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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2687 – 2690

5th World Conference on Educational Sciences - WCES 2013

Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept and Anxiety Among 9th
Grade Students in Latvia

Liene Kvedere

Daugavpils University, Parades 1, Daugavpils, LV-5400, Latvia

Abstract

The study aims to explore the level of Latvian 9th grade students mathematics self-efficacy, self-concept and
anxiety, to discover the possible interconnections between these parameters and socio-demographic indicators of
students. The scales measuring mathematics self-efficacy, self-concept and anxiety consisted of 33 four-point. Like
type items. The 9th grade students (N=3077) were divided into two clusters: 1) students with positive mathematical
self: higher mathematics self-efficacy and self-concept and lower anxiety (n=1482) and 2) students with negative
mathematical self: lower mathematics self-efficacy and self-concept and higher anxiety (n=1423). Boys have more
positive mathematical self than girls and students who come from bigger cities and towns have more negative
mathematical self than those from rural areas.

© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.
Keywords: mathematics self-concept, self-efficacy, anxiety, socio-demographic indicators.

1. Introduction

Our behaviour can be predicted by our beliefs about our capabilities because beliefs help to determine
what we do with the knowledge and skills we have. Therefore, it is important to study students’ mathematics self-
efficacy, self-concept and anxiety as the predictors of their behavior and choices in connection with mathematics.

Students’ mathematics self-efficacy may be defined as their judgements about their potential to learn the
subject successfully. Students with higher levels of self-efficacy set higher goals, apply more effort, persist longer
in the face of difficulty and are more likely to use self-regulated learning strategies ( Wolters & Rosenthal, 2000).
Mathematics self-concept is a perception or belief in his/her ability to do well in mathematics; a confidence in
learning mathematics (Reyes, 1984). Self-efficacy and self-concept in their negative form are highly related to
anxiety (Stankov, Morony, Kleitman & Lee, 2012). Mathematics anxiety is described as a multidimensional
psychological construct that involves complex factors, such as feelings of pressure, performance inadequacy, test
anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and solving mathematical problems in a wide variety of
ordinary life and academic situations (Kazelskis, 1998). The author chose to define students’ mathematics self-
efficacy, self-concept and anxiety as a student’s mathematical self.

Corresponding Author: Liene Kvedere Tel: 0212 48776476
E-mail: [email protected]

1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.636

2688 Liene Kvedere / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2687 – 2690

These three parameters influence the process of acquiring mathematics at school that is why the study aims
to explore the level of Latvian 9th grade students’ mathematics self-efficacy, self-concept and anxiety as well as to
discover the possible interconnections among these parameters and socio-demographic indicators of students.

2. Sample and instruments

The research took place in autumn 2010. The 9th grade students (N=3077) from schools of Latvia participated in the
study. The socio-demographic information about the sample is summarized in Table 1.

Table 1.Socio-demographic information about the research sample of students

Socio-demographic variables Frequency N (%)
2580 (84%)
Educational program General (Latvian-speaking) 497 (16%)

Minorities 1598 (52%)
1479 (48%)
(Russian- speaking) 1636 (53%)
1441 (47%)
Gender Girls

Boys

Urbanization Cities/towns
Provincial

As we can see from Table 1, most of the students who took part in the research come from schools with
general education program, the number of boys and girls are almost evenly distributed as well as the number of
students who come from cities and towns and those from provincial towns and country.

The scales used in the study were elaborated within the international project “Non-cognitive beliefs and
Singaporean students: International comparisons” and they were a part of the internet survey. The scales measuring
mathematics self-efficacy (e.g. How confident do feel about Solving an equation like 3x+5=17) , self-concept (e.g.In
my Mathematics class, I understand even the most difficult work) and anxiety (e.g. I get very nervous doing
Mathematics problems) consisted of 33 four-point Like type items some of them were taken directly from PISA
2003 other were piloted in Singapore in 2009. Students’ responses ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly
agree (4).

3. Results and Discussion

The cluster analysis allowed to divide 9th grade students into two clusters: 1) students with positive mathematical
self: higher mathematics self-efficacy and self-concept and lower anxiety (n=1482); and 2) students with negative
mathematical self – lower mathematics self-efficacy and self-concept and higher anxiety (n=1423). It means that
almost a half of 9th grade students within given sample have a positive while another half have a negative
mathematical self.

In order to find out whether there exists connection between students’ mathematics self-efficacy, self-
concept and anxiety and students’ socio-demographic indicators, at first, One-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test
was used (p<0.001). Then, non-parametric criterion Mann-Whitney U was applied to discern the differences in
socio-demographic groups.

There exist a statistically significant differences in mathematics self-efficacy (p<0.001); self-concept

(p<0.001) and anxiety (p=0.001) of boys and girls (Mann-Whitney U, p<0.005). It means that boys have more

positive mathematical self than girls.
There are many studies in which researchers have found similar results regarding gender differences in

mathematics self-efficacy (Pajares, 1996; Seegers & Boekarts, 1996), mathematics self-concept (Kelly & Jordan,
1990; Dai, 2001; Akande, 1997) and mathematics anxiety (Luo, Wang, & Luo, 2009; Meece, Wigfield & Eccles,

Liene Kvedere / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2687 – 2690 2689

1990; Yuksel-$sahin, 2008). Gender differences could be explained with the help of gender intensification theory
(Hill & Lynch, 1983) that suggests that young people try to fit gender-role stereotypes.

Statistically significant differences were found also according to place of living: mathematics self-efficacy
(p<0.001), self-concept (p=0.001) and anxiety (p=0.003). In provincial towns and country students’ mathematics
anxiety is lower than in towns but students’ mathematics self-efficacy and self-concept are higher.

Just a few studies explore the differences in mathematical self according to place of living, however, there
are many international studies which have compared students’ mathematics anxiety, self-efficacy and self-concept
across countries, for example, PISA 2003 found significant differences among countries. These differences could be
explained by contextual factors, different class size in town and country schools, some role there could play the so
called “Big Fish Little Pond Effect” (Marsh, 1992).

Statistically significant differences were not discovered in students’ mathematics anxiety (p=0.995) and
self-concept (p=0.240) according to the education program realised at school, though, there still exist significant
differences in students’ mathematics self-efficacy for students studying in schools with general education program
and those attending education programs for minorities (p<0.001). Latvian 9th grade students’ mathematics self-
efficacy is higher in schools realising education program for minorities.

Also, there are not many studies where authors have compared parameters of mathematical self across schools
with different education programs. Khatoon and Mahmood (2010) found statistically significant differences in
Indian secondary schools students (N=1652) according to school type they attended, students from government
schools had higher mathematics anxiety. Mainly the differences could be explained by the influence of cultural and
contextual factors. It corresponds with Eccles’ expectancy-value theory (Nagy et.al., 2008).

Conclusions
It is important to study students’ mathematical self parameters because they influence not only the process

of acquiring mathematics, mathematics achievement but also future career choices and general well-being. Teachers
should pay as much attention to students’ perceptions of capability as to actual capability, for it is the perceptions
that may more accurately predict students’ motivation and future academic choices (Hackett and Betz, 1989).

The broader implementation of this study aims to ultimately improve mathematics learning by
understanding the factors which influence it and advise to mathematics teachers to pay more attention to students’
beliefs about their capabilities in mathematics and emotions connected with it.

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