The mediating role of the student-teacher relationship in mathematics anxiety and achievement among students

Source abstract

This research examined the mediating effect of the student-teacher relationship between students’ mathematics anxiety and achievement among Grade 10 students from four selected schools of the Cebu City Division for the school year 2024-2025 as the foundation for a strategic plan using a descriptive-correlational research design. A total of 526 students were selected using simple random sampling, following Cochran’s formula to ensure a representative sample with a 5% margin of error. The data gathered were analyzed using weighted mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s r, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that students displayed a moderate level of mathematics anxiety, a strongly positive student-teacher relationship, and satisfactory performance in mathematics. Correlation analysis revealed a negligible negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and achievement, a negligible positive relationship between the student-teacher relationship and achievement, and a negligible negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and the student-teacher relationship. Moreover, the findings suggested that while math anxiety negatively affects students’ performance, a strong student-teacher relationship can serve as a mediating factor in reducing its adverse effects. Thus, these results provide meaningful insights into the development of a strategic plan aimed at improving mathematics achievement through strengthened student-teacher relationships. The study’s outcomes underscore the perspectives of students toward mathematics and their academic performance, which provide valuable implications for supporting and enhancing learning through positive student-teacher interactions.