CAREER: Getting to the bottom of mathematics anxiety: A longitudinal investigation into its developmental operating mechanisms

本研究将探讨数学焦虑在阻碍数学能力发展中所扮演的角色。数学焦虑描述了在数学相关活动之前或期间经历的恐惧和忧虑的感觉。这是学生群体中非常普遍的情绪。与低数学焦虑的学生相比，高数学焦虑的学生表现出较低的数学成绩和对数学相关职业道路的兴趣。为了更准确地理解数学焦虑为什么会阻碍数学能力的发展，本研究将（1）考察数学焦虑对数学问题解决的实时影响;（2）考察数学焦虑对学校内外数学学习投入的长期影响;（3）探讨可能缓解数学焦虑对数学学习结果的负面影响的个体特征。该项目由EHR核心研究（ECR）计划授予德克萨斯理工大学的CAREER奖支持，该计划支持推进STEM学习基础研究文献的工作。该项目的总体目标是进一步科学地理解数学焦虑和数学成绩之间负相关的机制。最终，这些知识将提供机会，以提高数学教育中的情感体验和知识获取的质量。该项目将整合认知情感科学，教育科学，心理生理学和发展心理学的方法论，并将其纳入一个为期3年的纵向设计，跟踪从小学高年级到中学的学生。首先，这个项目将测试数学焦虑通过破坏成功解决数学问题所需的目标驱动的注意力来损害数学表现的假设。研究人员将研究具有不同程度数学焦虑的学生在解决数学问题过程中的持续注意力分配模式（通过眼球运动测量）。其次，研究者将研究数学焦虑和数学成绩之间的纵向关系，假设数学学习中的回避和脱离在课堂上，在家里，在学校外的数学活动中调解这种发展关系。第三，研究人员将结合心电图，阻抗心动图和问卷调查的措施，探索状态和特质的情绪调节和努力动员的可能机制，在解耦不希望的数学学习成果从数学焦虑。通过寻找传播以及教育和推广计划，该项目将提供机会，以促进公众对数学学习的理解，特别是，并教育家长和教师成为更好的消费者的科学学习一般。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This project will examine the role that mathematics anxiety plays in impeding the development of mathematical competency. Mathematics anxiety describes the feeling of fear and apprehension experienced prior to or during math related activities. It is a highly prevalent emotion in the student population. Highly math anxious students, compared to their low math anxiety counterparts, exhibit lower math achievement and less interest in math-related career paths. To understand more precisely why and how mathematics anxiety may hinder the development of mathematics ability, this project will (1) investigate the real-time impacts of mathematics anxiety on math problem solving; (2) examine the long-term impacts of mathematics anxiety on engagement in math learning in and out of school; and (3) explore possible individual characteristics that may mitigate the negative implications of mathematics anxiety on math learning outcomes. The project is supported by a CAREER award to Texas Tech University by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, which supports work that advances the fundamental research literature on STEM learning.The overarching goal of this project is to further our scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying the negative association between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. Ultimately, this knowledge will provide opportunities to improve the quality of emotional experiences and knowledge acquisition in math education. This project will integrate methodological approaches from cognitive-affective sciences, educational sciences, psychophysiology, and developmental psychology into a 3-year longitudinal design, following students from upper elementary school into middle school. First, this project will test the hypothesis that mathematics anxiety impairs math performance by undermining goal-driven attention needed for successful math problem solving. The researchers will examine continuous attention distribution patterns (measured by eye movement) during math problem solving in students with varying levels of mathematics anxiety. Second, the researchers will examine the longitudinal relation between mathematics anxiety and mathematics attainment, with the hypothesis that avoidance and disengagement in math learning mediate this developmental relation in multiple contexts, in class, at home, and in out of school math activities. Third, researchers will incorporate electrocardiography, impedance cardiography, and questionnaire measures to explore state and trait emotion regulation and effort mobilization as possible mechanisms in uncoupling undesired math learning outcomes from mathematics anxiety. Through finding dissemination as well as education and outreach programs, this project will offer the opportunity to promote public understanding of mathematics learning in particular, and to educate parents and teachers to become better consumers of the science of learning in general.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.