Factors Influencing Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Performance: A Scoping Review towards Learning Optimization Directives

Source abstract

This scoping review determined the factors contributing to the mathematics anxiety and its effect on the mathematics performance among Filipino high school students. This aimed to describe the extent and nature of the literature on math anxiety and math performance, and to identify gaps to guide future directions in Math teaching and learning optimization in the Philippines. The keywords used to search existing evidence on Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Web of Science databases were mathematics anxiety, mathematics performance, factors, high school, and Philippines. A review of 13 out of 950 published studies in indexed journals from 2014 to 2024, in the English language, were selected for this scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Of the 13 included studies, a number of studies were published between 2014-2019 (n=5, 38%) and 2020-2024 (n=8, 62%). There were 10 (77%) quantitative, 1 (8%) qualitative article, and 2 (15%) mixed methods, with sample sizes ranging from 8 to 379. It is concluded that there is an inverse relationship between Math anxiety and Math performance – the higher the math anxiety level, the poorer the math performance. Furthermore, there are multidimensional factors contributing to Math Anxiety and Performance including student factors, teacher factors, home environment and relationship, Learning environment, subject factors, cultural orientation, and Peer factor. Identifying the most common contributory factors is crucial in developing targeted interventions. An evidence-based dedicated learning optimization plan is needed to provide information that will guide the teachers for Math performance enhancements.