Geary David C, Hoard Mary K, Nugent Lara, Ünal Zehra E, Greene Nathaniel R
University of Missouri.
J Educ Psychol. 2023 Jul;115(5):767-782. doi: 10.1037/edu0000793. Epub 2023 May 11.
There are consistent correlations between mathematics achievement, attitudes, and anxiety, but the longitudinal relations among these constructs are not well understood nor are sex differences in these relations. To address this gap, mathematics achievement, attitudes, and anxiety were longitudinally assessed for 342 (169 boys) adolescents from 7th to 9th grade, inclusive, and Latent Growth Curve Models were used to assess the relations among these traits and developmental change in them. Spatial abilities (7th, 8th grade) and trait anxiety (8th, 9th grade) were also assessed and used for control for sex differences in these traits. Overall, boys had stronger spatial abilities and more positive mathematics attitudes and were less anxious than girls, but there were no sex differences in mathematics achievement. Across grades, mathematics achievement improved, attitudes became less positive, and anxiety increased for both boys and girls. Higher than average cross-grade growth in mathematics achievement mitigated boys' developmental declines in mathematics attitudes and increases in anxiety. Girls with strong spatial abilities had lower mathematics anxiety, but girls overall maintained higher mathematics anxiety and less positive mathematics attitudes relative to boys, even when they showed strong cross-grade gains in mathematics achievement. The study demonstrated that longitudinal gains in mathematics are associated with cross-grade changes in attitudes and anxiety but with several different developmental patterns for boys and girls.
数学成绩、态度和焦虑之间存在一致的相关性，但这些构念之间的纵向关系尚未得到很好的理解，这些关系中的性别差异也不清楚。为了填补这一空白，对342名（169名男孩）从7年级到9年级（含）的青少年进行了数学成绩、态度和焦虑的纵向评估，并使用潜在增长曲线模型来评估这些特质之间的关系以及它们的发展变化。还评估了空间能力（7年级、8年级）和特质焦虑（8年级、9年级），并用于控制这些特质中的性别差异。总体而言，男孩的空间能力更强，数学态度更积极，比女孩更不容易焦虑，但数学成绩没有性别差异。在各个年级中，男孩和女孩的数学成绩都有所提高，态度变得不那么积极，焦虑增加。高于平均水平的跨年级数学成绩增长缓解了男孩数学态度的发展性下降和焦虑的增加。具有较强空间能力的女孩数学焦虑较低，但即使女孩在数学成绩上有很强的跨年级进步，总体上她们的数学焦虑仍高于男孩，数学态度也不如男孩积极。该研究表明，数学方面的纵向进步与态度和焦虑的跨年级变化有关，但男孩和女孩有几种不同的发展模式。
