FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MATHEMATICS ANXIETY IN TEACHERS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.5157125230073

• Palavras-chave: Math Anxiety; Teachers; Elementary School.

• Keywords: Math Anxiety; Teachers; Elementary School.

• Abstract:

  The objective of this study was to verify factors associated with Mathematics Anxiety (MA) among teachers of the initial years of elementary school in the Public School System of Pelotas/RS, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study in which 285 teachers participated and answered a self-administered online questionnaire containing socio-demographic characteristics, teaching context and items from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Mathematics Anxiety Scale for practicing teachers (MAST-BR) scales adapted for the Brazilian context. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. The univariate analyses were carried out using absolute and relative frequencies, means and standard deviations; the bivariate analyses were carried out using the chi-square test, Spearman's correlation according to the non-normal distribution of the sample and linear regression. The scores on the MAST-BR scale showed significant differences (p<0.001), with higher mean scores of MA being identified in teachers from the municipal school system, who declared themselves to be professionally dissatisfied, who did not have specific training for teaching mathematics, who mentioned having a very bad/regular relationship with mathematics and its teaching and who showed anxious symptoms on the GAD-7. The MAST-BR showed a moderate correlation of 0.40 with the GAD-7. We conclude that the most predictive factors for MA were the subjective perception of teachers' relationship with mathematics and its teaching and the presence of symptoms of generalized anxiety.