Worked examples moderate the effect of math learning anxiety on children’s math learning and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

We investigated whether worked examples could be used to reduce cognitive load on mathematics learners who may have reduced available cognitive resources due to experiencing anxiety or excess stress. Across 2 days, 280 fifth-grade students learned from a difficult lesson on ratio, half of whom reviewed worked examples at key problem-solving opportunities during instruction. We also measured two sources of students' worry during learning: math anxiety and worries about learning during the pandemic. We explored the attentional and affective effects of worked examples and worries in addition to their effects on learning. Results suggest that math anxiety, but not pandemic learning worries, negatively predicted procedural and conceptual learning from the lesson. In line with previous research and cognitive load theory, math anxiety also predicted greater mind wandering during testing and lower situational interest during learning. Critically, reviewing worked examples during learning mitigated these effects on learning and engagement. Pandemic-related learning worries were unrelated to learning outcomes but did predict affective and motivational outcomes. Educational implications are discussed. Educational Impact and Implications StatementMath lessons that compare different solution strategies are effective but demanding, especially for anxious students who have thoughts and worries that compete for their attention. Reviewing worked examples-which are fully-worked out examples of problem solutions-can promote learning by drawing students' attention directly to the key parts of the compared strategies. In our study, we show that having students review worked examples during a ratio lesson that compared two strategies greatly reduced the negative impacts of math anxiety on their learning and attention.