Math Anxiety in Primary Education during Covid-19 Confinement: Influence on Age and Gender

Abstract

Background:The closure of schools in Spain due to the Covid-19 pandemic confronted teachers, students, and families with a new reality. Previous studies have shown that anxiety levels increase during pandemic times. Therefore, it highlights the interest of the affective domain in primary education. Objectives: To analyse some general aspects of math anxiety, such as primary school students' fear, nervousness, and blockage before mathematics both at the educational centre and at home during the Covid-19 confinement. Design: Quantitative study using a closed questionnaire of seven questions with a Likert-type scale. Settings and participants: 496 Spanish primary school students. Data collection: Through the questionnaire hosted in Google Forms and provided by the teachers responsible for the students one month after the closure of all the educational centres and the confinement of all the participating children. Results: Fear of math increases during primary education, with the highest levels of fear and restlessness in the third and sixth grades; the girls presented the highest levels in all aspects, except for nervousness during classes. Conclusions: The general aspects of math anxiety are intimately linked and evolve increasingly throughout primary education. These facts are justified based on the proximity of the change in the educational stage and its influence on teaching, as well as the students' social conditions.

The impact of Covid-19 on student achievement: Evidence from a recent meta-analysis

“… Mamolo (2022) found that the students’ math motivation and self-efficacy decreased during the pandemic. Similarly, Mendoza et al (2021) and Arnal-Palacián et al (2022) provided evidence about higher levels of math anxiety experienced by university and primary school students, respectively, during Covid-19.…”