Mediating factors of statistics anxiety in university students: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Statistics play a key role in many areas of modern society including technology, social and behaviour studies, economics and the sciences. Statistics anxiety (SA) has a detrimental impact on academic experiences in university populations. Although, the mediator factors remain underexplored. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis focused on SA in university students in the context of: statistical performance; individual differences in statistical learning; self-perceptions regarding statistics course and instructor; and sociodemographic factors. Searches were carried out in the databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Scielo, and Web of Science, according to our pre-registration. Forty studies were selected for systematic review. Seventeen were included in a series of six meta-analyses concerning: academic achievement, attitudes, self-perception, procrastination, and gender. Findings reveal learning strategies, procrastination, self-efficacy and self-awareness as predictors of SA.However, the impact of sociodemographic data in these moderators is still uncharted. We concluded with a critical appreciation of the selected studies and presented future directions for research in SA.

Understanding School Anxiety in Italian Adolescence through an Artificial Neural Network: Influence of Social Skills and Coping Strategies

“…This issue has also been addressed globally by the World Health Organization [10] and specifically with the Italian population [12]. It is crucial to note that our observations on the coping strategies of Italian students and their relationships with school anxiety are supported by previous studies [14]. We agree with Lazarus and Folkman [15] that coping strategies can be considered as responses to stress beyond individual capabilities.…”

“…Likewise, the coping strategies implemented by Italian students exert a direct impact on their levels of school anxiety [14]. Coping strategies are defined as the cognitive and behavioral efforts that individuals employ to manage internal and external demands that are perceived as exceeding their resources [15].…”

Mathematics anxiety—where are we and where shall we go?

“…Importantly, differences between MA measurement instruments should be accounted for when investigating links between MA and mathematics performance 30 . The difference between MA and statistics anxiety, a topic that has gained interest in recent years, 31–33 is also essential to distinguish; in particular, the similarity of items measuring these two constructs necessitates further study to clarify how they are related. Among the findings are gender differences in MA and statistics anxiety, which are not as consistently found for the latter 34,35 .…”

Statistics anxiety and predictions of exam performance in UK psychology students

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