scholarly journals Anxiety, Motivation, and Competence in Mathematics and Reading for Children With and Without Learning Difficulties

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Pollack ◽  
Dayna Wilmot ◽  
Tracy M. Centanni ◽  
Kelly Halverson ◽  
Isabelle Frosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Standardized Assessments ◽  
Academic Difficulties ◽  
Reading Anxiety ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Advance Research ◽  
High Internal Consistency ◽  
Pearson Correlations

Knowledge of the relations among learners' socio-emotional characteristics and competencies as they engage in mathematics and reading is limited, especially for children with academic difficulties. This study examined the relations between anxiety, motivation, and competence in mathematics and reading, within and across domains, in an academically-diverse set of 8–13-year-old learners (n = 146). To measure anxiety and motivation across domains, we paired existing measures of math anxiety and reading motivation with researcher-developed analogs for reading anxiety and math motivation. Participants completed standardized assessments of mathematics and reading, anxiety and motivation surveys for math and reading, and a measure of nonverbal cognitive ability. Results showed high internal consistency for all anxiety and motivation scales (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76–0.91). Pearson correlations showed that within and across domains, participants with higher competence had lower anxiety and higher motivation. Higher anxiety was also associated with lower motivation. Regression analyses showed that for both math and reading, within-domain motivation was a stronger predictor of competence than anxiety. There was a unidirectional across-domain relation: socio-emotional characteristics for reading predicted math competence, after accounting for nonverbal cognitive ability, age, gender, and within-domain anxiety and motivation. Results contribute to knowledge of the socio-emotional characteristics of children with and without learning difficulties in association with reading and math activities. Implications of a unidirectional socio-emotional link between the two domains can advance research and theory of the relations among socio-emotional characteristics and competence for academically-diverse learners.

scholarly journals Anxiety, motivation, and competence in mathematics and reading for children with and without learning difficulties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Pollack ◽  
Dayna Wilmot ◽  
Tracy Centanni ◽  
Kelly Halverson ◽  
Isabelle Frosch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Standardized Assessments ◽  
Academic Difficulties ◽  
Reading Anxiety ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Advance Research ◽  
High Internal Consistency ◽  
Pearson Correlations

Knowledge of the relations among learners’ socio-emotional characteristics and competencies as they engage in mathematics and reading is limited, especially for children with academic difficulties. This study examined the relations between anxiety, motivation, and competence in mathematics and reading, within and across domains, in an academically-diverse set of 8–13-year-old learners (n = 146). To measure anxiety and motivation across domains, we paired existing measures of math anxiety and reading motivation with researcher-developed analogues for reading anxiety and math motivation. Participants completed standardized assessments of mathematics and reading, anxiety and motivation surveys for math and reading, and a measure of nonverbal cognitive ability. Results showed high internal consistency for all anxiety and motivation scales (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.76-0.91). Pearson correlations showed that within and across domains, participants with higher competence had lower anxiety and higher motivation. Higher anxiety was also associated with lower motivation. Regression analyses showed that for both math and reading, within-domain motivation was a stronger predictor of competence than anxiety. There was a unidirectional across-domain relation: socio-emotional characteristics for reading predicted math competence, after accounting for nonverbal cognitive ability, age, gender, and within-domain anxiety and motivation. Results contribute to knowledge of the socio-emotional characteristics of children with and without learning difficulties in association with reading and math activities. Implications of a unidirectional socio-emotional link between the two domains can advance research and theory of the relations among socio-emotional characteristics and competence for academically-diverse learners.

scholarly journals The Role of the Home Learning Environment on Early Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Outcomes in Math and Reading

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Vanbecelaere ◽  
Kanako Matsuyama ◽  
Bert Reynvoet ◽  
Fien Depaepe
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Math Anxiety ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Home Learning Environment ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Reading Outcomes ◽  
Reading Anxiety ◽  
Home Learning

The home learning environment (HLE) has been considered to contribute to children’s early math and reading development. Previous studies examined the HLE by examining the influence of parent-child math and reading activities on math and reading outcomes, however also parents’ own perceptions of math and reading and their math anxiety (MA) and reading anxiety (RA) contribute to the HLE but the latter factors have been scarcely explored. The aim of this study was to provide a more holistic view of the HLE and its relations with children’s cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in math and reading at the start of primary school. This paper examined the relations within the HLE, and the relations between the HLE and children’s early math and reading outcomes. Participants were 301 first-grade children and their parents. The HLE was measured by the parent questionnaire. Children’s digit comparison, number line estimation, letter knowledge and phonological awareness skills were measured as well as their math and reading anxiety levels. The results demonstrated a significant association between parents’ perceptions and their anxiety towards math and reading. No significant associations were found between parents’ perceptions towards math and the frequency of home numeracy activities, whereas significant relations were found in the domain of reading. Socioeconomic status was found to provide a unique contribution in children’s digit comparison and math anxiety, while no significant relations were observed between other HLE factors and children’s outcomes. The current study suggests the importance of including parents’ perceptions and feelings to explore the dynamics of the HLE and its impact on children’s math and reading outcomes.

Comparison of WISC and WISC-R Full Scale IQs for a Sample of Children in Special Education

1977 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theron M. Covin
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Pearson Correlations

The WISC and WISC-R were administered on occasions 2 yr. apart to 186 children with learning difficulties. Ages ranged from 6 to 13 yr. initially and from 8 through 15 yr. at second testing. Pearson correlations ranged from .85 between the WISC and WISC-R Full Scale IQs at Age 9 to .96 at Ages 8, 14, and 15. No significant differences were noted between the sets of Full Scale IQs.

scholarly journals Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Mediates the Relation Between “Specific Math Anxiety” and Arithmetic Speed

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuqing Tang ◽  
Yun Su ◽  
Yu'e Yao ◽  
Hugo Peyre ◽  
Ava Guez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Math Performance ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Arithmetic Task ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Reading Anxiety ◽  
The Impact

There is a growing consensus that math anxiety highly correlates with trait anxiety and that the emotional component elicited by math anxiety affects math performance. Yet few studies have examined the impact of “specific math anxiety” (high math anxiety and low other kinds of anxiety) on math performance and the underlying physiological and affective mechanism. The present study examines the mediation effect of heart rate variability—an affective measurement indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)—in the relationship between specific math anxiety and arithmetic speed. A total of 386 junior high school students completed a self-reported questionnaire to measure their anxiety level. Among this sample, 29 individuals with specific math anxiety (high math anxiety and low reading and trait anxiety), 29 with specific reading anxiety (high reading anxiety and low math and trait anxiety), 24 with specific trait anxiety (high trait anxiety and low math and reading anxiety), and 22 controls (low math, trait and reading anxiety) were selected to participate in an arithmetic task and a reading task while RSA was recorded when they performed the tasks. Results revealed that individuals with specific math anxiety showed lower RSA and longer reaction time than the other three groups in the arithmetic task. Regression and mediation analyses further revealed that RSA mediated the relation between specific math anxiety and arithmetic speed. The present study provides the first account of evidence for the affective hypothesis of specific math anxiety and suggests that affective responses may be an important mechanism underlying the detrimental effect of specific math anxiety on math performance.

scholarly journals Variable sleep schedules might put preschoolers at risk of academic difficulties

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Internalizing Problems ◽  
Academic Difficulties ◽  
Sleep Timing

New data suggest that internalizing problems are associated with sleep variability and that cognitive ability is associated with sleep timing.

scholarly journals Associations between Learning and Behavioral Difficulties in Second-Grade Children

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Emanuela Castro ◽  
Maria Cotov ◽  
Paola Brovedani ◽  
Gabrielle Coppola ◽  
Tania Meoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School Children ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Behavioral Difficulties ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Screening And Prevention

Learning and behavioral difficulties often emerge during the first years of primary school and are one of the most important issues of concern for families and schools. The study was aimed at investigating the co-occurrence of difficulties between academic learning and emotional-behavioral control in typically developing school children and the moderating role of sex. A sample of 640 second-grade school children participated in the study. This study used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure the emotional and behavioral difficulties and a battery of objective and standardized tests to evaluate the learning skills in children. In this sample 7% to 16% of children performed below the normal range in reading and/or arithmetic tests. Mixed models showed that children’s hyperactive behaviors were positively related to both reading and math difficulties, and emotional problems correlated negatively with reading accuracy. The more children displayed behavioral difficulties, the more they were exposed to the risk of worsening reading and math performance, especially for girls. The result that among different emotional-behavioral problems within the school setting, hyperactivity behaviors and emotional difficulties are related to learning difficulties with a moderate effect of sex, needs to be taken into account in screening and prevention programs for learning difficulties in order to not disregard the complexity of the associated profiles.

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