2005 Volume 8 Number 2
Anxiety and Performance on Mathematical Problem Solving of Secondary Two Students in Singapore

Yeo Kai Kow, Joseph
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Abstract:Researchers have highlighted the significance of affective factors and their influences on problem-solving performance. Moreover, it was been reported that research on the cognitive processes in mathematical problem solving has been over-represented resulting in a neglect of non-cognitive factors such as emotions and anxiety. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify interrelationships among mathematics anxiety, test anxiety and problem-solving performance. A total of 621 Secondary 2 students from ten secondary schools in Singapore participated in the study. The data showed a positive relationship between mathematics anxiety and test anxiety. In addition, mathematics anxiety and performance on a non-routine mathematical problem solving test showed a marginal linear relationship whereas test anxiety had almost no relationship with the performance on the non-routine mathematical problem solving test.

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