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Psychological Factors Effecting Math Performance of African American Secondary Students

Undergraduate #356
Discipline: Science and Mathematics Education
Subcategory:

Juanita A. Morris - Virginia State University
Co-Author(s): Oliver Hill and Christen Priddie, Virginia State University, VA



The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating relationships among self-handicapping, self-efficacy, math-anxiety and their effects on African American student performance in mathematics. Previous research has shown a strong relationship between self-efficacy and math anxiety, with higher self-efficacy associated with lower levels of math anxiety, and between math anxiety and math performance (Hall & Penton 2005, & Hoffman 2010). However, paradoxically, African American students tend to have higher levels of self-efficacy than Caucasian students, but their higher self-efficacy does not translate to higher levels of academic performance (Jaret & Reitzes 2009). This study investigates the role of self-handicapping in in the academic performance and levels of math anxiety in African American students. This study was conducted with African American high school students (N = 185). Participants were given a series of tests to measure their math anxiety, math performance, and self-efficacy and self-handicapping behaviors. Test administered were the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale, academic self-efficacy scale and the self-handicapping scale came from the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Styles Manual, and the Virginia SOL-Test was used to assess math performance. It was hypothesized that self-efficacy and self-handicapping would have a direct relationship with math performance. It was also hypothesized that math anxiety would mediate the relationship between self-handicapping and math performance. It is hypothesized that math anxiety would mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and math performance. It is further hypothesized that math anxiety would have a direct relationship with self-handicapping and math performance. We found that math anxiety was not related to math performance, that only the self-efficacy and self-handicapping were related to math performance outcome. Path analysis revealed that math anxiety did not play a role in mediating the relationships but did effect only math performance. That result was consistent with the literature. Although math anxiety does not play a key role in African American student performance, other personality and psycho-social factors seem to play a bigger role. Factors like self-efficacy and self-handicapping can influence math performance in African American students.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): I thank Oliver Hill for helping me with this project and Christen Priddie for guiding me throughout this research process. I am gracious for the opportunity to work on the NSF/ HBCU-UP grant.

Faculty Advisor: Oliver Hill, ohill@vsu.edu

Role: The entire paper was done by myself, edited by Oliver Hill and Christen Priddie.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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