.084	.415	.007

Notes: IA (Interpretation Anxiety); TCA (Test and Class Anxiety); FAFHA (Fear of Asking for Help Anxiety); ATT (Attitude towards Statistics); B = unstandardized path coefficient; β = standardized path coefficient *Significant at p < .05; R² = .51.

Table 6. Documentary evidence of a University’s teacher pedagogical behaviours during statistics lessons

Core Areas	Subscales	Mean
Course Content	Course content based on outline provided	3.86
	Course Content likely to be covered	3.86
	Detailed course content	3.71
Attendance	Lecturer was regular	3.71
	Lecturer was punctual	3.86
	Lecturer stayed up to end of class	3.86
Mode of Delivery	Knowledge of the subject matter	3.71
	Well organised and systematic	3.86
	Effective communication	3.86
	Fully promote teaching and learning	3.86
	Encouraged independent study	3.86
	Encouraged students to analyse issues from different perspectives	3.71
	Accepted other viewpoints	3.86
	Made room for questions and answers	3.86
	Responses to questions were appropriate and informative	3.71
	Concerned with academic progress of students	3.71
Assessment	Graded assessments	4.00
	Graded assessments returned in good time	4.00
	Discussed graded assessments	4.00
Grand Mean		3.83

Scale Descriptors: 1.00–2.00 (very unsatisfactory); 2.01–2.49 (unsatisfactory); 2.50–2.99 (satisfactory); 3.00–3.59 (good); 3.60–4.00 (very good)

Notes: The results are reported as received from the DAPQA, UCC.

Figure 4. Required pedagogical behaviours of statistics teachers. Three boxes specifying the pedagogical behaviours of statistics teachers. The first is cognitive factors with five attributes. Second is affective factors with four attributes and the third is pedagogical practices with eight attributes. Double-edged arrows connect them to show that there is a relationship.

Data availability statement

The data which drive the conclusions of the study are embedded in the manuscript.