STEM ANXIETY IN EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF GENDER, SOCIO-ECONOMIC, GEOGRAPHIC, AND INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS
Main Article Content
Abstract
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) anxiety is an important emotional barrier that affect students’ engagement, academic performance, and continuation in STEM education. This paper presents a systematic review of empirical studies on STEM anxiety, focusing on gender differences, socio-economic factors, geographic and cultural variation, and medium of instruction. Peer-reviewed research published between January 2000 and December 2018 was reviewed using a structured methodology. The findings show that gender differences are common, with female students generally reporting higher levels of anxiety, although these differences vary across contexts and countries. Cross-national studies indicate the presence of a gender-equality paradox in economically developed societies. Socio-economic influences affect STEM anxiety through family background and educational environment, while geographic variation highlights the role of cultural norms and assessment practices. Despite its importance, the role of the medium of instruction has received limited research attention. The paper concludes by outlining implications for educational practice, policy, and future research.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
References
[1]. Dowker, A. Sarkar, and C. Y. Looi, “Mathematics anxiety: What have we learned in 60 years?” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, Art. no. 508, pp. 1–16, 2016.
[2]. G. Stoet, D. H. Bailey, A. M. Moore, and D. C. Geary, “Countries with greater gender equality show larger national sex differences in mathematics anxiety and achievement,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 42, pp. 11701–11706, 2016.
[3]. J. V. Mallow, H. Kastrup, F. B. Bryant, N. Hislop, R. Shefner, and M. K. Udo, “Science anxiety, cognitive interference, and performance,” Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 321–330, 2010.
[4]. A. E. Foley, J. B. Herts, F. Borgonovi, S. Guerriero, S. C. Levine, and S. L. Beilock, “The math anxiety–performance link: A global phenomenon,” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 52–58, 2017.
[5]. J. E. Lauer, A. G. Esposito, and P. J. Bauer, “Domain-specific anxiety relates to children’s math and spatial performance,” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, vol. 173, pp. 247–265, 2018.
[6]. M. E. Escalera-Chávez, E. Moreno-García, A. García-Santillán, and C. Rojas-Kramer, “Mathematics anxiety in Mexican high school students,” International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 899–915, 2016.
[7]. S. Hamid, M. Shahrill, and L. Mundia, “Mathematics anxiety among secondary school students in Brunei Darussalam,” International Education Studies, vol. 6, no. 10, pp. 1–11, 2013.
[8]. C. Benlloch Pla, M. E. Escalera-Chávez, and E. Moreno-García, “Test anxiety in secondary science education,” International Journal of Science Education, vol. 40, no. 15, pp. 1880–1897, 2018.
[9]. T. Kutluca, F. N. Alpay, and S. Kutluca, “Investigating the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement,” Educational Research and Reviews, vol. 10, no. 10, pp. 1452–1460, 2015.
[10]. N. H. Bui and M. A. Alfaro, “Statistics anxiety and performance: The role of gender and prior mathematics experience,” Journal of Educational Research, vol. 104, no. 6, pp. 421–434, 2011.
[11]. M. Förster and T. Maur, “Statistics anxiety in higher education: A cross-cultural comparison,” Studies in Higher Education, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 546–559, 2015.
[12]. J. Moeller, Z. Ivcevic, M. A. Brackett, and A. E. White, “Mixed emotions: Network analyses of intra-individual co-occurrences within and across situations,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 109, no. 2, pp. 354–371, 2015.
[13]. M. A. Pelch and D. A. McConnell, “Challenging stereotypes in the geosciences: A critical examination of stereotype threat,” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 1–22, 2018.
[14]. J. Videnović and J. Radišić, “Mathematics anxiety in Serbian students,” Psihologija, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 143–161, 2011.
[15]. F. B. Bryant, H. Kastrup, M. K. Udo, N. Hislop, R. Shefner, and J. V. Mallow, “Science anxiety, science attitudes, and constructivism: A binational study,” Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 432–448, 2013.
[16]. M. K. Udo, G. P. Ramsey, S. Reynolds-Alpert, and J. V. Mallow, “Does physics teaching affect gender-based science anxiety?” Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 435–446, 2004.
[17]. Z. Hazari, G. Sonnert, P. M. Sadler, and M.-C. Shanahan, “Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physics identity, and physics career choice,” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 951–970, 2007.
[18]. D. W. Putwain, “Test anxiety and GCSE performance: The effect of gender and socio-economic background,” British Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 287–301, 2008.
[19]. A. Ural, “Examining the relationship between mathematics fear and mathematics achievement,” Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 1285–1298, 2015.
[20]. B. J. Casad, P. Hale, and F. L. Wachs, “Parent–child transmission of math anxiety,” Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 39, pp. 176–184, 2015.
[21]. S. Lin, J. M. Durbin, and A. S. Rancer, “Perceived instructor immediacy and student math anxiety,” Communication Education, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 381–402, 2018.