Philippine E-Journals

College Students’ Level of Mathematics Anxiety and Academic Performance: A Basis for a Proposed Intervention Program

Cherry Amor V. Ariola

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Mathematics anxiety is a concern in higher education, often linked to students’ academics and emotional well-being. This study examined the mathematics anxiety level and academic performance of students en-rolled in GEC 002-Mathematics in the Modern World, a general educa-tion course at the University of La Salette. It specifically explored stu-dents’ demographic profile, academic performance, and mathematics anxiety level across the following factors: physical and emotional, as-sessment, and social. Differences or relationships between their anxiety levels and their profile or performance were also tested. This descrip-tive-correlational study involved 265 students from five departments, selected through stratified sampling. Data gathered through a question-naire on mathematics anxiety and students’ grades in GEC 002 were an-alyzed using frequency and percentage, weighted mean, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. Most stu-dents performed well academically, with moderate overall anxiety. As-sessment-related factors ranked highest, followed by social factors, while physical and emotional symptoms were less evident. No signifi-cant differences in mathematics anxiety were found across age, gender, or department. However, students with “excellent” academic perfor-mance reported significantly lower anxiety (p = 0.003). A weak, statis-tically significant positive correlation (r=0.13) emerged between mathematics anxiety and academic performance, suggesting that, in this context, anxiety may function as a slight motivator rather than a debilitating hindrance, implying other factors play a considerable role. An intervention program was proposed to promote academic success and emotional well-being. Although limited to a single institution and based on self-reported, cross-sectional data, the study highlights the importance of addressing mathematics anxiety in HEIs.