The Origins, Impact and Cognitive Mechanism Underlying Math Anxiety in Early Elementary School
Gerardo Ramirez
About the research
Award
NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship
Award Year
2012
Institution
University of Chicago
Primary Discipline
Psychology
Math anxiety impedes students? mathematics performance--irrespective of true ability--by disrupting working memory processes that are critical in math problem solving. Since high achieving students are characterized by a superior use of working memory, some of our most promising students may be particularly at risk for experiencing problems with math anxiety. To test this possibility, a within-subjects pre/post design will be used to address the following: 1)Does math anxiety have a negative impact on the math achievement of children as young as 1st and 2nd grade? 2)Do individual differences in working memory play a role in moderating the impact of math anxiety? 3)What is the cognitive mechanism underlying the anxiety-performance relationship? 4)Lastly, since math anxiety is highly prevalent among pre-service teachers, this study will examine whether teachers play a role in the propagation of student math anxiety.
About Gerardo Ramirez
N/A