Does Mathematical Anxiety Differ Cross-Culturally?

Abstract

Mathematics constitutes a foundation in the training of engineering students because their competence in this reasoning will be utilised as a tool for the resolution of real problems when inserted in the productive sector and throughout their professional life. The purpose of this causal comparative research study was to determine the difference in learning math anxiety and math evaluation anxiety for engineering students at two universities with different cultural backgrounds. The sample included 20 engineering students from the south-eastern United States and 88 engineering students from Colombia. The English and Spanish version of the AMAS, which contained nine items was divided into two subscales, used to collect data. A series of two-way factorial ANOVAs were conducted to answer the research questions that are related to cultural background, gender and the interaction effect between cultural group and gender. The results indicated there was a statistically significant difference in learning maths anxiety when comparing the two cultures.

Keywords

• mathematical anxiety
• post-secondary
• cross-cultural
• math evaluation anxiety